Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 1 6/22/2023 COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA STATED MEETING Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Thursday, June 22, 2023 10:43 a.m. PRESENT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT DARRELL L. CLARKE COUNCILWOMAN CINDY BASS COUNCILWOMAN KENDRA BROOKS COUNCILMAN MICHAEL DRISCOLL COUNCILWOMAN JAMIE GAUTHIER COUNCILWOMAN KATHERINE GILMORE RICHARDSON COUNCILMAN JIM HARRITY COUNCILMAN KENYATTA JOHNSON COUNCILMAN CURTIS JONES, JR. COUNCILWOMAN QUETCY LOZADA COUNCILMAN BRIAN J. O'NEILL COUNCILMAN ANTHONY PHILLIPS COUNCILMAN MARK SQUILLA COUNCILMAN ISAIAH THOMAS COUNCILWOMAN SHARON VAUGHN MICHAEL A. DECKER, CHIEF CLERK Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 2 6/22/2023
Good morning. We're going to get started. We're going to have a very long day, so if the members will take their seats. I just want to say before we get started -- I'll actually say it in the script -- that we have a significantly long list of individuals wishing to comment today. I'm not sure if they're here in person. So we are going to have to pare that list back, one, because of the length of the list, but on the same subject matter there's a significant number of individuals, and under the rules, we're allowed to pare that list back. We're going to try to do the best we can to accommodate as many people as possible, but, again, we have a very, very, very long day in terms of the number on the legislative agenda today. So I just wanted to say that ahead of time. We're going to get started. We Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 3 6/22/2023 and Council will now come to order. To give our invocation this morning, the Chair recognizes Rabbi Robyn Frisch of Temple Menorah Keneseth Chai. She is here today as the guest of Councilman Driscoll. I would ask all members and guests to please rise. (Councilmembers, guests, and visitors rise.)
Thank you, Council President Clarke. Thank you, Councilman Driscoll, for granting me the honor of being here today. I stand humbly before God and before all of you, aware that just three days ago we marked Juneteenth. But just as the Israelites' freedom from slavery from Egypt didn't bring them immediately to the Promised Land, Juneteenth didn't mark the end of the journey for slaves and for their descendants. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 4 6/22/2023 to celebrate Juneteenth, there's still much work left to do, and we can't let this week pass without recognizing it as a call to action. Our biblical heritage commands us not to oppress the stranger, because we were slaves in the land of Egypt. Similarly, Juneteenth should remind all Americans of our responsibility to our fellow human beings. We must remember that each human being is created in the image of the divine, and ensure that everyone can exercise their God-given right to freedom, to dignity, and to opportunity. In Philadelphia, we look to the esteemed members of our City Council for guidance in this endeavor. May you always keep in mind that a leader is a servant, and to serve -- and to lead is to serve. The leaders of this Council serve the people of this city, not just Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 5 6/22/2023 power and influence and connections, but all people. And in performing your responsibilities, we pray you'll never lose sight of the biblical command: Justice, justice shall you pursue. This means justice and, where appropriate, mercy for everyone, for the last, the least, and even for the lost. For each of you on the City Council, the leaders and the servants of the people of Philadelphia, I ask for that blessing upon you with the words of the priestly benediction: May God bless you and keep you. May God's countenance shine upon you and be gracious to you. May God always be with you. And may each of you be blessed with the most precious gift of all in the essential, sacred work that you perform in City Council. May you be blessed with the gift of shalom, of wholeness, and of peace, and may you help to bring shalom to this great city of ours. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 6 6/22/2023 say in Hebrew, so may it be God's will. And let us all say amen. (Amen.)
Thank you, Rabbi. Thank you so much. Council will be at ease. (Council at ease.)
Thank you again, Rabbi. We really appreciate you being here today. Our next order of business is the approval of the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, June 15, 2023, and the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Bass.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, June 15th, 2023 be approved. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It has been moved and properly seconded that the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, June 15, 2023 stand Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 7 6/22/2023 indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
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 Councilman Jones.
Thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of the members of Council, there are no requests for leaves of absence today.
The Chair thanks the gentleman. The Chair now recognizes Councilman Squilla for a motion concerning certain legislative matters that may arise during the course of today's session of Council that were not Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 8 6/22/2023 the Calendar circulated prior to our session today.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that any of the following matters, if considered 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, amendments to bills re-called from the Mayor, resolutions taking substantive action to be voting on in this session, a motion to withdraw a bill or resolution that is not on the Calendar, 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 Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 9 6/22/2023 actions of Council that arose too late to be included in the Calendar that was published prior to today's session. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It has been moved and properly seconded that the legislative matters stated by Councilman Squilla may be added to the agenda for today, should those matters arise during the course of this session. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. The motion carries. And our next order of business is communications, and I would ask the Clerk to please read the messages from the Mayor or any other communications Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 10 6/22/2023 in his possession today.
From the Mayor 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 recommendation of the City Planning Commission on the following bills: Council amendments to Capital Program and Budget, Bill Nos. 230144 and 230145; and I am pleased to advise you that on June 21, 2023, I signed all of the bills which were passed by Council at its session on June 8, 2023, except Bill Nos. 230308 and 230318, which I am returning without my signature, and Bill No. 230319, which I am returning disapproved.
Thank you. And our next order of business is the introduction of bills and resolutions. I would ask the Clerk to please read the titles of the legislation Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 11 6/22/2023 that's being offered today by our members.
Councilman Phillips offers two resolutions, a privileged resolution honoring Dallas Hubert as a Hero of the 9th Council District for his laudable service to the community.
And a non-privileged resolution renaming the 1400 block of Vernon Road, at the intersection of Michener Avenue, to "John F. White, Jr. Way." Mr. President, Councilman Phillips would like to be recognized on this resolution.
Good morning, Council President. Good morning, colleagues. And good morning, viewing public. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 12 6/22/2023 Today I'm introducing two resolutions. The first one I'm introducing is to honor Dallas Hubert as a Hero of the 9th Councilmanic District for his laudable service to the community. Dallas has dedicated himself to ensuring our neighborhoods are clean, avidly participating in community clean-ups across our district. In all that Dallas Hubert does, he furthers the progress of our city, Philadelphians who through dedication and excellence contribute in a meaningful way, and he's an example of what that looks like to be an integral part of our community and to its functioning of creating wholeness to our city. So as the Ninth District Councilmember, I am making it my business to ensure that the sincerity of my gratitude for Dallas Hubert's service is heard loud and clear. Thank you, Mr. Hubert. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 13 6/22/2023 He's not here today, but he'll be recognized later on. The second resolution I'm introducing is to rename the 1400 block of Vernon Road to John F. White, Jr. Way. His legacy and career has been of a fervent public servant. He's often forgotten when we discuss Philadelphia legends, but he is undoubtedly one of them. From being a State Representative, a Ninth District City Councilmember, Secretary of the Department of Public Welfare, and Executive Director of the Philadelphia Housing Authority, to now being the President and CEO of The Consortium, John White, Jr. has done it all. John White throughout his career has taken on issues related to education, juvenile justice, prison reform, social welfare, and energy. While in these Chambers, John White, Jr. held Council's first hearing on HIV and Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 14 6/22/2023 AIDS, and he increased awareness about fetal alcohol syndrome and spearheaded the Emergency Utility Fund, assisting Philadelphians with heating bills. Many of the programs John White began during his tenure at the Department of Public Welfare have stood the test of time. Their enduring success of his programs is a testament to White's vision and dedication to improving healthcare in this state. For all these reasons and more, I'm proud to honor John F. White, Jr. for his lifetime of admirable service to the City and Commonwealth. Thank you, Council President, and thank you, City of Philadelphia. (Applause.)
Thank you. Councilman, I understand that you were seeking a rules suspension on one of the resolutions? Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 15 6/22/2023
I'm sorry. Listen, thank you, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit consideration of this resolution at today's session of Council. (Duly seconded.)
-resolution? It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is approved. That will be on today's Final Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 16 6/22/2023 Passage Calendar. The other resolution will be on the next session's Calendar.
Hold on, Mr. Decker. The Chair recognizes Councilman Johnson.
Thank you, Council President. I just want to also just echo the sentiments and acknowledge and thank my colleague for introducing the resolution for a street renaming for a gentleman who I always considered to be a giant amongst men when it comes to politics here in the City of Philadelphia. Also, as the CEO of The Consortium that specifically deals with those who are addicted to drugs and have mental and behavioral health issues, he's always been a forefront advocate and also working with this body to make sure that we're doing all the things possible when we address the issue of trauma and Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 17 6/22/2023 behavioral health and mental health issues when it comes to the residents here in the City of Philadelphia. So I too concur and support the introduction of the resolution supporting John White, Jr., former Councilmember, Secretary of Health here in the State of Pennsylvania, and saying good job. Thank you, Council President.
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Bass.
Thank you, Mr. President. I wanted to join my colleagues as well on just recognizing former Councilman and former Secretary, John White, Jr., who has been -- you know, I like to think of him as sort of like a quiet storm in the background, playing in the background, but at the same time, he can really bring the thunder and the fire as needed. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 18 6/22/2023 He has a level of experience around City government that is really unmatched, particularly in these areas. And so when I need advice or counsel, I go to seek wise counsel from John White, Jr., and he is always available and has made himself really a legend in this city. And a lot of people just really haven't recognized that over the years, but I think that, Councilman Phillips, you're doing a great job in recognizing a former Councilman who has done a tremendous amount of work for the City of Philadelphia, and I'm honored to stand with him on that. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, Councilwoman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Jones.
Thank you. And, Member Phillips, that is a good recognition. I would only historically submit that he was Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 19 6/22/2023 originally from West Philadelphia, that he moved to the Northwest, and he now resides back in West Philadelphia, but we can have the street naming up in your district. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, Councilman. Thank you very much. Mr. Decker, please proceed. I'm sorry. The Chair recognizes Councilman O'Neill.
Thank you, Mr. President. I served with John White in Council after he had been a star in Harrisburg and spent a lot of time with his dad, John White, Sr. as well, and phenomenal family and a phenomenal guy. He is a superstar in this city, has been for 40 years, and it's probably the easiest vote I've ever had to take. Thank you.
Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 20 6/22/2023 Thank you. Thank you, Councilman. Mr. Decker.
Councilman Thomas offers one bill and two resolutions, entitled "An ordinance providing for the submission to the qualified electors of the City of Philadelphia of the proposal set forth in a Resolution approved by Council proposing an amendment to The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter relating to the creation of the Philadelphia Prison Community Oversight Board"; and A privileged resolution honoring and congratulating the Champions of the Week, Father Judge High School baseball team, for their victory at the 2023 PIAA title baseball game, marking the first time a Philadelphia team has won a state baseball championship.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Thomas.
Good Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 21 6/22/2023 morning, Council President. Good morning, colleagues. You can clearly tell I'm happy to be back. Thank you to all of my colleagues for all of your support and everything over the last month. We're here today to recognize a phenomenal historic occasion. If you see the back of City Council, that's not security. Those are actually high school students who look like grown adults, and at the end of the day, I just want to take a moment to commend Father Judge's baseball program. Thank you to my colleague Councilman Driscoll, who is the District Councilperson who co-introduced this resolution with me. And like it was said in the resolution, this is the first time ever that we've seen a PIAA District 12 team win a state championship of baseball. This team won the Catholic League Championship, they won the City Championship, and the State Championship. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 22 6/22/2023 So they got the entire trifecta this year, 25 wins, 2 losses, 11 and 1 in the Catholic League. And before coming into Council, I asked them, I said, well, how many of you are seniors, and over five of them, maybe close to a half dozen said that they are seniors. And I said, well, how many of you plan on continuing your academic journey after high school, and all of them said that they planned on doing it. So if you know anything about winning a championship -- I fortunately do -- you never ever, ever, ever forget these moments. No matter where you go in life, no matter where you matriculate to, no one is ever going to take away the fact that you're the first team in the City of Philadelphia's history to accomplish what you've accomplished. So we're proud of them, and let's give them a round of applause. (Applause.) Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 23 6/22/2023
Thank you, Council President. Thank you, colleagues, for supporting this. Thank you to the coaches, teachers, and athletic directors, and thank you to the parents who allowed your children to represent the City of Philadelphia and represent us well. Thank you, everybody.
Thank you. Awesome. Congratulations, and thank you so much, and thank you for representing your city well. Awesome stuff. Thank you. That will be on next session's Calendar.
And Councilman Thomas also offers a non-privileged resolution proposing an amendment to The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter to provide for the creation of an independent Prison Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 24 6/22/2023 Oversight Board and Office of Prison Oversight and providing for the submission of the amendment to the electors of Philadelphia.
Councilman Jones offers three bills and three resolutions. On behalf of Council President Clarke, an ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Mayfield Street, 6th Street, Indiana Avenue, and Marshall Street. And on his own behalf, Councilman Jones offers an ordinance establishing a no parking regulation on both sides of Forbidden Drive between Bells Mill Road and Wises Mill Road; and An ordinance authorizing the installation of all-way stop signs at the intersection of 34th Street and West Allegheny Avenue. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 25 6/22/2023
Those three bills will be referred to committee. Hold on, Mr. Decker. Councilman Driscoll, am I late on recognizing you? Are you good?
And a privileged resolution welcoming Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of the Republic of India, on the occasion of his historic Official State Visit to the United States.
And a non-privileged resolution calling on the leadership of the City of Philadelphia, as well as state and federal partners to develop an anti-crime and anti-gun violence summit that will create a Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 26 6/22/2023 forward-focused solution-oriented game plan for the 100th Mayor's consideration. Mr. President, Councilman Jones would like to be recognized for a motion on this resolution.
Thank you, Mr. President. Last week I recognized the individual efforts of members to deal with solutions to the gun violence and crime problem in the City of Philadelphia. What we got from your leadership was a key point person to be that one entity to be able to hold accountable for crime, anti-violence, gun violence in the City of Philadelphia. Whether it's additional appropriations by my members, whether it's public policy such as what do you do when the shooter is with you, whether it is Kensington Marshall Plan, all of those things have to be thought out, worked out, not with a Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 27 6/22/2023 sense of pointing at the problem but all of us working together pointing at the solution. You took us to different municipalities, and what we learned from that was that they could work together, break down the silos, and figure ways to make it better for the citizens. Over the summer, we hope to begin that work. Many schools are getting out and got out last week, but many good educators, good teachers said to their students, we're going to give you a homework assignment so that you don't fall back during the summer. Well, this is similar. Over the summer, we hope to work with the private sector and the public sector, educational institutions, universities to come up with a game plan that we can present to the 100th Mayor of the City of Philadelphia. We'd like both of the recommended nominees to sit in on it. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 28 6/22/2023 They don't have to comment. They just need to listen. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, Councilman. Councilman, did you want a rules suspension on that?
Yes. I move that Council of the City of Philadelphia suspend the rules to allow this resolution to be considered at today's session of Council. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor of the motion. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. The motion carries. That will be on today's Final Passage Calendar. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 29 6/22/2023
And a resolution also naming the 1900 block of North 59th Street as "Joyce Abbott Way." Mr. President, Councilman Jones would like to be recognized for a motion on this resolution.
I'm really going to refrain from this, because we got a long day, but Abbott Elementary is on everybody's playlist on TV. It started with a real educator that we'd like to dedicate a street to, and if we're blessed, we will get them to come out in person to dedicate the street. I think it has changed the trajectory of our thinking on the value of public education, on the value of the teachers who provide that education. So we'd like that to be considered on today's Calendar as well with a suspension of rules. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 30 6/22/2023 All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that will be on today's Final Passage Calendar.
Councilman Johnson offers a privileged resolution honoring and recognizing the teachers, staff, and students of Chester A. Arthur Elementary School for being selected as a finalist for the T4 World's Best School Prize.
Councilwoman Gauthier offers three resolutions, a privileged resolution honoring and thanking Abdul-Aliy A. Muhammad, on the occasion of Pride Month, for their work organizing and supporting Black, Queer, Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 31 6/22/2023 Transgender, and HIV positive (poz) Philadelphians.
And a non-privileged resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Land Bank deeds conveying title to 783 through 785 Pallas Street and 4742 through 4752 Upland Street. Mr. President, Councilwoman Gauthier would like to be recognized for a motion on this resolution.
Thank you, Council President. I'd actually like to speak on the former resolution. I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge the incredible work of Abdul-Aliy A. Muhammad. Abdul-Aliy is a native of West Philadelphia and continues to honor their roots through community Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 32 6/22/2023 activism, collective care, and art. They founded the Black and Brown Workers Cooperative, a direct action collective that challenges, resists, and dismantles systems that oppress working-class Black and brown residents. They also participated in a medication strike to protest abusive workplace conditions and sexual violence against staff and patients at a local non-profit and served as a source of support and care for the family of slain transgender neighbor Dominique "Rem'mie" Fells. And something I've had the privilege to work with Abdul-Aliy on is Finding Ceremony, their initiative with Dr. Lyra Monteiro to honor the remains of Black and brown Philadelphians unjustly used as specimens by the Penn Museum. I could go on and on, but I know we will hear from Abdul-Aliy directly and many of their supporters and Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 33 6/22/2023 friends during public comment. So I want to conclude by thanking Abdul-Aliy, especially for their work organizing and supporting Black, queer, transgender, and HIV-positive Philadelphians, especially those who trade sex, struggle with drug addiction, experience homelessness or are disabled. At the start of Pride Month, I remarked that Black and brown transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming residents experience unacceptable levels of discrimination, marginalization, and oppression, and that we have to do much more to wrap our arms around them. I am grateful Philadelphia has Abdul-Aliy working to uplift these communities each and every day. Please stand so that we can acknowledge you. (Standing ovation.)
And Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 34 6/22/2023 you'll see that their work is so impactful that half of the people in this room are here today to support Abdul-Aliy. I also want to take a moment to recognize the mother of Dominique "Rem'mie" Fells, who is here with us today. Please stand. (Applause.)
We continue to be so sorry for your loss, and I want you to know that our community loves and supports you. Thank you so much.
Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilwoman, the suspension? No?
Yes. Sorry. Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended so Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 35 6/22/2023 as to permit consideration of this resolution at today's session of Council. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. The motion carries. Mr. Decker.
And a non-privileged resolution renaming the 1400 block of South 51st Street "Ida Wilson Way." Mr. President, Councilwoman Gauthier would like to be recognized for a motion on this resolution.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended so as to Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 36 6/22/2023 permit consideration of this resolution at today's session of Council. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that motion carries. And that will be on today's Final Passage Calendar. Thank you.
Councilman O'Neill offers an ordinance authorizing transfers in appropriations for Fiscal Year 2024 from the Grants Revenue Fund, certain or all City offices, departments, boards and commissions, to the General Fund, certain or all City offices, departments, boards and commissions. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 37 6/22/2023
Councilman Squilla offers a non-privileged resolution calling upon the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to pass legislation to enable new county level investments that can help to advance transit and transportation projects and drive local priorities. Mr. President, Councilman Squilla would like to be recognized for a motion on this resolution.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended as to permit consideration of this resolution at today's session of Council. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 38 6/22/2023 in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and the motion carries. That resolution will be on today's Final Passage Calendar.
There are no other bills or resolutions being offered today by the members, Mr. President.
Thank you very much. That concludes our introduction of bills and resolutions. We have no reports from committee today. We will now have an order of special business to reconsider Bill No. 230319 and place it on the Calendar. A special order will be a motion that Council reconsider the vote on which Bill No. 210319 was passed. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 39 6/22/2023 bill was passed by the Council at its June 8th, 2023 session and was returned disapproved by the Mayor at today's session of Council. Mr. Decker, please read the title of the bill.
Bill No. 230319, entitled "An ordinance amending Title 14 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled 'Zoning and Planning,' by revising Section 14-524, entitled '/FDO, Fourth District Overlay District,' to extend the boundaries of certain areas."
Thank you. At this time, the Chair recognizes Councilman Jones.
Thank you so much, Mr. President. I move that Council reconsider Bill No. 230319, which was approved by this Council on June 8th, 2023. (Duly seconded.)
Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 40 6/22/2023 you. All in favor let it be known by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, the motion carries, and Bill No. 230319 will be placed on the end of today's Calendar. And our next order of business is consideration of the Calendar. There being no bills on the First Reading Calendar, the Chair recognizes Councilman Jones for a motion concerning the resolutions on the 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 for the following resolutions that are on Final Passage Calendars today: Nos. 230516, 230517, 230518, 230519, 230520, 230521, Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 41 6/22/2023 230522, 230524, 230525, 230528, 230529, 230531, 230532, 230534, and 230536.
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 resolutions just read by Councilman Jones. 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 again recognizes Councilman Jones for a motion concerning the bills on the Second Reading and Final Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 42 6/22/2023 Calendar.
Thank you again, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit the use of a Consent Agenda for the following bills that are being brought up from Second Reading to Final Passage Calendars today: Nos. 230415, 230 -2201 -- no; 230 -- wait a minute. 221016, 230407, 230412, 230437, 230440, 230442, 230443, 230446, 230447, 230448, 230408, 230435, 230354, 230355, 230357, 2306 -- no; 23060 -- 230360, 230361, 230362, 230413, 230414, 230277, 230307, 230441, and 220491. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It's been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended to permit the use of a Consent Agenda to consider the bills just read by Councilman Jones. All in favor indicate by saying aye. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 43 6/22/2023 2ND READING (Aye.)
The ayes have it, the motion carries, and we will consider the Consent Agenda shortly. The Chair again recognizes Councilman Jones for the purpose of calling up bills and resolutions on the regular Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar today.
Thank you again, Mr. President. In addition to the bills and resolutions on today's Consent Agenda, the following bills and resolutions are being brought up for Second Reading and Final Passage Calendars today: 230461, 230513, 230514, 230526, 230430, 230144, 230145, 230146, 230147, 230148, 230149, 230455, 230418, 230419, 230449, 230450, 230451, 230452, 230453, 230005, 230411, 230363, and 230454. All other bills and resolutions Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 44 6/22/2023 are being held.
Thank you, Councilman. Before considering the resolutions and bills today, we are going to consider the public comment. It will go as follows: Okay. Your public comment must concern matters on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar for possible action at today's Council session. All speakers will be called based on the sequence of their signing up for today. Once you have signed up, you will be called in the order in which your name appears on the sign-up sheet. Today we will ask you to alter your testimony to two minutes. We have a significantly long agenda and we want to make sure that people have an opportunity to speak before tonight. So please adjust your testimony to reflect the two-minute time limit. In order to be fair, we intend Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 45 6/22/2023 to hold faithfully to the established time limit. And when you begin speaking, you'll see a green light on the podium. When you see green, it is your time to speak. When you see yellow, you will have 30 seconds to conclude your remarks. And when the light turns red, we'd ask that you please conclude your remarks and adhere to our guidelines. I want to thank you very much for your anticipated cooperation. Mr. Decker, I want to ask you to read the first name on the list.
The first speaker today, Mr. President, is Conlan Crosley, commenting on 230534. (Witness approached podium.)
Thank you, members of Council. I am Conlan Crosley. I am a former member of the Department of Licenses and Inspections where I worked as a construction plan review specialist and building code official. Prior to my time in the Department, I worked as a Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 46 6/22/2023 union carpenter, a construction safety officer doing construction safety audits and training since I've been an OSHA trainer for the last decade and a union carpenter for 24 years. I'm a lifelong Philadelphian, a dad, a husband, and an advocate for labor, and served in all capacities, including shop steward with the United States Brotherhood of Carpenters and staff representative for AFSCME Local 2187. When I was hired, I thought I would refire from the Department of License and Inspections, and I even earned a Master's Degree in Human Resources so that I could eventually take a leadership role within the Department when I was ready. Things started to change when we got new leadership and it was crystal clear they had an agenda. Dangerous contractors were now referred to as customers, and inspectors had targets on Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 47 6/22/2023 their backs and were made examples of when customers were made to follow the rules. Due to my background with AFSCME, I fought with management at every turn, and things became clearly unhealthy for me. My wife and my father asked me to seriously begin taking a new job. Two years after I left the Department, I won a unanimous decision I had filed with the Pennsylvania Labor Board in an unfair labor practice with the Commonwealth. The judge could not believe the level of hubris and hostility that the Department had during the meetings. During my tenure with the Department, I came across a lot of hard workers that were made up into rank and file inspectors who did the important work of keeping Philadelphian citizens safe on a daily basis. You never hear about these tireless civil servants because when they're doing their job Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 48 6/22/2023 correctly, there aren't buildings collapsing, and poor construction activity is not in the news, meaning a lot of Philadelphians are kept safe. Life safety is always and should be a code official's primary responsibility and goal when they come to work. However, the last few years the Department has forgotten its core values and has become a hostile place, and punitive retaliatory behavior is the norm on the 11th floor for License and Inspections brass. This environment has led to dozens of quality inspectors to leave the Department. Thank you.
The next speaker is Peter Burns, commenting on 230532. (Witness approached podium.)
Hello. My name is Peter Burns. I'm here to support the resolution for Philadelphia Reparations Task Force to study and develop Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 49 6/22/2023 reparations proposals for Black Philadelphians, descendants of enslaved Africans in the United States. I'm a member of White Men for Racial Justice. We are a national community with a strong presence here in greater Philadelphia. The study of reparations is welcome, and its formal and concrete implementation is overdue. I support the Task Force and look forward to the repair and truth-telling that will result. Ta-Nehisi Coates argues: To celebrate freedom and democracy while forgetting America's origins in slavery -- in a slavery economy is patriotism a la carte. If Americans claim ownership of the celebrated aspects of their past like democratic institutions, they need to likewise take responsibility for the negative aspects. I would add that we can say two seemingly unaligned things are true. While I and others may believe our city Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 50 6/22/2023 and our country as well is exceptional, then it stands to reason that status cannot go unexamined. We can say that Philadelphia is a place of love and opportunity in so many ways, and yet at the very same time we have to work to do the -- we have to acknowledge the negative past. In fact, by addressing the harmful past of slavery and its long legacy, our city becomes more whole and comes together as something new and better. All of us are diminished by false narratives and the myths we tell ourselves regarding slavery and its legacy. These narratives placate those who would bury the past, and they continue to gaslight and hold back those whose ancestors were enslaved and all who still today suffer the many effects of systemic injustice. I'm enthusiastic that the Reparations Task Force can lead to a city of which I can be even more proud, and Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 51 6/22/2023 even as I acknowledge our shared history, my or my ancestors roll in harm in my own part in reparations.
Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. I'm going to ask you all to please adhere to the timeline. I'm trying to let everybody get in, but we really need to comply with the timeline that's been established today. Thank you.
The next speaker is Makayla Coleman, commenting on 230532. (Witness approached podium.)
Go Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 52 6/22/2023 ahead.
What are reparations? By definition, reparations are the acts or process of making amends for a wrong. Reparations for the Black and brown residents of Philadelphia are past due, and not just reparations in the form of money while continuing to turn a blind eye to the systemic inequalities and disadvantages that allow Black and brown communities continue to face. Not reparations that allow systems that continue to characterize and classify me based on the color of my skin. Not reparations that allow systems to continue to keep people who look like me mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually broken. And definitely not reparations that allow systems to be built that lead to shattered dreams and a loss of hope. After years, decades, and Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 53 6/22/2023 centuries of exclusions, how long will we have to experience the residual of slavery's effects, feeling disadvantaged, and when a little boy or girl asks why, the only response is given "because of the color of your skin"? Schools have taught me, us, about our history, the struggle, the sadness, the pain, and the suffrage, slavery. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Malcolm X, and that's where the psychological warfare with self-acceptance of your place in this world begins. The fact that we were once the greatest -- the world's greatest influencers, and I'm not talking about social media influencers, but instead I'm talking about the kings, queens, teachers, artists, healers, engineers, and architects --
How did we get Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 54 6/22/2023 here? Leaders like my great-grandfather, civil rights activist, George Sawyer from Savannah, Georgia, who fought for fair housing, equal employment opportunities, integrated schools, and safer neighborhoods from the late '40s until his untimely death in the late '90s, from Georgia all the way to the greater City of Philadelphia, has been wiped from history, buried with them. So when I talk to you about reparations, I'm not talking about -- I'm talking about systemic and systemic transformation.
Ma'am, I'm going to need you to wrap it up, though.
I want to be fair. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 55 6/22/2023
Absolutely. A reconstructed school system that works for everyone, equitable housing, food insecurity, job insecurity, life security. Until reparations are granted, excuse me as I continue to fight three times harder to get one-fifth of what I deserve.
Excuse me if I'm not motivated to stand for the National Anthem and Pledge of Allegiance. Excuse me if I sleep --
Ma'am, ma'am, all due respect, I can't give you like five minutes and everybody else gets two minutes. All right? So please bring it to a conclusion. (Applause.)
Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 56 6/22/2023 Thank you. Thank you so much for your testimony.
The next speaker is Richard White, commenting on 230532. (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning. Thank you for introducing this resolution. In 1781, Catto wrote not to appeal the Gradual Abolition Act of 1780. In 1838, James Forten and Robert Purvis wrote an appeal of the 40,000 citizens. In 1865, the USCT 8th Regiment from Philadelphia went to Texas to help liberate those under confederate control. In 1864, Octavius Catto organized and attended the Equal Rights League Convention. In 1948, Richard White, Sr. created the National Freedom Day. Between 1954 to 1968, Raymond Pace Alexander and Cecil B. Moore led protests and lawsuits to desegregate Girard Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 57 6/22/2023 College. In 1968, State Representative David P. Richardson led the march for African Americans to study in the Philadelphia public schools. These persons, others, and communities were asking to do no harm. From 1684 through the present, the Colony of Pennsylvania and the County of -- and City of Philadelphia has facilitated harm on Black Philadelphians by legislations and regulations. This resolution is a step in the healing of Black Philadelphians.
Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. (Applause.)
For the record, if there's anyone that has written testimony that may run long, you can just leave it with us and we'll make sure it's reflected in the record in City Council formally. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 58 6/22/2023 Mr. Decker.
The next speaker is Osaze McKenzie, commenting on 230532. (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning. MR. McKENZIE: Good morning. My name is Osaze McKenzie and I'm here to support the reparations legislation. Most people associate Manayunk with restaurants, bars, boutiques, but at one time Manayunk was a mill town where their Main Street covered in textile mills through Leverington Avenue well past Shurs Lane. By 18th century attempts at large-scale mechanism technology, manufacturing is largely unsuccessful. Textile mills proliferated the region in the early 19th century. England's restrictions on the transfer of technology to America were increasingly circumvented, and numerous European immigrants with expertise at textile Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 59 6/22/2023 production settled in the region and set up factories. The invention of the cotton gin in Georgia 1793 made possible the processing of enormous amounts of raw southern cotton to be shipped to Philadelphia mills. While the introduction of steam power and rail transportation in 1820s and 1830s spurred further expansion of the local textile industry, industrial communities such as Manayunk, Frankford had developed on the strength of the early water power mills became major textile centers in the antebellum period, joining Germantown, which had been a long locus of hand-free knitting mills. The truth is, slavery was a national phenomena the North, including Philadelphia, shared in as well. Thank you.
Thank you for your testimony. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 60 6/22/2023 (Applause.)
The next speaker is El Ali, commenting on 230532. (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning, members of Council. My name is El Ali. I am Chiricahua Apache, Eastern Cherokee, and Black. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Grand Rise OCO. This is Standing Rock (unintelligible), direct blood line to (unintelligible.)
While African slavery is often acknowledged as a crucial factor of the development of plantation agriculture in the southeastern colonies, the role of American Indians at the source of labor is often omitted. Both before and during African enslavement in the Americas, American Indians were forced to be labor as Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 61 6/22/2023 slaves. American Indian and slavery is a piece of history of slavery that has been glossed over. It is well documented that between 1492 and 1880 more than eight million American Indians were enslaved in the Americas, in addition to the 12.5 million African slaves. As with Africans shipped to the America, Indians were transported from their native communities on the East Coast to labor elsewhere slaves in the Caribbean Islands. Instead of viewing the victimization of Africans and Indians as two entirely separate processes, it should be compared, contrasted, and treated as one. Doing this will shed more light on the consequences of colonialism in the Americas. The history is important, because without slavery and unfree labor, European colonization in the New World would have been limited. Generations of Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 62 6/22/2023 blood descendants of American Indians who were enslaved and whose families that continue to live in the City of Philadelphia should not be excluded from the Reparations Task Force. If the Task Force seeks to address the legacy of slavery and discrimination, how can many of you walk on the streets across the City that are named after American Indian peoples still intentionally exclude us? And this is our homeland for thousands of years. Therefore, it is vital that this Task Force also includes the descendants of American Indians who were slaves in their efforts towards true reparations, acknowledging the full extent of the slave trade and its impacts of poverty, education, and gentrification today in this city. Thank you.
Thank you for your testimony. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 63 6/22/2023 (Applause.)
Shoshanna Bricklin, commenting on 230532. (Witness approached podium.)
I'm handing out a longer version since I'm going to be cutting. My name is Shoshanna Bricklin, an ordained Hebrew Priestess and congregant of Mishkan Shalom Synagogue in Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 64 6/22/2023 Roxborough. I am part of a recently formed Reparations Committee and am speaking for our committee in strong support of this resolution. Our synagogue's committee was an outgrowth of our participation in a four-day intensive training this past January co-sponsored by the Mayor's Commission on Faith-Based Initiatives and Interfaith Affairs entitled "Creating a Culture of Reparations." Eighty-five people representing 15 area congregations attended the course, with the goal that they would learn and discern about reparations and create congregational plans for implanting this much-needed antidote to systemic racism in our city and country. Our committee has already begun to work engaging fellow congregants grounded in our own religious teachings. For Jews, many of whom came here as immigrants in the last century, the question has always been, what does this Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 65 6/22/2023 have to do with me? But we are guided by the teaching of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, scholar, friend, and ally of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King. Heschel reminds us that in a free society, some are guilty, but all are responsible. To put it another way, how have we as white people benefited from this system as complicit subjects, even if we didn't enslave anyone or have businesses that used materials produced by enslaved labor? Moving forward in our congregational work, the principles deeply embedded within our tradition tell us, among other things, and I will cut, in Deuteronomy we are told justice, justice you shall pursue. Rabbis of the Talmud deliberated about the right thing to do when we discovered that the house in which we live was built on a stolen beam. One rabbi argues that the entire house must be torn down and the beam returned. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 66 6/22/2023 Another rabbi argues that it makes no sense to destroy the home, yet some form of acknowledgment and compensation is owed to the owners of the stolen beam.
And I want to applaud your leadership, and we are with you to support you when you implement this. Thank you.
The next speaker is Craig Stevens, commenting on 230532. (Witness approached podium.)
Good Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 67 6/22/2023 morning.
Good morning. My name is Craig Stevens. I live in Mount Airy, which used to be part of Germantown, and I want to thank, first of all, Councilmembers Brooks and Gauthier for introducing this ordinance today and the Council for moving ahead and supporting it. I also want to honor the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America, which has been one of the more strongest committed groups nationally in the last several decades pushing for some consideration of reparations through Congress through HR-40, which now even President Biden supports. And also I want to honor Rashaun Williams and Breanna Moore, who I think are both here today. You are the local chapter leaders who have pushed this through with the support of many groups across the City. I'm a member of Unitarian Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 68 6/22/2023 Universalist in Mount Airy. We are fully behind this legislation and hope to be supporting it across the City. Many of us, particularly I as a white person and also a descendant of a family that enslaved hundreds, if not thousands, of people in the South, in Virginia, and even starting in Barbados, that white people have a key role to play. One is to examine whatever privilege they may have experienced going back to their origins coming to this country, whether it was poor or rich, and the comparative benefits they received, even such as being able to swim in a public pool without harassment, acid, and other things being done to prevent you, or whether it's making a job advancement. So I urge you to examine your own consciences and see the part you can play in bringing about wholeness in the City. Thank you.
Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 69 6/22/2023 Thank you for your testimony. (Applause.)
Good morning, Council President Clarke, Councilmembers, staff, and visitors. I stand before you as the President of the Philadelphia branch NAACP to speak on this issue of great importance to our community and our nation as a whole - reparations. I am in support of the resolution introduced by Councilmembers Gauthier and Brooks authorizing the creation of the Philadelphia Reparations Task Force to study and develop Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 70 6/22/2023 reparations proposals for Black Philadelphian descendant enslaved Africans in the United States. Reparations, in the simplest form, are compensation for past harms inflicted on a group of people in the case of African Americans. Reparations would be a recognition of centuries of people in case of long enslavement, oppression, and discrimination that our ancestors endured in this country. The NAACP believes that reparations are not only necessary but are long overdue. The legacy of slavery and institutionalized racism continues to impact our community in profound ways. African Americans face higher rates of poverty, unemployment, and incarceration than any other group in this country. We also suffer from the effects of generational wealth inequality, as our ancestors were denied the ability to accumulate wealth through land ownership and inheritance. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 71 6/22/2023 The creation of this task force would supply the necessary data and information to call on our government to acknowledge the atrocities committed against African Americans and to take tangible steps towards repairing the damage that has been done. Reparations could take many forms, including financial compensation, land grants, and investment in education and job training programs. We understand that reparations may be a controversial topic, but it is important to recognize that this is not about assigning blame for seeking revenge. It's about acknowledging the past and working towards a more just and equitable future for our Americans. In conclusion, the NAACP urges our government to seriously consider the issue of reparations and to take action towards rectifying the injustices of the past. We cannot move forward as a nation until we have addressed the sins of our Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 72 6/22/2023 past and take steps to make amends for our future. I applaud Councilwoman Gauthier and Brooks for establishing this resolution and ask that we vote yes to establish this task force.
Monica Medina McCurdy, commenting on 230448. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 73 6/22/2023 (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning. MS. McCURDY: Good morning. Thank you, Council President and Councilmembers. My name is Monica Medina McCurdy. I'm Executive Director of All Together Now Pennsylvania and also representing the P3 Coalition, which stands for Pot Profits for Pennsylvania. The Coalition includes Philadelphia CannaBusiness Association, Black Dragon Breakfast Club, Free My Weed Man, Minorities for Medical Marijuana, and the Pennsylvania Farmers Union. We are an urban and rural coalition. I am also a healthcare provider, a physician assistant formerly working for Community Health Center in North Philadelphia, and I'm a member of Doctors for Cannabis Regulations. The P3 Coalition is calling for full equitable legalization of adult-use cannabis or recreational cannabis. We Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 74 6/22/2023 are opposed to Bill 230448 sponsored by Councilmember O'Neill. I do not speak for the multi-state operators or MSOs who currently dominate the medical marijuana industry. I understand they oppose this bill as well, but we oppose for different reasons. The intent of the bill is unclear. Is the intent to only limit current medical marijuana dispensaries to District 10 and 4 from selling adult-use cannabis at that location, except if they obtain a zoning variance, or is the intent to eventually cover any adult-use cannabis business in the future in the zoning requirement as well? Why is a specific zoning requirement for sales needed at this point in time, before the state has issued a law governing adult-use cannabis? Regulations can presumably allay the concerns that any Councilmember has by requiring adult-use cannabis Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 75 6/22/2023 businesses to meet with community residents as part of the licensing process. We would prefer Council put forth a resolution that supports a fully legal and well regulated adult-use market. Legalization with smart regulations will result in greater, not less, public safety, including ensuring children and adolescents do not access the product. We seek legalization, which only allows independent small business owners to sell adult-use cannabis within the Philadelphia limits. This is so that independent and local owners, primarily BIPOC owners, are able to build generational wealth. In conclusion, I ask that you please remove that bill from the Consent Agenda and vote on it separately, and when you do vote, to vote no on that bill until you have some more information from the entire cannabis community. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 76 6/22/2023 Thank you.
The next speaker is Nabeelah Bey, commenting on 230532. (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning. Greetings. I am Nabeelah Bey, past female Chairperson around N'COBRA Philadelphia Chapter. I am also a school behavioral health counselor. I am also a behavioral health and mental health doctoral student, and as such, I am in full support of the resolution to advance the Philadelphia Reparations Task Force. N'COBRA has identified five areas of repair. My major interests are behavioral health and mental health repair and the area called peoplehood. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 77 6/22/2023 The Task Force will work to develop targeted solutions for the disparities continued to be faced by the descendants of Africans enslaved in the United States, also known as DAEUS. Suggested improvement include free college education through the doctoral level, improved housing solutions, fairness and actual reform and rehabilitation in the just us system and other remedies. A few of my suggestions/demands for repair are, culturally sensitive mental health services need to be available to all residents, conveniently located, free of cost and administered by African American professionals. The City should waive all fees and costs associated with legal name changes. This will evoke the principle of Kujichagulia, self-determination, to define, name, create for, and speak for ourselves. Just this seemingly small act will greatly increase the self-esteem of Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 78 6/22/2023 DAEUS people. The City should fund the acquiring of dual citizenship documents and passports for all DAEUS people who apply. It is recommended for all DAEUS people to be a citizen of an African country that has membership in the African Continental Free Trade Area as well as retaining their citizenship in the land that we built free of charge. I want to thank the committee members who introduced the resolution.
Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. (Applause.)
The next speaker is Robert Buscher. (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning. My name is Rob Buscher and I stand before Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 79 6/22/2023 you as the President of the Japanese American Citizens League, Philadelphia Chapter, speaking in support of the Reparations Task Force. I am also -- my family was incarcerated during World War II and received reparations from the United States government. So speaking as a descendant of those who have received this repair and know the power that it gives, I deliver the following brief statement that was unanimously approved by our membership. The Japanese American Citizens League is the oldest and largest Asian American civil rights organization in the country founded in 1929. Our local chapter was established in 1947 by Japanese Americans who resettled in Philadelphia after experiencing the forced removal and eviction from their West Coast homes, forfeiture of their property, and incarceration in the American mass concentration camps during Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 80 6/22/2023 World War II. JACL Philadelphia unequivocally supports N'COBRA Philadelphia and their efforts to establish a Reparations Task Force in the City of Philadelphia. As Japanese Americans, we are no strangers to racism in this country. Our Japanese grandparents and great-grandparents emigrated to the United States in the early 20th century during a time when the KKK was actively lynching Asian immigrants in the West Coast. Beginning in 1790, Japanese immigrants, along with other immigrants from Asian countries, were denied the right to vote and were therefore barred from becoming U.S. citizens. It was only through the friendship, solidarity, and allyship with African American civil rights leaders the Japanese Americans and other Asian American communities gained the right to become naturalized citizens in 1952, gained the right to move freely between the United States and Asia with Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 81 6/22/2023 the 1965 Hart-Celler Act and countless other hard-won legal victories championed by Black activist leaders. Japanese Americans are one of the few communities who have received reparations from the United States government as a result of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. In the interest of time, I'll just skip ahead. In support of Black reparations, JACL Philadelphia recently joined over 75 other Japanese American progressive organizations in support of the National Nikkei Reparations Coalition. Speaking as a community who's deservedly obtained our own redress, we do not believe that any amount of reparations is capable of erasing the harm, pain, or trauma that persists for generations as a result of the enslavement of Africans, Jim Crow, and other prejudicial regulation. However, we do hope that this will open a space Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 82 6/22/2023 for meaningful conversation and healing, as has occurred in the communities of Japanese Americans. Thank you. (Applause.)
Commenting on 230147 and 230149. (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning, Councilmembers. I'm Zach Wilcha, CEO of Independence Business Alliance, and I'm here today speaking on behalf of Philadelphia's LGBTQ+ business community comprised of all races and ethnic backgrounds, industries, and types of Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 83 6/22/2023 entrepreneurs. The IBA serves more than 1,000 professionals across 325 member businesses. We want to thank our City Councilmembers for considering voting for an investment in small diverse businesses through reducing BIRT and wage tax and responding to the needs of our businesses as we conveyed them to you. We also want to thank anyone who meaningfully listened to us, even if they favored other paths forward. In October of 2021, we came together with our local diverse chamber counterparts to work collectively as a community to meet the unique challenges diverse business enterprises face when they engage with our local economy. With the goal of economic uplift for and within diverse business communities, we speak with a united voice on issues where we unanimously align. Our aim is to do good things for businesses and the best thing for people, which we believe are Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 84 6/22/2023 not mutually exclusive. Somewhere along the way, it became a popular notion that helping businesses cannot help our communities, but in Philadelphia, that could not be further from the truth. After our latest survey of member businesses, we heard the voice of our constituents loud and clear. The biggest hurdle to entrepreneurship in Philadelphia is the cost of doing business and, furthermore, that lowering taxes, particularly the business-killing BIRT tax, should be the top priority for the budget this season if we want to create a thriving business environment. In fact, close to 90 percent of our respondents to our survey indicated that reducing it would have a positive or highly positive impact on their businesses. These double taxes, which do not occur in similarly situated cities to Philadelphia, are grinding away at businesses at a historical moment when Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 85 6/22/2023 resources are thinner than ever. More dangerous for our city's future is the fact that these taxes simply do not exist in neighboring cities and makes the prospect of moving one's business out of the City quite alluring. We applaud your aggressiveness and plans for over the next year to make sure we can prioritize keeping our businesses alive and thriving. Overwhelmingly we heard routinely positive feedback from our constituents that last year's reduction in BIRT taxes were essential for the survival of their businesses and how we can not stop now. Our businesses said that they were able to use the money they saved from the BIRT tax reduction to invest in their own businesses in areas such as hiring, security, and cleanliness. We believe that reductions like these are an indication from City Hall that they are ready to make Philadelphia Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 86 6/22/2023 competitive again through investment in our communities. Keeping businesses alive, sustainable, and thriving is a progressive move for the City of Philadelphia, and we appreciate your focus on this vital measure. Thank you.
The next speaker, Mr. Chairman, is Khine Zaw. (No response.)
Ricki Li, commenting on 230147 and 230149. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 87 6/22/2023 (Witness approached podium.)
Thank you for your patience. Please state your name and begin your testimony.
Hi. How are you? My name is Ricki Li. I'm the owner of YD Home and other many businesses. Here I'm trying to represent the Asian business community to ask the City to consider the BIRT and wage taxes for us. First of all, I would really like to thank -- the City of Philadelphia have been many years helping us, and looking back, the reason for a lot of our accomplishment came from a lot of tax reductions, looking at that as an investment that City government is for our business community. For example, we have the tax abatement for the real estate for the last many, many years, and we have -- so for many businesses and real estate already benefit from it. So now we are in the era that we came from Poland. A Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 88 6/22/2023 lot of businesses are struggling with very high inflation, high wage costs, and also very high cost for the high crime rate. So at this time, I really would like the City to invest in the people, who are working so hard, creating jobs and putting their own personal investment to do business in Philadelphia. And I think this time this bill is really going to help us tremendously. Just will help the City of Philadelphia build it up with tax abatement. Thank you very much.