It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 214 6/22/2023 6/22/23 - STATED - 2ND READING aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution renaming the 1400 block of South 51st Street "Ida Wilson Way" to honor Ms. Ida Wilson for her decades of service to the West/Southwest Philadelphia Community, introduced today by Councilwoman Gauthier.
The Chair again recognizes Councilwoman Gauthier.
Thank you, Council President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 215 6/22/2023 6/22/23 - STATED - 2ND READING All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a 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 that drive local priorities, introduced today by Councilman Squilla.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 216 6/22/2023 moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
There are no other resolutions on the Final Passage Calendar, Mr. President.
Thank you very much. We will now proceed with the consideration of Bill No. 230319, which was passed by Council at its June 8th, 2023 session and was returned disapproved by the Mayor, also known as vetoed, at today's session of Council. Mr. Decker, please read the title of Bill No. 230319.
An ordinance amending Title 14 of The Philadelphia Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 217 6/22/2023 Code, entitled "Zoning and Planning," revising Section 14-524 entitled "/FDO, Fourth District Overlay District," to extend the boundaries of certain areas.
Thank you, Mr. President and colleagues. As we consider the override of the veto to Bill No. 230319, I'd like you to consider that today it's Wynnefield, tomorrow it will be your districts, my at-large colleagues representing those districts. I want you to understand that when we did by-right, what that actually meant in many cases is walk right by our office, walk right by the community groups, walk right by all of the stakeholders to do what they think they can get away with. This overlay deals with businesses that a lot of people, Commerce Department and others, do not consider Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 218 6/22/2023 They may not be nuisances to you, but they're a pain in the ass to me, and we have to give the people the opportunity to weigh in on what they will find in their community. Way too often we've walked, Katherine Gilmore Richardson and I, and just felt incensed about things. I remember my colleague Cindy Bass when she pointed out years ago that some of these businesses are selling liquor by the drink. 7:00 a.m. they're lined up getting their prescribed alcoholic beverages, Kensington beset with these types of businesses. And so if we cannot self-govern, if we cannot in various districts around this city begin to determine what is acceptable, then why are we here? So I'm asking my colleagues to consider the veto override and remember it's Wynnefield today, it's your district tomorrow. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 219 6/22/2023 you, Mr. President.
Thank you, Councilman. This bill having been read on two different days was duly approved by City Council on June 8th, 2023 and was returned to Council by the Mayor as disapproved at today's session of Council. The question is shall Bill No. 230319 pass notwithstanding the Mayor's disapproval. Please note for the record a vote of aye is a vote to override the Mayor's veto and a vote of nay is a vote to sustain the Mayor's veto. Mr. Decker, please call the roll.
Councilman Phillips. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 221 6/22/2023
Aye. The ayes are 15; the nays are zero. Two-thirds of all members of Council having voted in the affirmative, the Mayor's veto is overridden. That completes our Calendar for today. Are there any speeches on behalf of the minority? The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brooks.
Thank you Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 222 6/22/2023 much, Council President. I'm glad to fight for the historic additions to the City's budget and I'm proud to be voting for them today. I'm proud to have successfully led the fight for 3 million in additional funding for mobile crisis response units. Over 200 Philadelphians each day -- 200 residents each day seek mental health support, and this funding will help ensure trained mental health providers will be able to respond to every call. I'm proud to have successfully led a fight for $800,000 in additional funding for the Department of Labor. This funding will be used to hire more staff for the Office of Worker Protections. With the full staff, the Office of Worker Protections could help the City to keep the promises it made to working families when we passed the wage theft ordinance, fair workweek, and the domestic workers' Bill of Rights. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 223 6/22/2023 successfully led the fight for the funding of Pennsylvania Immigration Family Unity Project, which provides legal defense for family members who are threatened for deportation, and for Sickle Cell Disease Foundation, which supports and cares for affected families and a great number of people who are Black, and I want to thank my colleagues who stood with me on that. But I could not in good conscience vote for the cuts to the BIRT and the wage tax in this budget. These cuts are permanent and reoccurring and will lead to $107 million in lost revenue over the next five years alone. With no plan to replace that revenue by reinstating PILOTs or by the Philly Wealth Tax, these cuts will inevitably lead to service cuts, maybe not immediately but certainly down the line. I would much rather see the money invested in City service that helps Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 224 6/22/2023 families thrive, services like street and street light repairs, trash collections, cleaning and greening of vacant lots. Tax cuts hamper our ability to provide services that are essential to families and businesses alike. And I want to thank you, Council President, and I want to thank my colleagues for supporting the additional revenue that I aimed for. Thank you.
Thank you, Councilwoman. Speeches on behalf of the majority? The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Gauthier.
Thank you, Council President. I'm excited by many of the amendments this body made to the City's Fiscal Year 2024 budget. Thanks to your hard work and advocacy, we are making Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 225 6/22/2023 ranging from mobile crisis units, cleaning our commercial corridors, environmental justice, and same-day pay work for returning residents. I am thankful for my colleagues' leadership and partnership. And, yes, we are slightly improving the City's ability to combat quality of life issues, but the incredibly low amount that we are investing to combat this issue is like putting a Band-Aid on a broken bone, and it is a slap in the face to working-class Black and brown residents who have been begging this body to fully fund the services they need to live on green, clean, and safe blocks. The $72 million proposal City Council united behind was not a pie in the sky number. It was a surgical improvement to life-saving services that was borne from years of collaboration between this body, City agencies, Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 226 6/22/2023 organizations, and constituents. JustServicesPHL was for every corner of our city, not just West and Southwest Philadelphia. Because as we saw during our Public Safety hearing in Kensington, lacking City services is the status quo across Philadelphia. But we do not need to look any further than the Third District to understand the urgency and importance of significantly improving our municipal services. My constituent services team receives dozens of calls a day, sometimes more, from residents struggling to access very basic services that every taxpayer should automatically receive. But it isn't unusual for my office to receive a picture of a kid who had his teeth knocked out during a car crash or field calls from frustrated RCOs about nuisance businesses that operate illegally and breed crime, including shootings, without any repercussions. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 227 6/22/2023 heart and blows my mind that because our operating agencies are buckling under the enormous need for their services, my team must climb mountains to help constituents in a timely manner. We frequently acknowledge that the budget is a moral document. I could not vote for this budget because the message I think it sends to our residents is that we value the bottom line of corporations and affluent residents more than investing in the municipal services our neighbors need to thrive and survive. Council's latest tax cuts saves the median resident a mere $21 annually. That means Philadelphians earning $53,000 annually won't even save enough for a half a tank of gas, and most of my constituents only make a fraction of this. I cannot look my constituents in the eye and tell them we do not have $9 million to comprehensively combat Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 228 6/22/2023 $4 million to slow cars down around schools and parks when we are spending $32 million on tax cuts annually. I think it is irresponsible and ill advised when many of our residents are not receiving the municipal services they are owed. As the former executive director of a business organization, I am acutely aware of the need to uplift and empower minority-owned enterprises, but these tax cuts will overwhelmingly benefit large non-diverse businesses. Enterprises need an income of a million dollars in revenue to get $1,800 back, and most neighborhood businesses earn nowhere near this and already have tax exemptions.
If we wanted to create a fund for Black and brown small businesses or raise the BIRT exemption, I would be fully on board, but I'm not going to support a handout for affluent companies Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 229 6/22/2023 to pay taxes when we should be investing in the services our neighbors and neighborhood businesses tell us they need to thrive. I could not in good conscience vote to authorize a budget that decreases our revenue during a time where we should be spending money on vital services. And every time we get a call about illegal dumping or dangerous driving or blight, we'll be painfully reminded about the choice we made today to prioritize big business over community. To my colleagues, thank you for hearing me out and for your work on the budget. And to the residents, I promise to keep fighting for a budget that gives our neighborhoods the care and resources they deserve. Thank you.
Thank you, Councilwoman. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Lozada. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 230 6/22/2023
Thank you, Council President. First, let me begin by saying thank you to my colleagues. My first seven months here, my first budget, I had many questions. I was often confused and frustrated and stressed out, but each and every one of you has always been supportive and has gotten me through some days when I was ready to scream and give up. And so I really appreciate all of you in allowing me to be me through this first seven months of my time here. But, Council President, I'd also like to make brief remarks regarding Bill No. 230410, which was on our schedule and asked by the Planning Commission for a 45-day delay and a request for review. For decades, the residents of the Seventh Council District have long awaited legislation that will prevent this type of facility in their community without community participation and that Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 231 6/22/2023 of life issues they face day in and day out stemming from this opioid epidemic, needles outside of their doorstep, the inability to use public transportation, kids having to use safe corridors that shield them from their innocence of their environment. While the 45-day delay is a Charter requirement and there's nothing that I can do or this legislative body, along with our co-sponsors, Clarke, Squilla, Jones, Johnson, Driscoll, Bass, Phillips, O'Neill, Harrity, and Vaughn can do to shorten the timeline, let me be clear. This legislation represents the voice of residents, a voice that with this delay is not being respected. In my district, that voice has been an overwhelming no. However, this legislation, if the community so chooses through a community process, would allow these consumption sites to exist within that Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 232 6/22/2023 put, this legislation gives the community a voice, and we've heard today how important a voice is in policies and legislation that we present on this legislative floor. We have for decades had the opportunity to address this humanitarian crisis for both residents and for those battling addiction, a crisis that did not arrive overnight but stems from systemic inequalities and injustices. We have had decades to ask all the questions. We have had decades to do all of the research and its potential impact. From home break-ins, petty thefts to prostitution, insecurity, gun violence, trauma, and residents feelings like prisoners in their own homes and their communities, at what point is it enough? We will give the Planning Commission the 45-day delay because we have no choice, but we will not yield. We will find ways to address quality of Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 233 6/22/2023 neighborhoods, and we will not stop fighting for this community. I look forward to passing this legislation when we return in the fall. With the support of my colleagues, I'm committed to continuing to have conversations that bring resolutions and working with our state legislators, our Governor, and our next Mayor to address these issues until we take back our communities and invest in the resources that these communities have been ignored -- who have been ignored and who deserve it so much. Thank you so much.
Thank you, Councilwoman. You achieved quite a bit in your first seven months. Congratulations. The Chair recognizes Councilman Jones.
Thank you, Mr. President and colleagues. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 234 6/22/2023 recognize Samantha Williams, Esquire, who we let leave here, we let leave here. She ran away and joined the political process, and she keeps coming back. I don't understand. We do our thing and here you are. Do you miss us? Is that what it is? Well, we miss you too. I just wanted everyone to recognize Samantha Williams. And her less known sister -(Applause.)
-- is back there, because she said in the hallway she got more votes than you. That's all I'm going to say. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Phillips. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 235 6/22/2023
I just want to be on record saying it's good to see you, Sam, as well. Also being on record, early -I don't know what I was thinking about -I said motion. I meant to say move to adopt the resolution, but I just want to say I want to put it out there, still learning seven months in. Listen, I just really wanted to say thank you. You know, having done service all my life for the most part since I was a teenager, you know, I'm not new to service, but I am new to this body of service, and, you know, I wanted to quickly jump in and do as much as possible to serve the City of Philadelphia and the residents of the Ninth District. I know being a new guy, there's always questions of whether or not -- you know, what is he going to do, how is he going to do it, and I always wanted to make sure I did the best I can. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 236 6/22/2023 be able to say thank you publicly to Council President Clarke for all your mentorship and your support, you know, to try to help me get through this as the leader of this body. I also want to say thank you to everyone here today who helped myself, Councilman Harrity, Councilwoman Lozada, and Councilwoman Vaughn, who is actually more like a senior member in more ways than one even though this is her first year. She's teaching us stuff, transition here. So I just want to say that. And also to Council President Clarke and also Jenaye Munford of NPI, yesterday we did a wonderful thing where we are funding for the first time driveways in the City of Philadelphia. That's never been done before. Councilwoman Tasco, Councilwoman Parker, and Councilman John White were big advocates for that, and thanks to you, Council President, for the first time we're going to be funding driveways Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 237 6/22/2023 Philadelphia, something that's not affordable for a lot of our residents. And that's -- you've not only done that for me and our district, but you're doing that across the board with alleyways and trees and so forth. So you've been really making some really pioneering work happen in our city, so I want to say thank you so much and God bless, carry forward. This has been a great first seven months for me. I'm looking forward to September, and we'll do the work of the Lord together. God bless.
Thank you. Thank you, Councilman. You were a hero yesterday. I must say that you put on a good event, and the people in your community, particularly on that block, were extremely excited. You need to know that you have set off a firestorm of calls, texts, and e-mails today from people across the City Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 238 6/22/2023 to get their driveways done. So thank you for putting that on yesterday. Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Bass.
Thank you, Mr. President. Yes, he set off a firestorm. I have a list already. But thank you to my colleagues for your fantastic work, particularly my new colleagues that have been just a joy really to work with and a pleasure to work with and a lot of fun as well, as this one here. But a couple things. I wanted to again say thank you so much to everyone for the passage of this budget. I think it's really important that when we have the opportunity to give money back to the citizens of Philadelphia, that we do so. It's not, you know, something that -- I know everybody doesn't necessarily agree. I know my colleague spoke to it earlier and has her Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 239 6/22/2023 rationale, and I certainly do understand and respect that, but I also know that the argument that, you know, the government can spend your money better than you can just doesn't fly with a lot of people, myself included. I think that where we have the opportunity to provide some relief to folks, that that's what we need to do, and I think this budget does that, so it's an honor to do that. But I did want to speak about something that's deeply personal to me today, and it's something I feel like the City of Philadelphia, we all should be talking about, and really no one is talking about it. And so, Mr. President, if you'll indulge me, I'd like to just read my remarks that I've prepared for this very important topic, and it's really around DHS and the reform that's necessary. As a member of Philadelphia Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 240 6/22/2023 Chair of the Committee on Public Health and Human Services, I recognize that it is incredibly important to remember that the lives, futures, and ultimately the destiny of our most fragile citizens in need, who are children in Philadelphia, can easily be altered. The trajectory can be upward, like a catapult, moving our youth against the wind and into a limitless future, or it can be downward, like a shovel digging deep, knowing that deep holes and unstable foundations can be nearly impossible to escape. So many of us know these kids and actually were these kids. We were hoping for a better life, while unsure of how to navigate rough neighborhoods, complicated families, unaddressed trauma and the like. And while some of us made it to the land of stability, far too many did not. Whether you're in the system that's DHS, foster care, or in need of Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 241 6/22/2023 adoption, et cetera, or not, too many of our youth need the direction and guidance of these very systems that have failed their families generationally. I was one of the lucky ones. I was adopted at birth. But the problems of this enormous system continue on, and despite my hearings on the DHS Community Umbrella Agency, also known as CUAs, debacle, there is little to no visible action planned by the City's Department of Human Services to offer better service to this clientele. And so I want to take this moment to actually thank one of the previous providers for not attempting to renew their contract with the Department of Human Services, knowing that not only do they lack the capacity to provide the services needed, but they have been extremely negligent in the past, including returning three sisters who were repeatedly sexually assaulted by their abusive father and to the tune of Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 242 6/22/2023 $6 million settlement. So I say thank you, soon-to-be former provider, for ending the facade of quality services. Thank you for acknowledging that you are unable to make critical decisions regarding safe environments for young people. And thank you for no longer requesting taxpayer dollars with no deliverables. If only we were able to thank you before you entered into a contract that damaged innumerable lives, most of them young people.
And while I wish that the decision was made because it was the right thing to do, I know that it had a whole lot more to do with your inability to obtain insurance for your operation as required in your contract. One last thing. On your way out of the proverbial door, I noticed that you were operating four out of the ten agencies that are Community Umbrella Agencies, and thus little attention has been given to the fact that a whopping Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 243 6/22/2023 40 percent of the foster care system in Philadelphia is in trouble and is going to likely have new and inexperienced providers. Where are the alarm bells that should be ringing? And this is of great concern, isn't it? How did we get here? DHS, I ask you, how did we get here? Clearly, reform is needed in the system, as neither I nor my Council colleagues have been briefed on this matter, not even given any information. Clearly, reform is a priority, as we cannot continue down this path and then say why are our young people acting out? They're acting out because on this level, this city has failed them. But it can be better. I'm looking forward to pulling together key stakeholders and to begin the makings of the system being reformed, because these are all of our children, and they not only deserve an answer, they deserve better from the system and from the City. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 244 6/22/2023 you, Mr. President.
Thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman. (Applause.)
Thank you so much. Councilman Johnson, you did not -- are you okay? Councilman Jones.
Yes. I don't want to belabor the point, but Member Bass hit on something that is at the root of a lot of the criminal activity, a lot of the bad outcomes. When you see 200 young people on Market Street and you wonder where they came from, a lot of times they came from that system. So I look forward to working with you to help. That's one piece in the cog of anti-violence that we should be considering. So thank you for that. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 245 6/22/2023
Thank you. Councilman, you jumped off and jumped on. You did want to be recognized? I'm sorry. Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Johnson.
Yeah. Just wanted to be brief in just supporting my colleague Councilwoman Cindy Bass, not only for her advocacy but also really stepping up to the plate and being transparent and at the same time using her own personal experiences as to why she's passionate about addressing this issue. And at the end of the day, these are all of our children. And so, Sis, you have my support. Anything that I can be supportive of your efforts. And also thank you for your courage in stepping up to the plate and just using your personal experiences about why -- Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 246 6/22/2023 (Applause.)
-- this is important. And I don't think a lot of times the wider public understands. Like we really care about the work that we're doing, right, in terms of why we do the work that we're doing. It's not politics as usual. And so, Colleague, you have my 110 percent support.
Thank you, Councilman. I see you now, Councilwoman.
We saved the best for last. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Vaughn.
Thank you very much, Council President. I can't Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 247 6/22/2023 stuff personal. I start pushing my button. It never goes on. But y'all want to hear from me now. Listen, I want to let everyone know and invite them to the Public Safety hearing that's going to be held Tuesday, June 27th by my colleague Councilman Curtis Jones and myself. We are having this hearing regarding the escape of the two inmates from the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center on the evening of May the 7th, and I'm asking everyone to please try to attend and come on there with some serious questions that we need to ask these people about what happened and how this was able to occur. If you are interested, you can contact Duwayne Terry in my office at 215-686-3450 and/or send him your testimony to duwayne.terry@phila.gov. I guess I'll have to start being nicer to Cindy now. No, but I want to wish all my colleagues a wonderful summer, and I also Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 248 6/22/2023 gratitude for all of your support and help this past couple months. I am truly grateful. Yes, I've been around for a long time and I know a lot of things, but this part of the job I did not know, and you all have made it painless. Thank you very much.
Thank you, Councilwoman. Thank you so much. Your transition was quite smooth. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Gilmore Richardson.
Thank you, Council President. I too wanted to rise in support of Councilmember Cindy Bass for her call to action for the Department of Human Services, but I also wanted to commend her for sharing her story, which is truly our story, and know that I am in full support of the work that I know you will do ahead on this issue, because we must ensure that we are taking care of our Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 249 6/22/2023 we are the village for our young people. So thank you, Councilmember Bass. You have my full and unwavering support. Thank you. Thank you, CP.
Thank you, Councilwoman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Thomas.
Good afternoon. Thank you, colleagues. First and foremost, of course, Councilmember Bass, I think you touched us all with your testimony and, more importantly, making yourself vulnerable. We definitely appreciate that. As it relates to today's budget, I just want to put a couple things on the record, because I think it's really important. First and foremost, in my opinion, I think it's really disingenuous Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 250 6/22/2023 the members of City Council to give the public the perception that we had to choose between tax cuts and other City services. That was not the case with this year's budget. Last year we had a $700 million surplus, and for those who don't understand economics, when you're operating in the midst of the surplus, if you decide to offer any type of tax cuts, we're not cutting any services or not hiring any people. We anticipate there being more revenue than what we planned for. So in the midst of the revenue that we anticipate coming in, similar to that business owner who testified earlier who talked about having to pay revenue on anticipated -- having to pay taxes on anticipated revenue, that's exactly what we're doing with the City. And so I understand we can't raise the exemption. If we could, we would. During my time in City Council, I've been very thoughtful about every Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 251 6/22/2023 and every significant project I've been a part of, whether it's something like driving equality that took me over a year to introduce and pass the legislation or even grant programs like the Illuminate the Arts grants that I had a chance to work with my colleague for. I know firsthand when you try to put together a grant program or a big project through the City of Philadelphia, those things take years. 5 million grant program that took us nearly a year to get off the ground during the pandemic in the midst of an emergency. So at the end of the day, I hear a lot of things that we wish we can do. I would love to raise the exemption for businesses. We already know some of the red tape that we've run into there. But I just had to put this on the record, because at the end of the day, one thing about the decisions that we're making Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 252 6/22/2023 taxes, they are not permanent. If we come back next year and we feel like what we did did not work, we can modify, we can change, we can adjust. When you look at how tax structure works and how you look at these things through an economic perspective, cuts are gradual. They're small. They're meant to be that way, because when you're doing cuts, it's supposed to happen over a five-year or sometimes even a ten-year timeline. That's why we have five-year plans. So I want to thank my colleagues for standing strong as it relates to this year's budget, specifically the tax cuts, and I just want to let the public know that we did not have to choose between this and other constituent services. We did this because it was the right thing to do, and we know that there are other constituent needs and other issues that we have to fund to assure that we're giving Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 253 6/22/2023 In closing, I just want to remind the listening public and other legislators that last year we put so much money into departments and into programs like cameras and things of that capacity, that departments had to give us money back. We fought for different things for public safety that still hasn't been purchased today, whether it's cameras or technology for the Police Department or anything like that. So in conclusion, this budget did some things that I agree with, some things that I disagree with. We put a lot of money a lot of different places, including an extra 50-plus million for police.
And so when I think about this budget, I'm proud of the product that we were able to produce, and I want the citizens of Philadelphia to understand that we are trying our best to move in their best interest. We're thinking about the restaurants, the businesses, Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 254 6/22/2023 salons who can't just relocate to Conshohocken, like the man said, or King of Prussia or things of that capacity. They need the foot traffic in Philadelphia, and they deserve a bone. And if we could find another way to give them a bone, somebody please let me know, because I'll be the first one to support that. Until then, I'm proud of the tax cuts. Thank you, Council President. )
Thank you, Councilman. Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Gauthier.
Thank you, Council President. I just wanted to remind everybody that I'm hosting a briefing in the Caucus Room directly after the Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 255 6/22/2023 Center will be leading a training and conversation about resources available for transgender and non-binary constituents. There will also -- it will also be a safe space to ask questions you may have regarding transgender and LGBTQ+ topics; for example, the importance of pronouns or how to handle a situation where you may forget someone's pronouns and other issues as well. And lunch will be served. Hope everybody can stop by. Thank you.
Not my fault, sir. I'm looking at the screen. Sorry.
The Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 256 6/22/2023 I didn't see your name.
I thought I was on punishment, but I was only actually -- I just wanted to say thank you to all my colleagues here in Council for making this budget season bearable. You know, I got a lot of advice and I got a lot of people in this room who helped me and guided me through the process and getting some of my things into the budget, which was great. I feel a big sense of accomplishment. But I'd like to thank all my sponsors and co-sponsors with me on the domestic partnership bill that we amended today. It kind of sunk through with the all-bill amendment, but I just wanted to say thank you. I'm actually very proud of the support that I got with this bill. This was my first bill. It's my first bill to pass. I'm very excited, and I'm very excited that I had basically the whole Council co-sponsor this bill. Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 257 6/22/2023 a way for people to give a commitment to their significant other without actually having to get married. It was a right that was given to a few, and now it is given to all, as it is supposed to be. So I thank you all, and I thank you for helping me through this process and I look forward to the work that we will be doing again in our next session. So thank you all.
Thank you, Councilman. That concludes our speeches on behalf of the minority and the majority. I'm not allowed to give speeches on the podium, so I'll shut up. But I just want to thank you so much, guys, for not only the budget season but this year of your involvement, your due diligence. More importantly, in an election year, you didn't disappear. You continued to do the work for the people of the City of Philadelphia, being here Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 258 6/22/2023 and making sure that we understood what was reflected in this particular year's election in terms of what we commit to, how we fund initiatives, where we put money to reflect the bottom line, the people's perspective, because at the end of the day, that's why we're here. So I want to thank you all so much again for a successful legislative session, budget session. Look forward to rocking and rolling over the course of the summer, because we do have to get things implemented as the appropriating authority. If it's not spent, it doesn't count, right? So we have to continue to push forward. So you all have an awesome, quote/unquote, legislative recess. We're not going away. We'll still be around, for those that think that we somehow take a two-month vacation, right? That's not the case. So we look forward to working with you all throughout the season and we Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 259 6/22/2023 -- a number of significant initiatives so we can set the phones on fire like Councilman Phillips did yesterday with all these dollars that we need to spend on NPI. So thank you all. You all have an awesome weekend. We'll see you a little later. With that, I would recognize Councilman Squilla for a motion to adjourn.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, September 14th, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded Council stand adjourned until Thursday, September 14, 2023, 10:00 a.m. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 260 6/22/2023 opposed? (No response.)
The ayes have it. Thank you all very much. ) Stated Meeting 06-22-2023 261 6/22/2023 CERTIFICATE I HEREBY CERTIFY that the proceedings, evidence and objections are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me upon the foregoing matter, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. MICHELE L.