Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA STATED MEETING Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Thursday, June 18, 2015 11:50 a.m. PRESENT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT DARRELL L. CLARKE COUNCILWOMAN CINDY BASS COUNCILWOMAN JANNIE BLACKWELL COUNCILMAN W. WILSON GOODE, JR. COUNCILMAN WILLIAM K. GREENLEE COUNCILMAN BOBBY HENON COUNCILMAN KENYATTA JOHNSON COUNCILMAN CURTIS JONES, JR. COUNCILMAN ED NEILSON COUNCILMAN DENNIS O'BRIEN COUNCILMAN DAVID OH COUNCILMAN BRIAN J. O'NEILL COUNCILWOMAN MARIA D. QUINONES-SANCHEZ COUNCILWOMAN BLONDELL REYNOLDS BROWN COUNCILMAN MARK SQUILLA MICHAEL A. DECKER, CHIEF CLERK Stated Meeting June 18, 2015
Good morning. Sorry for the delay. We had some administrative action that we had to deal with that we would normally be doing during the presentations, because we have no presentations today and it caused a slight delay. I want to thank you for your patience. If everybody will take their seat, all the guests and visitors retire behind the rail, we'll get started as soon as I see -- today's invocation to start the Council session, we have our own spiritual advisor. We will have Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell who will give today's prayer. I'd ask all guests and visitors to please rise, and members. (Councilmembers and guests rise.)
Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day. We know it is only through thy grace that we're alive and that we're able to be here this morning. Heavenly Father, we ask that you help us to make the right decisions on this very important day, our last day of City Council. We ask that you bless those who are here, our old members and our new members who come to visit us each week. Heavenly Father, we ask you to bless those who are hungry, those who are homeless, those who are unemployed, those who have so many, those who are incarcerated. We ask you to bless those people who have problems in another city when they were having prayer service and someone decided to come in and shoot and kill eight people. Heavenly Father, we ask that you bless us in West Philly, people who have had a problem with the Water Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 We ask that you bless them in a special way. We have people living there without any utilities who are afraid to leave their homes because they're afraid that their properties will be robbed. And, Heavenly Father, we are grateful for the privilege of service. Help us to always keep our mind on our mission. Again, we thank you for this day. Now unto him, who is able to keep you from falling, to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God, our father, the glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forevermore. Amen. (Amen.)
Thank you so much, Councilwoman. Thank you. Can we have your attention, please. We're going to get Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 earnest. Thank you. The next order of business is the approval of the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, June 11th, 2015, and the Chair recognizes Councilman Greenlee.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, June 11th, 2015 be approved. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It has been moved and properly seconded that the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, June 11th, 2015 stand approved. All those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and the Journal is approved. Councilwoman Brown, you want to Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 recognized?
Okay. Thank you. The next order of business is the request for leaves of absence, and the Chair recognizes Councilman Jones.
Thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of the majority, a leave of absence is requested by Councilwoman Marian Tasco.
The Chair thanks the gentleman. Leave shall be granted. The Chair now recognizes Councilman O'Neill.
Thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of the republicans, there are no requests for leave of absence.
The Chair thanks the gentleman. At this time, I would like to Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 order of business and I would like to welcome and thank everyone who has come down today to witness their government in action. I want to apologize for our tardiness, but things happen. I really appreciate the fact that you've come here. It means a lot to us for you to be engaged with your government. So we hope that your experience here is a pleasurable one, so much so that you come back again. Again, thank you. As I said earlier, no presentations, so the next order of business is recognizing Councilwoman Reynolds Brown.
Thank you, Mr. President. In keeping with your remarks to extend a warm welcome to visitors and guests, we are always excited when we have young people who decide to witness us in action, and I'm thrilled and pleased to introduce to some young ladies from my alma mater, Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 Girls, who had an orientation this morning by Councilwoman Bass' office and myself. So we'd like to ask those ladies to stand. And we also have two sophomores here from Syracuse University, Jameek Jenkins and Brielle Brown, who are here also to witness this final session of Philadelphia City Council. We thank you, Mr. President. Let's welcome them. (Applause.)
Welcome. Welcome. And thank you so much for coming down. The next order of business is communications, and the Chair requests that the Sergeant-of-Arms delivers the messages from the Mayor to the Chief Clerk. Mr. Decker, please read those messages.
To the President and members of the Council of the City of Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 Philadelphia, pursuant to Sections 4-604 and 2-307 of the Home Rule Charter, I am today transmitting to the Council the recommendation of the City Planning Commission on the following bills: Bill Nos. 140519, 150467, 150469, 150473, 150475, 150487, 150488, 150489, 150490, 150491, 150492, 150493, 150494, 150495, 150496, 150499, 150501, 150502, 150503 -no; 150504, 150512, 150515, and 150516. And I am pleased to advise you that on June 16, 2015, I signed the following bill which was passed by Council at its session on June 4, 2015: Bill No. 150266, and that on June 16, 2015, I signed the following bills which were passed by Council at its session on June 11, 2015: Bill Nos. 140721, 150239, 150264, and 150355. And I am transmitting for the consideration of your honorable body a resolution approving the redevelopment contract of the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority for the Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 of a portion of the Model Cities Urban Renewal Area, identified by house number and street address as 1513 Brown Street, and authorizing the Redevelopment Authority to execute the redevelopment contract with 1511-1515 Brown Street Limited Liability Corporation to take such action as may be necessary to effectuate the redevelopment contract; and An ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 44 by striking from the City Plan and vacating a certain triangularly shaped portion of Lancaster Avenue located at the northerly side of Market Street and the easterly side of Thirty-Second Street; and An ordinance authorizing the plotting upon a portion of City Plan No. 41-S of a right-of-way for sewer and drainage purposes, approximately thirty feet by twenty-five feet, in the area lying north of Pattison Avenue and east Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 of The Delaware Expressway, and authorizing acceptance of the grant to the City of the said right-of-way, all under certain terms and conditions.
Thank you very much, Mr. Decker. Do you have any additional communications?
Thank you very much. The next order of business is the introduction of bills and resolutions, and the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Mr. President. Today I introduce two bills.
An ordinance amending Section 9-206 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Sidewalk Vendors in Neighborhood Business Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 Districts," by creating the Drexel University District.
That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And an ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 44 by striking from the City Plan and vacating a certain triangularly shaped portion of Lancaster Avenue located at the northerly side of Market Street and the easterly side of Thirty-Second Street.
Referred to committee. And the Chair recognizes Councilman Greenlee.
Thank you, Mr. President. On your behalf, I offer two bills and one resolution.
An ordinance Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 authorizing 1919 Market to construct, own, and maintain various right-of-way encroachments at 1919 Market Street.
And an ordinance authorizing Stacy Reed, owner and operator of the newsstand located on the southwest corner of Broad and Vine Street, to construct, use and maintain conduits in, under and across the southwest corner of Broad and Vine Street.
And a non-privileged resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, without consideration, deeds conveying conditional fee simple title to certain City-owned lots or pieces of ground with the buildings and improvements thereon, Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 situate in the Forty-Seventh Ward of the City of Philadelphia.
And that will be on the next session's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair recognizes Councilman Henon.
Thank you, Council President. I have one bill and two resolutions.
An ordinance amending Section 3-207 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Sale of Fuel Oil," by modifying certain requirements for reporting the sulfur content of stored commercial fuel oil in connection with certain case-by-case exemptions.
And a privileged resolution Honoring and Celebrating the Crew of the USS Dace On Their Reunion Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 Weekend of September 11th through 13th, 2015.
And that will be on this week's Final Passage Calendar.
And a privileged resolution showing support for the City of Philadelphia Flood Risk Management Task Force by offering engaged partnership and thoughtful consideration of forthcoming recommendations.
And that will be on this week's Final Passage Calendar. Thank you, Mr. Decker. The Chair recognizes Councilman Johnson.
Mr. President, I have two privileged and one non-privileged resolution.
An ordinance authorizing the plotting upon a portion of City Plan No. 41-S of a right-of-way for sewer and drainage purposes, approximately thirty feet by twenty-five feet, in the area lying north of Pattison Avenue and east of The Delaware Expressway.
And an ordinance amending Section 14-503 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "/NCA, Neighborhood Commercial Area Overlay," by adding a new subsection entitled "South Broad Street Gateway."
And a non-privileged resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, without consideration, deeds conveying Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 conditional fee simple title to certain City-owned lots or pieces of ground with the buildings and improvements thereon, situate in the Thirty-Sixth Ward of the City of Philadelphia.
Next session of Council. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Quinones-Sanchez.
Thank you, Mr. President. I have three privileged resolutions and two bills.
An ordinance legalizing an existing stair enclosure at 5070 Whitaker Avenue.
And an ordinance authorizing Monica Torres, to construct, own, and maintain a structural encroachment at 4165 North 6th Street.
Also Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 referred to committee.
And a privileged resolution recognizing and honoring the outstanding hard work and dedication of Jesse Bermudez to Philadelphia's Latin Music Scene and declaring July 8, 2015 as "Jesse Bermudez Day."
And a privileged resolution recognizing and honoring HECTOR MAISONAVE for his dedication to the Latino and Salsa communities in Philadelphia.
And a resolution recognizing, honoring, and declaring July 6th through the 12th, 2015 as "Siempre Salsa Philly Week."
And that will also be on this week's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair recognizes Councilman Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 Neilson.
Thank you, Mr. President. I have nothing to offer today.
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilman O'Brien.
Thank you, Mr. President. I have three bills to introduce today.
An ordinance amending Bill No. 150163-A (approved June 18, 2015), entitled "An ordinance to adopt a Fiscal 2016 Capital Budget," by adding and revising certain projects.
And an ordinance amending Title 4 of The Building Construction and Occupancy Code of The Philadelphia Code, by amending Subcode Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 "B," (The Philadelphia Building Code) by adding new requirements for food waste disposers in some new residential construction.
And an ordinance amending Bill No. 150162-A (approved June 18, 2015), entitled "An ordinance to adopt a Capital Program for the six Fiscal Years 2016 through 2021 inclusive," by adding and revising certain projects, amounts and sources.
And that will also be referred to committee. And the Chair recognizes Councilman Goode.
An ordinance authorizing transfers in appropriations for Fiscal Year 2016 within the General Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 Fund from the City Council to the Director of Finance - Contribution to School District.
Referred to the appropriate committee. And the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Reynolds Brown.
Good morning, Mr. President. I offer two bills and one resolution.
An ordinance amending Title 14 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Zoning and Planning," by amending Chapter 14-700, entitled "Development Standards," by revising minimum lot area requirements, and other dimensional requirements in certain residential zoning districts.
That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And an ordinance Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 amending Chapter 17-1600 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Economic Opportunity Plans," to provide for the preparation and filing of an annual report by the Finance Director that analyzes the extent of workforce diversity on projects and contracts requiring Economic Opportunity Plans and identifies appropriate workforce diversity goals for future projects and contracts.
And a privileged resolution authorizing the joint Committees on Education and Law and Government to conduct public hearings to examine the low voter turnout in primary and general elections in the City of Philadelphia.
And that will be on this week's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair recognizes Councilman Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 Jones.
Thank you, Mr. President. I have a privileged resolution co-sponsored by Squilla, Brown, Goode, Sanchez, Bass, Johnson, Blackwell, Greenlee, and Oh.
A privileged resolution recognizing, honoring and commemorating Juneteenth in Philadelphia as the day when slaves were freed in the United States of America more than 150 years ago and further celebrating National Juneteenth Independence Day which is also known as Freedom Day on Friday, June 19, 2015.
That will be on today's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair recognizes Councilman O'Neill.
Thank you, Mr. President. I offer one bill. Stated Meeting June 18, 2015
An ordinance to amend the Institutional Development District Master Plan of the Holy Redeemer Lafayette retirement community, located at 8560 Verree Road, by allowing for an addition to the Skilled Nursing Building.
That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee. And the Chair recognizes Councilman Squilla.
An ordinance authorizing the striking from City Plan No. 13-S and abandoning of a certain right-of-way reserved for gas main purposes which extends from Fourth Street to Fifth Street, north of Dickinson Street. Stated Meeting June 18, 2015
That bill will be referred to committee. And the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Bass.
Thank you, Mr. President. I offer two non-privileged resolutions.
A privileged resolution honoring Glenn Bergman for his outstanding and memorable 11 years of service as the General Manager of the Weavers Way Food co-op and congratulating him on his new position as Executive Director of Philabundance.
That will be on this week's Final Passage Calendar.
And a privileged resolution authorizing Council's Committee on Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs to investigate and hold hearings on the preservation and Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 expansion of the City's public art including its voluminous collection of outdoor murals and sculptures.
That resolution will also be on this week's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair recognizes Councilman Oh.
Thank you, Council President. I offer one bill and seven privileged resolutions. Thank you.
An ordinance amending Title 12 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Traffic Code," Chapter 12-800 "Bicycle Regulations and Penalties," Chapter 12-913 "Prohibitions in Specified Places," and Chapter 12-2800 "Administrative Adjudication of Parking Violations," by making it mandatory for persons riding bicycles to ride on designated bicycle lanes when available, and imposing new penalties and increasing Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 the current penalty for vehicles blocking designated bike lanes.
And a privileged resolution recognizing and commemorating August 26, 2015 as Women's Equality Day in Philadelphia.
And a privileged resolution recognizing and commemorating August 21, 2015 as National Senior Citizens Day in Philadelphia.
And a privileged resolution recognizing and honoring Michael P. Pasquale for his dedication to helping members of the Armed Forces and veterans with service-connected disability claims.
This week's Final Passage Calendar. Stated Meeting June 18, 2015
And a privileged resolution recognizing September 11, 2015, as Patriot Day in Philadelphia to Remember and Reflect on the Tragedy and Heroism Resulting from the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks on the United States.
And a privileged resolution Calling Upon All Philadelphians to Recognize the Prominent History of the American Flag and Celebrate the Importance of the Flag of the United States By Flying 10,000 American Flags Throughout The City of Philadelphia.
And that will also be on this week's Final Passage Calendar.
And a privileged resolution Calling Upon All Philadelphians To Appreciate And Enthusiastically Participate In Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 Restaurant Week In Center City Philadelphia.
And a non-privileged resolution respectfully requesting Congress to award a Congressional gold medal, collectively, to the Filipino Veterans of World War II, in recognition of their dedicated service to the United States from July 26, 1941 to December 31, 1946.
You want it next week -- I mean next -- or you want a suspension of the rules for today?
Yes. I make a motion to suspend the rules for today. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 6/18/15 - STATED - 1ST READING It's been moved and properly seconded that the rules be suspended to allow the reading of today's resolution on this week's Final Passage Calendar. All those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it. That resolution will be on today's Final Passage Calendar.
And that concludes the introduction of bills and resolutions, and we will now have consideration of the Calendar. The next order of business is consideration of this Calendar. The Chief Clerk will please read the bill on the First Reading Calendar today.
Bill No. 150370, entitled "An ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property, on Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 6/18/15 - STATED - 1ST READING behalf of the City, to enter into a sublease agreement with the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development for use by the City of premises located at 2800 South 20th Street.
The Chair agrees, and this bill will be placed on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar at our next session of Council. The Chair recognizes Councilman Jones 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 bills on Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar: Nos. -- excuse me. I move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit a Consent Agenda to consider the following Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 on the Final Passage Calendar: Resolutions 150575, 150576, 150577, 150578, 150579, 150580, 150582, 150583, 150584, 150585, 150586, 150593, and 150598. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It has been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit the use of a Consent Agenda to consider the resolutions just read by Councilman Jones. All those in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. We will consider the Resolution Consent Agenda shortly. The Chair again recognizes Councilman Jones for a motion concerning Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 bills on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar.
Thank you again, 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 Second Reading and Final Passage Calendars: Nos. 130656-AA, 140607-A, 150466-A, 150500-A, 150895, 150376, 150377, 150378, 150379, 150215, 150232, 150236, 150284, 150285, 150288, 150289, 150350, 150351, 150473, 150487, 150488, 150489, 150490, 150491, 150492, 150494, 150442, 150443, 150445, 150469, 150501, 150512, 150213, 150267, 150405, 150410, 150411, 150412, 150413, 150414, 150439, 150444, 150467, 150468, 150474, 150496, 150498, 150503, 150504, 150506, 150513, 150514, 150515, 150516, 150472, 150052, and 150465. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It has been moved and properly seconded that the rules be Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 2ND READING suspended to permit the use of a Consent Agenda to consider the bills just read by Councilman Jones. All those in favor say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, the motion carries, and we will the Consent Agenda shortly. The Chair again recognizes Councilman Jones for the purpose of calling up bills and resolutions on the regular Final Passage Calendar today.
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 for Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar today: Nos. 150390, 150599, 150441-A, 150406, 150375, 150380, 150093, 150162, 150163, 150164, 150165, 150167, Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 2ND READING 150531, 150533, 150534, 150535, 150409, 150265, 150507, 150508, 150509, and 150510. All other bills and resolutions are being held.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Henon.
Thank you, Council President. My apology on the delay over a clarification of a procedural matter, but I want to thank you and I want to touch on something before we adjourn today, before we move on with our process here. I referred Bill No. 150406 back to committee. I did this so that we have an opportunity to engage in a more thorough debate on the current conditions of our jails and in the criminal justice system and who populates them. On an issue like this, I recognize that we need to create unity and consensus. I referred this bill back Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 2ND READING to committee to give every member of this body and the public time and the opportunity to engage and reflect. I'm not going to go through my position on the issue point by point. I've done that already on the record. But I would like to reiterate three points. I believe the construction of a replacement prison is a matter of both fiscal necessity and basic human rights. We cannot afford for the federal government to step in for a fourth time and force us to build another prison. Two, we cannot continue to confuse the public by conflating school desks and prison beds. I listened to a member of this body do that, and it needs to stop. It's reckless and it's wrong. We should not ignore the responsibilities to those who are housed and work inside the House of Correction walls, no matter how long they are there. As we move forward, I'm extending an invitation. Yesterday after Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 2ND READING meeting with Council President, yourself, Mr. Clarke, I stated the process of forming a working group aimed at exploring many of these issues that have been raised about incarceration in Philadelphia. I asked my colleague Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell to co-chair this effort, as well as Councilman Denny O'Brien to join us as well. I have had extended conversations with both of these members over the past several weeks. Both have a history of leadership on these issues and both have expressed interest in moving Philadelphia forward regarding their concerns and experience. The goal will be to create opportunities for discussion and define ways that Philadelphia can improve inmate and reentry services, improve processes, and reduce the rate of incarceration in Philadelphia. I invite any interested stakeholders to join the working group. You can contact my office to sign up. So I look forward to building Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 2ND READING on that work and engaging everyone involved in the working group in the upcoming weeks and months to find a collaborative solution to the overcrowdedness of our prisons and the crumbling infrastructure at the House of Corrections. Finally, anyone who has concerns about the construction or the need of a replacement prison, I will arrange a tour for the 140-year-old House of Corrections and I will guarantee, as most of you already know, I will guarantee you will have a different perspective once you have seen the conditions inside these walls. So thank you for the opportunity, Council President, in the process here today as we move forward on our last day of City Council. Thank you.
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Jones. Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 2ND READING
Thank you, Mr. President. I want to thank and applaud my colleague for reconsidering this bill and moving it back to committee for a wide range of discussion by members of Council, all of whom I respect, all of whom I believe have good intentions, but the road to prison is paved with good intentions, and let me tell you about that road for a second. There are 11 neighborhoods, 12 zip codes where the vast majority of the residents on State Road live, 11 neighborhoods and approximately 12 zip codes. And ironically and coincidently those are the same neighborhoods where underperforming schools are performing low in math and in reading. I went to each and every one of those prisons. I've walked each and every one of those tours as Chair of Public Safety. I have also been to places where they took a different path. I've been to Red Hook, New York where Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 2ND READING they have a restorative justice model which has done a couple of worthwhile things. They've reduced their prison population and almost cut in half the cost of incarcerating an individual. I have also provided for my members and would hope that there would be a tour of that particular program in the consideration of a committee in a wider discussion. I would also suggest to you that we have -- on Wednesday I had the honor of going to two graduations in 90 degree weather. That same day they dismissed the entire student body for public education because of the heat, because of the lack of air conditioning. In my own alma mater, the fifth floor and the fourth floor are closed. There's no capital plan to do that. We closed 23 schools several years ago, and there are no projected plans to build new ones. So I would encourage humanity for the residents of the House of Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 Corrections. I would insist upon it, but there are many ways to Rome. There are many ways to accomplish that. And if the dialogue is sincere, I will be the first to sign up, and if I'm wrong, I'm man enough to go along with it. But if I'm right, I would hope that we would consider that. And that is the best that this body does. It considers varying opinions about a subject. And we won't always agree, but we should always consider options. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, Councilman. Before proceeding with the votes both on Consent Resolution and Consent Agenda with respect to bills and the regular Calendar, we will have our public comment session. The public comment session will go as follows: If you are interested in testifying on a bill or resolution that is on the Final Passage Calendar today, Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 if you have not already done so, sign up at the table to my left. Your name will be called. You will go to the podium in the middle of the Council Chambers. There's a device. There's a light on that device. When the light turns green, it is your time to speak. When it turns yellow, you will have 30 seconds to conclude your remarks. When it turns red, we'd ask that you please adhere to the guidelines and conclude your remarks. There is one caveat with respect to the three minutes that you will be given. In the event, the rules of Council allow us or basically me on the same subject matter, meaning that if there is a significant list of individuals testifying on the same bill or resolution; i.e., subject matter, it is within the rules to allow the termination of that discussion during the course of that conversation. We would hope that we would not have to do that, Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 but we do have a lot of business to conclude. There are a lot of individuals testifying on one of the bills, the bill that was just referenced for the record, and another bill that is also coming up. For the record, that bill will not be heard today. That bill will be referred back to committee. It cannot be acted on until it is a committee vote, first and second reading/final passage. As the sponsor just indicated, that it is for the purpose of allowing a broader and further discussion with respect to the broader issue with respect to incarceration and the penal system. So I want to thank you very much for that. And, Mr. Decker, please call the name -- by the way, you'll be given three minutes to testify. Mr. Decker, can you please call the name of the first individual on the list.
Irma Lopez Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 Salter, commenting on 150390. (Witness approached podium.)
I want to talk about the Gallery neighborhood improvement district. I had talked to the District Councilperson. I know it's a membership thing, and I'm asking to be on that committee as representing the Gallery vendors/merchants. I believe that there's a fee there depending on how much a business makes. Since we're not in business yet, I recommend that we pay a dollar a year. I'd like to talk about the computerized signs. I'd like to make sure that some of those signs are donated to the Philly neighborhood. So this way, all our tours as our visitors know what's going on in the neighborhood, they might want to come out to visit. Now I want to take time out to Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 thank City Council. Thank you very much for listening to me for the last three months. Thank you very much, Mark, Maria, for being our voices and to help us begin a new relationship with PREIT. May PREIT hear us, hear our plight and make them a believer. Thank you, PREIT, for allowing us in your world while you understand our world. Together, we are going to make a better Philadelphia. Last for today, I look forward in cutting that ribbon two or three years from now, and I want Mayor Kenney to be there, I want President Darrell Clarke to be there, I want Mark to be there, and of course PREIT and of course myself. So I would like to be part of cutting that ribbon, and I look forward in seeing you in September, because the last thing is that I need your help to help us start an association for our merchants. But we'll talk to you about that. We'll work on it this summer. Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 Thank you. God bless. Thank you, City Council. See you in September.
Thank you for your testimony and your perseverance. (Applause.)
Adam Lang and Glenn Reed, commenting on 150409. (Witness approached podium.)
Good afternoon. My name is Adam Lang. I live in the Sharswood neighborhood for ten years. I'm the current republican ward leader. I've been of the Board of the local civic association for several years. I was on the Reynolds Elementary School Advisory Council. I organized a financial literacy course at Robert Vaux High School. I say these not as points of credit, but to make clear I am someone who has vested time and effort into a Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 neighborhood, as many other residents have done. So I keep asking myself, why does City Hall keep making my life harder and going out of its way to say it doesn't want me in Philadelphia? The bill before you today, which is the PHA eminent domain bill, will seize my property for the simple reason that you want it to give to someone else, as you would do to -- as you would seize and do to many other people in the neighborhood. The claim is that the neighborhood is blighted and it needs help. That is true, but the claim ignores why the neighborhood has so much blighted property. Of the 1,300 properties, 500 are being transferred from the City itself. A couple years ago PHA auctioned off about 200 or so properties in Sharswood, which this bill is also seizing back. They were also blighted properties. That means over half of the properties on this list are Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 blighted because of the City of Philadelphia and PHA. It's even worse when we take into consideration properties that have been tax delinquent for over a decade and the City won't put up for auction. The City let them sit and fall apart. The single biggest factor to blight and lack of investment in Sharswood and much of North Philadelphia is our local government. Why does it make sense to take over a third of the land in a neighborhood and give it to people who have been the biggest cause of the problem? Many of you have been told it is because of market failures and no one wants the properties. I speak from experience that this isn't true and the City does actively block acquisition. One of the reasons I bought where I did was that there was some vacant land next to the house. I figured I can try to get it so I can have gardens Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 and an outdoor area after I bought the house. Not being originally from Philadelphia, I figured I could go over to City Hall and kick off a process of acquiring it. That was my first exposure to City Hall. The abridged version of the story is, I had to spend two years hounding Councilman Clarke's office until I publicly got him to agree to put a lot up for auction. Several months later, they go to auction, and the City Solicitor bid against them at the request of the Councilman's office. Fast forward to exactly three years ago today, this month, a vacant lot on my block is listed for sale with the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority. I put an expression of interest, as instructed. No one gets back. You call the office. You get voice mails. About two months goes by before actually getting someone on the phone. The conversation ends after about 30 seconds when the person on the other line says they can't talk about Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 selling you land unless you first have a letter of agreement from Councilman Clarke's office. These aren't market failures.
This is the City demonstrating it can't handle property management itself, and what we need to focus on for Sharswood is actually letting private investment develop in the neighborhood, not a single agency trying to develop the whole land itself.
Glenn Reed, commenting on 150409. (Witness approached podium.)
My name is Glenn Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 Reed. The reason why I'm here today is because the majority of the citizens in Philadelphia, they don't know that the Philadelphia Housing Authority Police Department is stopping people on the street just as if they were the Philadelphia Police. I was told that they have the same rights as the Philadelphia Police and they can stop you for the same causes. But here's where the problem comes in, is because of the nature of police work, there's going to be some kind of conflicts and there's going to be some kind of disagreements, and if you attempt to file a complaint with the Philadelphia Housing Authority, they have no procedure. There is no procedure for filing a complaint against the Philadelphia Housing Authority Police Department. Now, like in my case where I tried to file a complaint, I hit a lot of brick walls. And I contacted the executive office of PHA, and I couldn't Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 get two people at the Philadelphia Housing Authority to agree on what a procedure was to file a complaint. I was even told by the administrative assistant for the Director that I should not be allowed to file a complaint against a Philadelphia Housing Authority Police Officer. And I know that's ridiculous. This is the City of Philadelphia, and this is the fifth largest city in the most powerful country in the world. You can file a complaint against any police officer, or you should be able to. Anyway, to get to the point, because I've been complaining to my Senator and to HUD about them not having a procedure, they have put a procedure in place temporarily until they come up with a procedure. And the procedure is to contact the Office of Audit and Compliance if you have a problem with a police officer. However, if you do contact the Office of Audit and Compliance and you file a complaint with Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 them, they send you a letter, and I'd like to read this letter real fast. It's real short. Kindly allow this letter to serve as acknowledgment of the recent complaint that you filed with the Office of Audit and Compliance. After careful review of your allegations, this office will make a determination of whether to launch an investigation. If it is determined that the allegation does not warrant an investigation at this time, the information you have provided will be retained for possible future action. If an investigation is deemed necessary, please rest assure that the office will thoroughly investigate your claim and strive to do so within 180 days. Based on the findings of this investigation, a referral will be forwarded to the appropriate internal department or external agency to prompt a corrective action, as necessary. Due to the confidential nature Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 of this investigation, please be advised that the Office of Audit and Compliance will not be able to divulge any details on the progress or results of your investigation or your complaint. Thank you for your kind attention in this matter and for bringing this allegation to our light. And I would just ask City Council, that if you're going to do business with PHA -- and there's no way you cannot do business with PHA -- could you please request that they put in place an open, a transparent, a fair way to file a complaint against a police officer if there is some sort of violation. And they should be held to the same standard as the Philadelphia Police Department. Thank you.
Thank you. Mr. Reed, before you leave, can you do me a favor, can you go to my office and leave your name and number. The City Council has a representative on Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 the Philadelphia Housing Authority Board. So we can follow up with that issue to make sure -- we're down at 494 City Hall, right down the hall here. If you could just leave your name and number and the reference and we'll have somebody follow up with a phone call.
Rick Spradlin, Frank Ursone, commenting on 150599. (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning -or good afternoon, Councilmembers. I'm Rick Spradlin, Labor Relations Manager for Hyundai Rotem USA. Hyundai Rotem is a strong global competitor in passenger railcar manufacturing. We established our North American headquarters in Philadelphia in 2004. We chose Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 Philadelphia for a number of reasons, one of them being the strength and experience of its manufacturing workforce and another is the support of a qualified local supply base. In 2013, the State transportation bill was passed and signed into law by Governor Corbett. This bill was crucial and necessary in order to support transportation projects across the State. It will have a tremendous positive impact on the City of Philadelphia and, more specifically, the riders of SEPTA. The bill will allow SEPTA to move forward with their plans for repairing their aging rail lines as well as purchasing new vehicles for their aging fleet. It will create and sustain thousands of jobs. SEPTA utilizes both State and federal funding from the FTA for their capital programs. In years past, the use of federal funding did not allow for local labor hiring preferences. As Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 Resolution 150559 [sic] points out, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced a pilot program allowing just that. Passing Resolution 150559 and SEPTA implementing local hiring goals for federally funded projects is key to maximizing the local job creation and local economic impact the SEPTA transportation projects create. Hyundai Rotem graciously thanks the Council. Mr. Clarke, it's good seeing you again and any other Councilmembers. Thank you for your support.
Frank Ursone, commenting on 150599. (Witness approached podium.)
I'm Frank Ursone. Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 I'm the President at UTC, a small manufacturing business located right outside of the City. UTC manufactures, refurbishes, and assembles components for trains, primarily wheels, axles, and truck assemblies. We're very fortunate enough to be able to be on the SEPTA program, thanks to Hyundai Rotem with localization. Our company can continue to thrive. We started in 1983 with five people, and because of acts like 150559 [sic], I believe we'll continue to thrive. We currently have 60 employees, and with the Steel Product Procurement Act and Buy America and if we can get localization, small companies like UTC continue to grow. We must keep the work in America, not allow FTA waivers, as SEPTA has recently applied for, to buy wheels in China instead of local companies. With the help of City Council, we can continue to keep employees in Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 Pennsylvania working. Thank you very much.
Good afternoon, Council President Clarke, members of Council. My name is Lisa Haver. I'm a retired teacher and member of the Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools, a grassroots organization of educators and parents. Our members have sent me here to support Council President Clarke and Council in their efforts to protect the professional jobs, including nurses, and to stop taxpayer money from being spent to decrease services to our students. The School District should not hand over control of these important jobs Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 to outside companies, who would not be accountable to the principal, would not be accountable to the parents, would not be accountable to the public. The School District would not be able to hire and fire these people and would not be able to ensure the quality of student services. Our students deserve the same level of quality in healthcare and all services as those students in neighboring suburban districts. Certified school nurses are there to serve the children and their families, period. They're not there to take children out of class. It's a bill for services. Certified school nurses in most emergency cases send students back to class. Certified school nurses are part of the school community. They know the children. They know their families. Often they have seen brothers and sisters come through that school. The School District, Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 Superintendent Hite has said this is a matter of money, we can't afford certified school nurses, we want to supplement the certified school nurses. There are a lot of costs associated with not having a certified school nurse. Number one, if it's a principal or a teacher or not -- somebody who is not a nurse cannot assess a child, and the calls to 911 have increased. That money is sometimes borne by the parents, sometimes by insurance companies, but it's often borne by the City. Another cost is that principals who are already overburdened have to take care of sick children. And, again, if they don't know what's wrong and they want to be safe, they're going to call the parents up to school. We have a lot of parents who do not have high-paying jobs, who have service jobs, who have retail jobs. These are jobs that if you're not there, you don't get paid. Thanks to Councilman Greenlee and the Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 other Councilmembers, a lot more people have sick pay, but they don't have personal days. When these parents are called unnecessarily, they lose money, they lose wages. So I want to thank you and to emphasize that the School District -- and I say this as somebody who goes to every single SRC meeting and I see how the School District spends money, and I want to say unequivocally the School District does have money for certified school nurses. Thank you.
Diane Payne, commenting on 150583. (Witness approached podium.)
Good afternoon. I'm a retired teacher, a member of the Working Educators Caucus, PFT, and Alliance of Philadelphia Public Schools. Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 I would like to speak in support of not outsourcing our School District jobs, which I know you do not have direct control over. However, it is important for this body, which partially funds the School District budget, to be on board with School District goals. Dr. Hite, with the support of the SRC, is on a mission to outsource jobs and close schools. 32BJ has been before you to paint the picture of sore dismemberment of their union jobs, as has the PFT. Outsourcing is a whittling away at the quality of services offered our children, oftentimes whittling away at the very philosophy of what a quality education means and degrades the caliber of the workforce within the School District. Certified librarians were replaced by LIMAs and finally they were just eliminated. They claim they have to outsource because they can't get quality substitute teachers, but many retired Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 teachers are willing to sub and find it impossible to get on the list. Now nurses. The total sham of this proposal is stunning. Nurses support the health and the educational opportunities of our children. There is no way that outsourcing this crucial position will do anything more than make our children one more data point in someone's billable book. Thank you.
Joe Coccio, commenting on 150599. (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning, City Council. Joe Coccio. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you. As I said, my name is Joe Coccio. I'm the current treasurer for the Transport Workers Union Local 234 and Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 I'm speaking on the resolution by David Oh. That's 150599. And I'd like to start off by saying that I am also a Tacony Civic Association treasurer and a member of the Citizens Crime Commission. But I come to you today on behalf of the Transport Workers Union President, Willie Brown, the employees of Philadelphia-based Hyundai Rotem, and the residents of the City and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The issue at hand here today is surely a no-brainer for almost everyone here in the room, but it should also be a no-brainer for every elected official in the State as well. Simply put, it's about jobs, practicality, morality, and huge economic growth for the City and the State all rolled into one. Jobs have been the number one priority for every politician in the country, and most of you here have ran for election on a platform that surely included jobs. Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 The resolution to be brought today -- brought to you today by Councilman Oh is also about greatly expanding Pennsylvania and Philadelphia's manufacturing base and strengthening the State and the local economy. It should be that simple, right? But the fact that we are here today having a discussion on these very obvious issues, jobs and economic growth, is proof that some organizations such as SEPTA don't always agree with us about what's best for the City and State, only what's best for the organization. And no matter how much money they receive from the City, the counties, and the State and the federal government, the fact that we should have to go to every politician in the State to do what's right and seemingly obvious shows that in spite of SEPTA's slogan, "we're getting there," shows they're not quite there yet. I faxed or e-mailed each of you here today a letter describing SEPTA's Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 desire to purchase 100 to 150 desperately needed trolley cars to serve the residents of Philadelphia and Delaware County. The problem is, SEPTA wants to send this work to China. Yes, that's right, China, as if China needs the money more than the City of Philadelphia and the State of Pennsylvania. It's disturbing to me that we even need to have such a resolution in these economic times. Don't we need jobs here in Philly? Don't we need economic development here in the entire State? Philadelphia has its very own trolley car manufacturer right here in South Philly, and these trolley cars that will be serving our residents, paid for by our residents, driven and repaired by our residents should be manufactured right here in Philadelphia's own railcar manufacturing plant, Hyundai Rotem. But here we are asking for SEPTA to do the obvious. I have faith here in City Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 Council. You already know what the right thing to do is, and I implore you to tell SEPTA and its powers-to-be to do the right thing and keep the work local. I have shown you all the numbers with my letter. 75 an hour, with benefits, and a manufacturing plant capable of the largest train and trolley orders, and has already provided beautiful new regional railcars running on the lines right now. Hyundai's plant has already generated $182,660,000 to 22 companies in the Greater Philadelphia area.
In closing, the real work is going to involve you, City Council, and all of us here to convince every other politician, your State Reps, Governor Wolf, and Congress, to seize this opportunity before it's too late and Hyundai goes away like the once proud Budd plant in Northeast Philadelphia and the money goes away with it to a far-off Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 land called China where they take our money, share no yen, and steal our data and then pretend to be our friend. Thank you.
The next three individuals approach the podium. They'll speak in this order on 150498: Rob Mitchell, Rafael DeLuna, Osborn Yu. (Witness approached podium.)
Good afternoon, Council President Clarke and City Council. Thank you for allowing the mobile food vendors of Temple University the opportunity for their voices to be heard here today. The Philadelphia Mobile Food Association, of which I am the President, is always grateful for the strong working relationship we have built with the Council President's office and in working through all matters food truck related, Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 and we look forward to working out the details of proposed Bill 150498. The bill itself came as a surprise to the vendors of Temple University, and of even greater surprise was that Council did not seek to involve the Philly Mobile Food Association from the beginning. Of the numerous proposals in the bill causing concern for the Philly Mobile Food Association, I'll begin with Section 1 (.3)(D), which addresses the vendors' responsibility of installing electrical poles, the amount of rights to the electrical supply business owners will possess throughout their tenure as vendors, and their rights to transfer that assignment moving forward. The second issue is in Section 1(.3)(C), and that's the ambiguity of details regarding the Temple University District vending license. This is a license that has not previously existed, but is now being introduced and bringing Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 with it potentially additional fees, which will only add more expenses to an industry already burdened with bureaucratic costs. The third concern is found in Section 1(.3)(G), the duration of hiatus time. We find it unreasonable and it should be dictated by the Temple University student schedule as opposed to a single allocated month as defined within the proposal. A fourth and final concern not written but communicated verbally is the displacement issue and the uncertainty of its impact on each individual small business owner. Each of these entrepreneurs have built successful reputations in their current locations. Random displacement and the costs associated with it will cause each business essentially to start over by forcing them to rebuild their entire client base based on their positioning on the campus. Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 These are the sections of the bill with which the PMFA takes umbrage. That is not to say that there are not additional pieces of the proposed legislation that the Temple mobile food operators themselves object to. Ultimately, the Philly Mobile Food Association is here to defend its mission statement - advocating for legislation that is mobile food vendor friendly and small business conducive. Bill 150498, as it is presented, is neither of these. In the spirit of encouraging and not thwarting small business growth, providing choices to consumers and not subjecting grassroots entrepreneurs to what could potentially be a nightmare of bureaucratic expenses and fees, the Philly MFA humbly requests a delay on the passage of Bill 150498 until details could be more clearly defined and so that an informed decision could be made that will have a direct impact on the roughly four dozen small business owners and the Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 Philadelphians that they employ. Thank you. (Applause.)
Sir, one second, please. So can I ask a question. I'm sorry. I came back in. I may have missed it. Up until this point, what has been the process with respect to the Temple University administration?
Council President, we have been in contact with Temple University and are trying to have a sit-down with the powers-that-be there to work out the details. From what we understand, there has not been a Temple University District vending license, and it's the issue --
You're saying there has not been any meetings? Have there -- you're saying there have not been any meetings with the administration?
With the Philly Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 Mobile Food Association, there has not. The Temple vendors themselves have had. And as I mentioned in my statement earlier, the Philadelphia Mobile Food Association only became involved in the last couple of days, because we weren't notified with the initial -- with the advent of the proposal.
Okay. All right. I'm just trying to -because, I mean, it was indicated to us that there had been conversations between the food truck drivers and the -
There have been. There have been conversations with some of the operators, but not with the Association.
Not with the Association. Okay. All right. We'll make sure that happens. Thank you, sir.
Thank you. (Witness approached podium.) MR. DeLUNA: Good afternoon, Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 distinguished members of City Council. Just to clarify for the record, there has been one meeting between the food truck owners and Temple University. So only one.
Okay. Thank you. MR. DeLUNA: My name is Rafael DeLuna. I'm a small business owner and a mobile food entrepreneur. When I purchased my food truck in 2010, I invested my entire life savings into the opportunity to vend on Temple's campus. It took me another five years to save up enough money to make the needed repairs and modifications to the truck, and $100,000 later, I was finally open for business. I'm here to ask you today not to vote for this bill. If passed as written, this bill will ruin the livelihoods of the 40 other food truck owners sitting behind me and their families. Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 In part, I understand why Temple University has decided to create a vending district, to create some order and hold food truckers to a higher standard. We food truck owners also have the same goals and we hold each other to the highest operating and safety standards. This bill does more harm than good. For example, the section that states that vendors shall remain in continuous operation, vendors may close for a period of up to one month. How profitable would Rita's Water Ice be if they were forced to operate during the winter months? They wouldn't be in business very long. Our businesses are also seasonal. The reality is that our food trucks are typically profitable for only six months. If you know Temple University, then you know the campus is virtually a ghost town in December, January, part of May, June, July, and Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 part of August. Another example of the unfairness of this bill is the section that states that all vendor spaces shall be non-assignable and non-transferable. This statement alone destroys the value of all our businesses. Would I have invested $100,000 for a food truck if it didn't come with the vending location? Absolutely not. Many of the food truckers behind me who have owned and operated their trucks for decades now won't be able to sell or transfer their businesses when they retire. I can't give it to my children. I can't give it to my brother or any other family member. Finally, the manner and process in which this bill was worked on by Temple University and the City was not transparent. Why would you not want to work with the food truck owners to help create a bill that works for all parties? We are here and we want to work with the Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 University and the City. On April 4th, Temple News broke a story about this vending district, and this is what James Creedon, Vice President for Construction and Facilities and Operations, said: The vending district plans are not imminent. He added that the University has talked with the City about the potential changes, but no action will be taken at any time in the fear future. That was April 4th, and here we are today, moments away from destroying the lives of all these food truck owners. In closing, I would just like to say thank you for your time, and I behoove you to reconsider this bill and not pass it as it currently is written. Thank you. (Applause.)
Thank you, Councilmembers. My name is Osborn Yu and Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 I share many of the -- and I am a small business entrepreneur working at Temple University. I share many of the concerns of my fellow food truck owners. First of all, the ability to communicate with Temple University in this matter, we have tried to communicate with them by private e-mails and by phone calls and have not been able to get in contact for the most part, which prevents our input into what directly affects our lives. Second, many of us have purchased our food trucks at the location at a highly inflated price. By preventing the ability to sell and transfer our assignments, many of us will not be able to retire or to invest into another property such as a restaurant after we decide to quit working at Temple University. Most of what I wanted to say has already been covered by the other members of the -- by the other speakers. Thank you for your time. And I Stated Meeting June 18, 2015 would also ask to prevent the -- to delay the bill. Thank you.