Clearly, as we can see from the discussion months later 11 that we have a lot of work to do in this area. I am 12 not a member of this committee, but I will be paying close attention and following the leadership of the Transportation Committee on this issue. Let's move to a another final question I have. of your testimony, top paragraph. It is stated that, and I quote, "We are proud to have participated in the City's Minority Enterprise Development Program and Symposium." Elaborate, please, on the level of participation. What does that mean?
Good afternoon. My name is Frances Jones, Assistant General Manager of Government Affairs. Each year we participate in the MED 2031 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET Week, which is the Minority Enterprise Development Council program that's done annually by providing symposiums for small business people at our site. We also provide technical assistance workshops to help small business people to be able to participate on a greater level in SEPTA contracts. We are really trying to be ambitious in this effort starting this year because we are about to begin serious work on the Market Street Elevated reconstruction project. And in that vein, we are attempting to get as many minority business people, local business people as possible to really participate on that project. So in a more ambitious way this year, I think that our MED Week involvement will be at a greater level.
Was SEPTA ever able to achieve its goals around MBE and WE participation with the Frankford Elevated effort? Did SEPTA achieve its goals?
On most of those contracts, we did achieve our goal, and in some instances we exceeded the goal. On the Market Street end, participating in the MED Week effort, having a community outreach, participating in community 2032 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET events will enable us to increase our DBE MBE goals for contracts as move forward with that project. And really to set the tone to try to increase minority participation on other projects authority-wise.
So with the benefit of hindsight, what you're doing differently in West Philadelphia is the outreach that you just spoke about so as to -- nothing is a guarantee, but for sure it will move you closer to the achievement of those MBE WBE goals. Is there anything else you're doing that's different what you did with the Frankford initiative.
Initially, I would say that we were just a little bit more ambitious in our outreach. But authority-wide, whenever we projects, we try to have minority participation and community participation. I think that we're just trying to do it a greater level to make sure that the community is made aware of exactly what it is that we're doing, be it our riders, the business people, or residents. We are really just trying to do a greater level of outreach now. But it's been a part 2033 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET of our plan always to keep everybody involved.
Thank you very much. My final comment is just to congratulate on the work you are doing with the School District around the truancy piece because we know as a City it was out of control, and when we look to see what the District Attorney's Office is doing in this area coupled with what SEPTA is doing with the School District is helping us get better at the bottom line which is to see less truancy in the street during school hours. Thank you very much. Thank you, Madam.
You're welcome. I have one question and then I'll call on Councilman Ortiz. We submitted to you a copy of a report adopted by Council regarding Resolution 18 000684 dealing with improving responses to mentally disabled persons in crisis. I mention this because we held hearings, and I will read one paragraph, only one. "I have called this investigative hearing in response to the tragic shooting of Mr. Robert Brown, a severely mentally ill African-American resident of my district. Mr. Brown was approximately 45 years of age and had been battling 2034 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET with schizophrenia since the late '70s. He had been in and out of treatment facilities that provided varying degrees of services, and at this stage of his life, he was attempting to live on his own as a productive member of society. Mr. Brown received his treatment from one of the Behavioral Health System's community-based mental health centers where he allegedly received individual and group therapy, had an intensive case manager and received psychotropic medication. Mr. Brown spent his days at 30th Street Station and was known to many of the local merchants as well as Amtrak Police. And prior to this incident, he never showed signs of violence. On July 18, when he arrived at 30th Street Station, he was acting a little stranger than normal." Let mow go down to the main point. I wanted to give you a little bit of background. "There was a chase. When the case came to a halt, Mr. Brown felt threatened. He picked up the chair from the dining area of 30th Street Station, raised it over his head, and the police perceived it as an opportunity to throw it at them. We will never know for sure because he was then shot in the abdomen and died shortly thereafter on the 2035 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET third floor of 30th Street Station in front of children, visitors, and patrons." In fact, it was in front of a McDonald's restaurant where there many, many people around. So it's been a very unsettling incident for us because this was a person who was connected to the system and was nonetheless shot when we were half a block away, a matter of feet away from an outreach center, an outreach office for Horizon House. And there are so many ways that this should have been dealt with, but this man was killed in front of a lot of people in front of McDonald's restaurant. So we ask you what your policy is in dealing with mentally ill disabled persons in crisis, if you have one. We certainly made this report available to you and would hope that you would take it seriously because there is not one life that we can spare. And because this gentleman was mentally ill certainly makes his life no less valuable to his family and friends and certainly to our society.
He was shot by 2036 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET Amtrak Police.
We're very sensitive to this. We work very closely with the Philadelphia Police Department and Amtrak Police Department and is taking this issue very seriously. If Chief wants to elaborate on it.
I am Richard Evans again. Councilwoman, our officers receive annual training in the use of deadly force and they are also trained in dealing with mentally ill persons and how to treat them, how to get them treatment.
Thank you very much. We really need this on the record because, again, we say because a person is ill makes their life nonetheless valuable. God created all people and we have to try to realize in the final analysis that we are our brother's keeper; and until we accept that, then I think that we'll have problems, more problems than we should have in our society. So it's very, very important. I'm sure that you received a copy of this report. We wanted to make sure that everyone -- Amtrak didn't appear at our hearing because they don't know where they are in terms of being sued, but we certainly focussed a lot 2037 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET on the Philadelphia Police Department, mental health agencies, etcetera. All right, thank you. Councilman Ortiz.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Mr. Leary, I want to thank Frances and yourself. Last year we've been trying to start dialog between latino contractors and other business folks and although we've had bumps on the road, it is still going on and I really want to thank Frances for the efforts that she's put forward along those lines. Now that the nice things have been said, on the tokens issue. There's a degree of patience and degrees of impatience. When your predecessor Mr. Gambiccini (ph) was here, we discussed the issue of tokens with Mr. Gambiccini. The issue is that there are students in this City who find it impossible because their families cannot really carry the cost and we have students in this City that are not attending. Usually those students are black and brown, Latinos and African-Americans. And they're finding it impossible from going to school because at times they cannot afford the tokens. And 2038 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET we didn't begin talking about this last year. We've been talking about this, as I said, from the period of time of Mr. Gambiccini. It is our problem, this is a Philadelphia problem. I understand that the State has to play a role, but it is mainly in essence it comes down to the kids that are not going to school are our kids. And we talked last year about the transfers and could we begin taking away the cost that the transfer imposes. And that's a small step. And then when we talked about the overall aspect of just providing tokens or free transportation to the school kids in Philadelphia, really the cost was not that the great. I think it was, what, $2 million?
Two and a half million dollars. And I think two and a half million dollars out of all of the money that we spend in this City can be found. And like I said, we've been talking about it for so long that if we keep talking and going back to Harrisburg and trying to do this, we're never ever going to answer this question to our most poor kids in the City. So I'm all for 2039 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET talking to go Harrisburg and tying to get Harrisburg to give us some more money. But we're talking to Harrisburg about giving us more money for the school system. And that proves to be a monumental and almost impossible task. So the responsibility of whether we are going to have our kids attend school daily then falls on this Council for us to find two and a half million dollars. And for us to find it with your assistance and be able to provide this service. And if not two and a half million dollars, then enough so that the cost not become such a burden on the families of these students. So I'm not willing to keep on just waiting for a solution to this because we've been talking about this ad nauseam for too many years. And I don't want to find ourselves here next year going on about the same issue and talking about the hearings that we've had but that have didn't come to the issue and the objective of solving the problem. So I want to end the discussion that we started with Gambiccini and so on. I want it to end so that we can begin really discussing what needs to be done. And I think if we can begin with the 2040 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET transfers and the cost of the transfers, that can be a step. And so to me, the discussion goes beyond just the issue. We can't keep on studying it anymore. We know what the problem is. The solution is two and a half million dollars. Whether we can get it or not, that depends on the will of this Council and what our priorities are going to be. Do you have a response to that?
Well, Councilman, you know, I feel the passion you have for this issue. Two and a half million dollars represents the salaries of 50 bus operators. If we were cut 50 bus operators and the same level of service, we could do it instantly. That's never been on -- anything anybody wanted to do to begin to cut service to pay for something else. As I said, we are unable -- by law, we cannot produce a deficit budget. We have to balance the budget. Three of the last four years we have balanced the budget and actually ended with a slight surplus of a few thousand dollars every year. That's how close we are to the bottom line. We've never been able to deal with that. You know, taking service from one place and putting it someplace else, and that's really what it entails if we don't 2041 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET work together and find additional money. I have to tell you, I never expected to lose $6 million from Harrisburg this year. If you were here for the presentation, we have some pretty serious financial issues.
But you just made my point. You never expected to lose $6 million from Harrisburg. But in the discuss that we had, it seems like we got to find the solution to the tokens in Harrisburg.
To the token issue in Harrisburg. But Harrisburg really doesn't give a damn that much about whether some of our kids are able to afford transfer or bus fare and so on. They're interested in some other bottom line that they pursue and they see. And I'm not saying that it is just your responsibility. Like I said, I think it is the responsibility of this Council together with you to find out how it is that we move on this, because we discussed it. And I'm not saying that you're not as concerned as we are. We've just got to move towards how it is that we 2042 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET find that money. Another issue, the people who clean the subways and the stations, Vitec is a company that you contract with, and it seems that --
Councilman, for the record, that's not exactly correct. Vitec is a subcontractor to another firm. They contract with another firm, and I have to check with staff.
Well, Vitec is subcontractor and they hire the workers to work and clean Suburban Station and so on, right?
And they contract with one or more subcontractors to help them.
Well, Vitec seems to operate on very, let's say, bad labor practices. It does not seem to have a very good record of labor relations. I wonder why we keep them on the payroll, we keep giving them a contract or accepting them as a subcontractor to do the work in our stations. And right now you have those labor unions 2043 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET in negotiations and it seems like there's a problem in getting together in terms to fairly negotiate a contract at this time. And I want to know what are the impediments and what are the road blocks to a fair contract at this point?
Councilman, I'm not sure I can answer that. I'm aware of the fact that one of the subcontractors of this particular contractor is in the process of either organizing or some labor dispute, jurisdictional dispute or whatever. As you know, public dollars have a very defined procurement process. You're not permitted to influence in any way. You put the specifications out. The low bid firm, if it's a responsible firm, and Clean Tech has proven to be a very responsible firm. They have a long record of success, both in the private sector and public sector. Given that they have been lowest responsible bidder on this work, our choices are limited at that point. There is no way we can disqualify them.
There's no way you disqualify them because they're the lowest responsible bidder, but do you only take into consideration the bid? What about their practices 2044 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET with labor?
They've been determined to be both responsive and responsible. And if we were to interrupt that, if we were to disregard that criteria, we would find ourselves in court instantly. We've been very careful not to interfere with the relationships between prime contracts and subcontractors. I have to check with counsel again, but at the time that this was raised to my attention, I was told that I had to very, very careful.
Will you check with counsel and get back to us? There are problems there, problems with this company named Vitec. I'd like to hear from your side as to the problems that are there because I hear other side. I'd like to see and hear what your side and this other company has to say about this. Could you --
One last thing. The Metro Newspaper, how much does that cost to put out?
Councilman, I'm not sure. I can tell you what they pay us. Metro Newspaper pays 2045 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET us a fee of $35,000 a month, plus --
Outside of SEPTA. Separate company. Again, we competitively bid it. We advertised it. This concept, this service, we advertised it in the "Daily News" and the "Philadelphia Inquirer." A firm came in and bid on it. They were determined to be responsive and responsible. Their bid was based on two parts. One was a fee to SEPTA for the right to use our facilities and distributed, that was $35,000 a month.
A month. And an additional $15,000 a month for cleaning, for the cost of cleaning up or any cost we may incur as a result of people leaving these newspapers.
So it comes to like $50,000 a month that you get from Metro.
They pay us to do it. We'll 2046 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET tell you that there are at least six other cities, transit properties around the country now that are considering doing the same thing.
It's a private company that has publications around the world. I'm sure they make a profit.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Good afternoon. This may be a question that relates primarily to the capital budget, but it ultimately affects the operation of a particular line. I wanted to talk to you about the Route 15, the new reconstruction of the trolley line. I wanted to get a sense of the time line, the project, when we can expect these trollies to come on-line, what possible delays we may have during the construction period as it relates to bus service.
I can tell you, Councilman, 2047 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET Route light rail project, it is moving along very quickly. The contracts, the civil structural and right-of-way facility contracts have all been awarded. Contractors are out there doing it right now. I believe it's about to 30 months of 7 construction until it will be complete and in place. 8 Within the next 90 days, 120 days, we expect to 9 award a contract to a car manufacturer or a vehicle 10 re-manufacturer. It's been determined in 11 coordination with everybody, everyone kind of likes 12 the idea of us taking the old historic trollies and 13 not rebuilding them, but re-manufacturing them to a 14 modern day standard. The standard that they would 15 have lifts and be accessible to the disabled.
Aesthetically, they would look old, but they would be air conditioned and accessible. That contract, we expect to award a contract for this re-manufacturing process within the next 120 days. And then there will be a three-year period, 30-month to 36-month period while these vehicles will be re-manufactured and then delivered back to us. And I don't expect any 2048 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET interruption of the bus service. I expect a very smooth transition from the existing Route buses 4 to the new Route 15. 5
Will there be 6 interruptions during the course of the construction? 7 I'm assuming you may have to detour bus service. 8 Will that affect it? 9
There will be some 10 crossovers and intersections. There will be some 11 disruption. We've opened a community office. I'm 12 going to turn to Frances on this one. 13 MS JONES: Frances Jones, Assistant 14 General Manager, Government Affairs. 15 Councilman, we have a community office that we've opened at 19th and Girard Avenue and there are series of community meetings that are going on within the next couple of weeks just to bring the community up to speed on where we are with the project, to answer their questions and their concerns and generally just to layout the project so that they understand exactly what's going to go on, what's the benefit to the community, the long-term benefit, the short-term inconvenience, and what we expect the project to look like when it is complete. 2049 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET
I might note, we've been through that a lot in my area, and Frances handles it well.
Yes. We had a meeting last week at the zoo to talk about the art in transit project that we're going to do at the zoo location. So it's been a series of meetings and outreach just so that we can keep the community abreast of what's going on.
With respect to the transformation back to light rail as opposed to the bus system, what factors were part of that decision-making process.
It's my understanding that the conversion from the bus to the light rail was a part of an agreement that we had with the City of 2050 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET Philadelphia to initiate the return of trollies or light rail vehicles beginning with the Route 15. We did a series of focus groups with the community, our riders, employees, just to get a tone or a feel for exactly how receptive our riders would be to the return of the light rail vehicles. And as a result, we implemented and started the procedure and the process to have that happen.
It wasn't financial, environmental? People just like trollies as opposed to buses?
Well, of course, all of those issues are taken into consideration. Of course, we have a lot of support from the Trolley Coalition interested in returning trollies to the lines in Philadelphia, but the Route 15 was the one where we started.
I'm not sure you answered my question. Did it have any financial considerations? Is the light rail less expensive to run than the bus or is it more expensive? Are there certain environmental concerns? I've heard that raised the pollution levels, bus versus trolley? Or was it just simply because people like trollies? 2051 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET
Good afternoon. I'm Pat Nawalkowsky, I'm the Assistant General Manager for Infrastructure, Engineering and Technology. To try to answer your question, from a capital perspective, capital cost, to restore the Route to trolley service from a bus service was 10 absolutely much more expensive as compared to what a 11 bus service would cost. 12
That answers my 13 question. But because we like trollies, we made the 14 decision? And I'm fine with that. I just want to 15 make sure I understood.
I hear you. I used to ride the 23. You may want to stay. I had another question with respect -- as we're closely approaching, I'm starting to get questions about it. I've actually had some questions about some of the property owners on the Girard Avenue corridor I guess between College Wall and the river because 2052 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET they are the properties relatively close to the rail lines and I've gotten some calls that people feel that the implementation of the trolley service will affect the foundations of the properties. And I don't know, not being an engineer or a person involved in that. Is there a possibility that the trollies, which most people think are probably heavier, I'm assuming, and impact on the pathway, the groundway may have more vibrations and people are concerned about foundation.
Let me try to answer that. As you know, we obviously run trollies in West Philadelphia on 10, the 11, the 13, the 34 and the 36, and trollies running on those lines are heavier than a bus. They will create more noise and vibration than a bus would. Typically, what we have found is that they do not rise to the level of causing cracks in foundations or anything like that unless there are a number of voids in the street because voids tend to propagate the vibration through the ground. If there's solid ground there, they tend to get damped in the ground and dissipate in that way.
Frances, I 2053 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET understand your person is going to be having meetings. In that particular area, because that's where I've gotten most of the calls, would it be possible for your outreach person to talk to the business association up there? We may actually want to look at the foundations prior to the construction process so we don't have these folks coming up with these mysterious cracks in the wall after the fact. That would be very helpful to me.
Good afternoon, Mr. Leary, Ms. Newkirk, Mr. DiCicco and Ms. Jones. Mr. Leary, I needed to get, I guess, an update on a situation with a proposal for some new service in the City Avenue corridor related to the City Avenue Special Services District and an attempt by many of 2054 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET us over in that area, Philadelphia and Lower Merion to provide some additional service, not only on City Avenue, but also into the Manyunk section to help, I think from our perspective, alleviate some of the vehicular congestion in both of those communities. I was perplexed at learning that SEPTA apparently declined to respond to the bid for what we've generally begun to call the City Avenue Regional Transit. Conceptual, at least, somewhat similar to the Phlash, which I think SEPTA operates in Center City, and Lucy out in West Philadelphia as a part of University City Special Services District. Can you tell me why that decision was made?
Councilman, I remember at the time, and it was primarily the time line of we had fully committed a couple vehicles and were just unable to respond to the bid in the time that they were pursuing. It was a matter of bus procurement, a matter of time table development. We operate on a quarterly cycle of schedules and timetables and was just unable to deal with it at the time.
Do you know if any of that information was communicated to any of the representatives of City Avenue Special Services 2055 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET District, including myself.
I believe that we did notify them that we would be unable to bid.
Again, I'm Bernard Cohen, Assistant General Manager, Transit Operations. I'd have to check to be sure, but I do believe that we did notify the special services district that we would be not in a position to put in a proposal for that service for the reasons that the general manager just stated.
I appreciate you giving the more detailed explanation because that's the first I've heard I've heard of it and no one from the agency had touched base with me about it, whether there could be some adjustment or something like that. I mean, they operate two very fine service in other parts of the City. And quite honestly, notwithstanding an RFP process, one would think that if something involves transit in our area here that we have a five-county state-authorized transit agency, I mean, that is kind of your 2056 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET business, right?
We attended a number of meetings with the district. We went over the RFP very carefully. It is, as you said, ordinarily the kind of business we would be interested in, but the time frame for getting the service up and running based on our operator availability or the time frame that we felt we would need to hire people and, more importantly, the time frame available to get the vehicles was on a much faster timetable. I think it was a matter of like two months that they wanted the service up and running, and we just didn't feel we could meet that schedule.
Okay. Well, I'd like to get further into details. Quite honestly, though, and I don't know who the responding parties were, I'm not going to be deciding who gets anything in any of this, but, I mean, if you're going to have trouble responding to it and this is what you do in a fairly large way, then I can't imagine that anyone else is going to be in an easier position. Now, maybe this is a case where someone that's smaller, lighter, quicker might be able to do something. 2057 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET Every now and then the bigger is not always better, but we would certainly benefit tremendously from some type of SEPTA participation at least, quite frankly, through the bidding process. You get a chance to compare. It's always as compared to what.
I mean, as we go out in the marketplace for different things, I mean, if we were trying to buy cars or something, it's interesting if, you know, Kia or somebody like that responded to the bid, but generally, you kind of want to know what's Ford and GM and what are those guys doing. And you're obviously in that category and you provide a good service and we'd like to hear a little bit more from the agency.
Thank you very much. Councilman DiCicco. 2058 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET
I just want to go back to the issue of school tokens primarily just to get some background. A couple years ago I conducted some issues hearings on this, and I believe you testified, Jack, at that time. I think the School District at this time said that they were spending about a million dollars a year -- and this really has nothing much to do with you, but by way of background. The School District, I believe at the time, said that they spend about a million dollars a year in distributing tokens to the students, which I thought was an astronomical figure. And I don't think we ever got a complete response as to what they were doing to eliminate some of those costs because I thought if they could reduce those costs, we could use those cost savings to put into the pool of money to reduce the 2.5 million that ultimately has to be absorbed by the students. Is the swipe card a fairly new means of payment for students? It is available to students, I assume, right?
It would be available to 2059 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET students.
It's been in place at least five to seven years, maybe even a little bit longer.
So then do the students have the option of the swipe card versus the token?
Oh, they certainly can go to Rite Aid, for example, or places where we sell weekly and monthly passes.
I thought that was part of the conversation at those hearings also, if we find more places where they would be available. My next question is, is the swipe card less expensive in terms of the cost to both SEPTA and the School District as it is compared to the tokens? I see a lot of people shaking their heads no. 21
Well, the swipe card has to be replaced every month, so there's not only a cost of production but there's a cost of distribution.
I'm really looking for questions that I may hit the School District 2060 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET with when they come in as to why they're not doing anything more to be more efficient to help us get those costs down.
Councilman, the 2.5 million just reflects the cost of the transfers.
I think the difference was around 5 million, if I'm not mistaken, overall between -- that's what the cost to the students is in total was the transfer and that portion of the tokens that they pick up. Ms. Yanoff's in the audience --
When you said two and a half million, I thought that was a little bit lower than we initially --
That's right. It's 15 million total; 15,500,000, it's a very large number.
Obviously, we're going to have some more questions for the School District when they come in because I don't think they're doing what they need to be doing to help us get this costs down. Everyone looks to SEPTA. I think everyone has to share in this. And that was 2061 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET the theme of what our hearings were, how do we all share in finding ways in which we can reduce these costs. The other question goes to -- you and I have had some conversation in the past about doing some sort of audio advertising in the subway stations and selling some airtime to -- my colleague to the right calls me the entrepreneurial guy here because I guess I'm still going back to my republican roots. (Laughter.)
Is anything being done there? And I don't suspect that it would be such a windfall that it would create all that kind of revenue, but we're all looking to figure out ways in which we could generate some revenue, and if it's a way in which we can raise a half million dollars or something a year by way of advertising and that can help reduce some of the costs to the students, that would be helpful.
Councilman, in a strange way, the Metro Newspaper came out of those discussions. The nontraditional way of raising revenues for transit property began discussions like 2062 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET you talked about, audiovisual advertising in the stations surfaced the Metro Newspaper. And now that the Metro Newspaper -- they didn't want us to pursue both at the same time. Next week, for example, we have a company coming in, I've forgotten the name, but we've identified two companies that have come in and making a presentation to us. The idea of putting digital readouts in the subway stations where they would provide us with the ability to provide information for our customers, at the same time provide advertising and concurrently find revenues. I'm not sure you were here for the earlier part of the discussion, but just diesel fuel, medical cost, prescriptions, we've got a 30 million dollar --
We're looking for every possible nontraditional way of raising it, and one of them is the idea of --
Just for my colleagues who were not here a couple years ago, what I'm talking about is if you're standing on a subway platform, as an example, during the time that you tet there until the train or the subway arrives, 2063 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET there's really not much to do so I thought about kind of what the Disney atmosphere is when you're waiting to get on the monorail or the shuttle, there's all kinds of information being put out over a PA system, not only about what time the train is arriving, but places of interest to go. So I thought that might be an opportunity for SEPTA to maybe sell some airtime. White sail, you know, whatever they call that sale at Strawbridges, you know. Lord & Taylor has sales going on today. I mean, that's means of advertising and it's a way of generating money possibly. And my other colleague who just appeared on the scene now, I can't get away from that republican mentality. But hey, look, advertising is money. And guess what? If we can generate that kind of money and help offset some of the cost to the students, why not? I mean, you're standing there on a platform anyway, so what's the difference if over a PA system --
Right to privacy? I don't know how private you can be on a subway. Anyway, but I just wanted to revisit that.
It still is on radar screen. 2064 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET
I have to hand it to Councilman DiCicco. I think he's the most creative salesperson I've ever met. And I mean that positively, not negatively. My concern is a simple one. I think we operate in the United States on the theory that there is a public school system, that education of our children is very important, every youngster has the right to go to school, public school or some other school of the parents' choosing if they can afford to and they desire to. And I think we make a mockery of it in Philadelphia much worse than almost anywhere else by denying people the right to send their kids to school because of the financial encumbrance that transportation costs involve and the poorer you are, the more you suffer, the more you have to make a decision not only between food and medicine and heat in the house, but if you have a number of children, maybe which child goes to school that day or week or whether they go at all. 2065 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET And I think there are three agencies that have a responsibility to correct that. I think we've ben gentle. We've tried to be persuasive. We've tried to build a logical case over a number of years. It's in a new issue; it's an old issue. And unfortunately, I'm beginning to reach the conclusions that public agencies are as unlistening as most private organizations that operate solely for profit and only have a duty to the shareholder, but that public agency adopt the manner as if they have no public duties and they have no concerns and they come up with theories, well, we don't have the money or they say to the people, where are you going money, even though they're supposed to be experts. So I'm saying to you, I think it's time to end the games. I think that no money ought to be appropriated by the City of Philadelphia to SEPTA, to the School District, or even the City budget until there is an arrangement whereby every kid going to public school or any other school of their choosing from K to Grade 12 has to pay any fair at all on public transportation. And I think that the reasons that SEPTA gives are just unrealistic. I don't think it would actually cost SEPTA a penny. I 2066 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET think you have ample transportation facilities. And if there are times that are busy, maybe we could get different arrangements for school hours in certain areas of the City, whatever could be done between you, the School District, and the City of Philadelphia, the executive, I think can work out a way in which kids can get to school and we don't have the fiction that school is available to everybody. And let's stop the fiction of the Year of the Child, because children has been neglected this year and the last year and the year before like they don't count. And I think we treat them in government like they don't count. We say on one hand, oh, we want to educate them, we want them to live a full life, we want them to be able to pay taxes, we want to attract business so we have to have an educated work force. And then systematically we adopt policies which work to defeat all of those goals. Now, it isn't for us in City Council and it isn't for the public to have the wherewithal, the knowledge as to how to work out everything. But if those three bodies, the City, the School District, and SEPTA made its mind up that this would be done, 2067 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET it would be done and if money were needed would be provided. So I have to tell you, Mr. Leary, and others with you, all of whom I know, some much better than others and I know how sincere you are, but I think this could be done with the student wearing a badge, maybe the school will give it to them with the kind of identification you see in offices saying I am a student and they could wear it proudly. And if the schools have uniforms, they can wear their uniform, too.
And they ought to be able to ride free, no transfers, no tokens, none of this stuff that cost money to administer, which doesn't do a thing for kids but does things maybe for adults. We don't need that. They can walk on a bus, on a trolley car, whatever it is, and get to school so that there won't be any truancy to the degree that exists today and families won't be put in the bind they are today. So this isn't in the matter of a question. I think you're delinquent in your duties because you're a public agency. Most of your business comes from Philadelphia; isn't that right, even though you're a state agency? We have some representatives, a small minority represent 2068 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET Philadelphia technically. It seems to me that we've got to get to that decision, we've got to get to it. And if you don't, I am saying to you I intend to make this a major campaign in Philadelphia. I think it's a disgrace that other cities in Pennsylvania either provide free transportation totally or transportation at a much lower cost than is involved in Philadelphia. And I think by default we've decided kids don't count. And kids ought to count; they ought to count more than anybody else. So I'm making this statement to you. I will be addressing the School District when it comes in on the budget. I've already raised with the Council President that I don't think we can kind of meet the time limit of passing a budget by March 23rd because there are too many undecided issues affecting the quality of life in Philadelphia that have to be addressed. And kids ride free has to be, in my mind, the slogan and the achievement if we're to be regarding as serious when we talk about the Year of the Child. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Madam 2069 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET Chair. There was something I forgot in my earlier questions. About maybe a little more than a year ago there began to be a public debate about the number of large-scale parking garages that were being proposed, particularly in Center City in Councilman DiCicco's district, mine, and parts of Ann Verna's, and out of that discussion we introduced a resolution to talk about some changes that we needed to do as it related to the Center City plan and upgrading, doing an analysis of the parking issues. In those discussions, I thought of a couple of ideas that some people think are ridiculous, but I put them out there anyway. And I talked about the possibility of having dedicated subway cars solely for Center City for purposes of supporting shoppers and the purposes of supporting commuters, and I tell you why. It's understood that a substantial number of individuals come into the City every day to work and they want to park in close proximity to their jobs. Unfortunately, we have this rush hour, we have all these large parking garages that most people who live downtown hate. I asked the question in those discussions, would it make sense to have the majority of our larger 2070 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET parking garages around the periphery of Center City and have a dedicated rail line into the Center City area. And some people say, well, we have the Phlash. But the reality is is that the Phlash is subject to everybody else traffic jam. So as soon as somebody gets on the Phlash and they get caught in a traffic jam trying to get to work and they're late, they're never going catch it again, they're going to say, I'm drive my own car; I may get stuck in traffic, but I have my own vehicle. And also during the course of the various shopping times, you know, Christmas some of these man-made created shopping times, Valentine's Day -- that's man-made, right? It's capitalism, right? People want to be able to get on some system and go down to Fourth Street and go back to work up at 17th Street very quickly, and I thought that potentially there was an opportunity to have that same dedicated rail line go back and forth as a shopper special and we put some of the amenities on this rail line, say, for instance, we'll make it as nice as what we have in Washington because that's a very nice system down there. And I just kind of threw that out there not knowing if it made any 2071 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET sense. And low and behold, the other night Councilman DiCicco and Councilman Rizzo and myself attended a parking forum. And during one of the presentations, they had a real nice slide show -- Frank, I can't remember where that was. Was it San Antonio or somewhere where they actually had a dedicated rail line. Frank, do you remember? Frank, you're not listening to me. They actually had dedicated rail line that came from the parking garages on the periphery of Center City. I can't remember what city it was.
And that was their solution to this parking problem. I was wondering, first of all, in the discussion about this whole Center City parking issue if you guys are in the loop, because there was nobody at the SEPTA at the parking forum, although the Parking Authority was there? And second, if you are in the loop, what are your ideas about that?
Just a couple quick comments, Councilman. I like your idea about 2072 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET parking, large parking structures on the outskirts. When Philadelphia built the Broad Street line and the Market El, I mean, 75 years ago it created Philadelphia as the center of commerce in this region because of the transportation. But parking lots weren't required then. The system really needs expanded parking on the system. We have an excellent system going north-south and east-west; the El and the Broad Street line. I don't think you're way out of bounds on that at all.
The problem with that is that you're on the same train that the person that rides from Fernrock to Vet Stadium. If car that went on a consistent basis from, say, Washington Avenue to Vine Street that ran every 10 minutes, I think the likelihood of an individual wanting to catch that, you know what I mean, that's coming into town that know it's going to be every 10 minutes.
There is a train running from 30th Street through a subway every three minutes right now, from 30th Street to Second Street. We have what you're talking about. Not just exclusively for a certain class of people just 2073 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET because they have an automobile and they're parked there. It's open to everybody. Adding capacity to that three-minute train running back and forth is real easy.
No. I don't think you're out of the box at all on that issue. We have been, and I personally talked to Paul Levy in his initiative to kind of move Philadelphia commerce away from becoming parking lots and parking garages. Moving the parking out on the peripheral, reducing vehicle miles traveled, eliminating the congestion or reducing the congestion, making it much more efficient for those automobiles that need to be on the streets of Philadelphia --
You get a reduced rate either in the parking or on the subway if you park here and you ride in?
You could easily have a joint ticket, a joint fare, pay $5 to park your on the peripheral and that includes a trip on the transit.
In the future, 2074 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET because we're continuing the discussion. At some point there's supposed to be a report put out. Could you all make sure that somebody from your shop are --
We'll make sure we're included. I'll make sure that we're at these meetings.
Good issue. We'll take a five-minute break for the stenographer. And then Councilwoman Reynolds-Brown, you'll be next. (Brief recess.)
We're back in session. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brown.
Thank you, Madam Chair. My question was sparked by the added information that Councilman DiCicco provided, given his experience as chair of the committee. The swipe card that is currently used is used by university students, correct?
It's not just university. 2075 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET It's a regular pass, it's a Transpass. It's the regular pass, just purchased in bulk in a compass program, so it's the regular monthly pass.
And the question, do Philadelphia school students, be they public, Catholic, private, do they have the option to use the swipe card? Is it available to them as well?
This is Jettie Newkirk, Philadelphia representative. Council Lady, I think the issue is it is open to them as an option, but it costs more so they would not select this option. And it would cost more even if were bought in bulk.
That helps me. And while I would agree, albeit reluctantly, with my colleague Councilman DiCicco on the School District in the manner in which manages the way it spends money, it should be on the record that the School District is a partner around the issue of school tokens because they are indeed providing a subsidy, correct? 2076 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET
That's correct, yes. They're paying for the tokens and the State is providing the subsidy to them.
And so the challenge as we move to the hearings that are going to be convened by Councilman Goode is how and what we need to do to have SEPTA be a partner around the issue of school tokens, because if I am understanding this as this scenario currently exists, SEPTA is a pass through right now for those dollars coming from the State. Help me out.
Council Lady, that's not correct. SEPTA is already a partner. I think the issue is determining how SEPTA can be a larger part. SEPTA is already providing the discount, the discount between the base fare of $1.60 and the $1.15 which the tokens cost. The children get them for less than that based on the state subsidy when they purchase them from the School District.
And the dispersement of those tokens, the administrative piece of that, is currently handled by the School District?
As we look to the hearings, help us determine how and if SEPTA can help with those administrative costs because that would then relieve the School District of the dollars attached to that and move towards, again, SEPTA becoming a greater partner around the whole issue of school tokens. It's a challenge, for sure, but I am not yet fully persuaded that SEPTA is a larger partner.
Hi, my name is Fay Moore, I'm SEPTA's treasurer. Hopefully I can help with some limited pieces of information. Right now the $1,15 that they pay us is indeed for the token. They receive in bulk some 300,000 tokens monthly or weekly or whatever it is. We send it to the School District. The School District is the only one who in turn there knows how those tokens should be distributed within the district. SEPTA cannot be that administrator because we're in the business of distributing the token.
That is well taken. Okay then. We'll look forward to these all-important hearings and hopefully make some progress over the next 12 months. Thank you very 2078 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET much.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I know there's been a lot of discussion about tokens and service and fares and contract negotiations upcoming. Just a word of compliment, I guess. I'm not a regular daily user of SEPTA, but I do use it on occasion. I'm on the Route, the 12 Broad Street Subway, Market El, I use the bus on 13 Market Street occasionally going from place to place 14 in town. They are extremely clean, they are 15 extremely well maintained, and I notice an amazing 16 -- not amazing, but a noticeable change over the 17 last five to seven years in the operators and 18 drivers, extremely courteous, much more courteous 19 than they had been in the past in my opinion. Plus, 20 the information that's provided on the bus or on the 21 subway or on the El itself as to what stop is coming 22 up next, it's very clear, the speaker systems is 23 very clear, they're air conditioned in the summer, they're very comfortable to ride in in the summer. I usual use it most of the time in the summertime. 2079 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET But I think the system, despite the economic challenges, despite the fare issues and despite the things you're dealing with as it relates to governance, as a City person, I'm only able to judge -- I don't use the R7 and R5 and those. I assume they're as well maintained also. But from a City perspective, I find the system much more user friendly and much more safe, at least the feeling of safety. You're in the big City, you know, big cities have their crime problems, but I feel safe on them and I any they're clean, well maintained, and the drivers have been much more improved in the last, say, 10 years in their helpfulness and their politeness and in their information, giving information where you're going, when the next stop is and that kind of stuff. And one of the things I always notice I guess in the last 10 years as opposed to 10 years before, is sometimes you see two buses come to an intersection at the same and people are trying to make the run to get from the one transfer to the other. Years passed, maybe a decade or so ago, I've seen those doors stay shut and people keep driving by. Now I see them wait, wait for the people to get across the street. The driver 2080 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET other driver will beep the horn and make sure that the other driver sees them. So I think there's been some substantive changes in the way the system's operated and the way it's maintained, and I want to think thank you for it.
Councilman, thank you. The people behind me work very hard and they appreciate hearing that. Thank you.
Thank you. Are there any other questions of SEPTA? Thank you so very much.
Community College is next. (Witnesses come forward.)
Good evening. Thank you so much for your patience. Kindly identify for yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Good afternoon, Madam Chair, Members of City Council. My name is Ronda Cohen and I am the Chair of the Board of Trustees of Community College of Philadelphia. I am honored to have as colleagues on the board a group of dedicated civic 2081 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET and business leaders in Philadelphia who recognize the importance of Community College of Philadelphia to our great City. With your permission, I would like to introduce those present today. Mannie Ortiz, Delores Brisbin, Dr. Bruce Casswell, Alan Skimal, Dr. Ed Kung, Hugo Warren, Christine James-Brown, Representative James Roebuck. Let me first express our appreciation to the Mayor for recognizing the excellent work of our faculty, administrators, staff and students by recommending a $1 million additional allocation to the budget this year. We are most appreciative of this investment in the educational future of our City. Community College of Philadelphia was founded in 1965 and opened with an enrollment of 700 full-time and part-time students. Today, your City College is one of the largest urban community colleges in the nation with over 1,000 full- and part-time faculty and more than 41,000 credit and non-credit students enrolled in programs throughout the City. We are proud to be the third largest degree-granting institution in the City of Philadelphia. 2082 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET Today, in addition to the board and staff present, our president, Stephen M. Curtis joins me. The college's board of trustees is pleased that President Curtis is leading the college at this significant time in the history of our City. We believe that he has the right combination of experience and dedication to ensure the realization of our shared vision for Philadelphia's City College. He has set a clear path for the college and we are making impressive strides under his able leadership. Therefore, at this time and with your permission, Madam Chair, I would like ask Dr. Curtis to present the formal testimony to Council on the budget for Community College of Philadelphia. Dr. Curtis.
Thank you. Good evening Council President Verna and Members of City Council. I'm Stephen Curtis, President of Community College of Philadelphia and I am honored to testify on behalf of the college's 2001-2002 operating and captain budget requests. First, I do want to extend my thanks to 2083 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET this Council for the support that you have provided for the college throughout our 36-year history of service to the City. Let me also add a personal note of thanks for each of you for the support and guidance you've provided for me since my appointment as president. And I've appreciated other opportunities to meet with the Council President and individual Councilmembers to discuss, not only budget needs, but future directions of the college. As the City's only public institution of higher education and the third largest degree-granting post secondary institution in Philadelphia, we do share with the Mayor and this Council a commitment to strengthening our neighborhoods, improving educational opportunities, and supporting economic development. This current year, the 2001-2001 Fiscal Year has been one of the of significant change and forward movement for the college. I'll briefly just list a few of the opportunities that we've seen this year. There's been a major expansion of programmatic and degree opportunities at the college's three regional centers. This year marks 2084 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET the first time that the college is offering full degree completion opportunities at the three centers. In years past, those centers have served as a starting point for students who then move to the main campus for their degrees. But as of last fall, we offer a minimum of at least four full degrees now in their entirety at each of the regional centers. Our intention is to offer some additional ones. This year as seen our offerings to the business and industry community expanded. There's been an increase in collaborative programs in Philadelphia Public Schools. As an example, this year we have a pilot underway with the William Penn cluster in which we are doing professional development for middle school teachers in the areas of science and mathematics. Again, the intent is to expand that kind of effort across other clusters in the future. New programs are being offered in areas such as computer information systems, leadership studies, printing arts technology. This year represents the inauguration of our new biomedical technician program in 2085 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET collaboration with the Wistar Institution. The college has become an active member of the Pennsylvania Virtual Community College Consortium, a distance learning initiative of all 6 Pennsylvania community colleges that delivers 7 instruction via today's communication technologies 8 across the State. 9 Use of computer technology to facilitate 10 student placement testing and financial aid 11 application has been greatly expanded. 12 Phase 2 of the college's new Northwest 13 Regional Center at 1300 West Godfrey Avenue has been 14 completed. And now that center includes eight new 15 general purpose classrooms, two computer classrooms, a technical craft classroom, and additional offices and meeting rooms. Enrollments at the Northwest Center have grown by 180 percent in the last year and a half as the result of the new program opportunities made possible by the space expansion. The college's web pages have been redesigned to make the home page more effective for potential students, to make the support pages more useful for enrolled students, and to provide the opportunity for on-line applications. 2086 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET The college has expanded GED, adult literacy, and English as a second language offerings in community centers throughout the City and has assumed responsibility for the operation of standard evening high school from the Philadelphia School District.
We have recently completed a strategic plan and a companion technology plan which outlines strategic directions for the college for the next four years. To compliment these two plans, we shall be updating the college's 1997 facility master plan. A strong coordinated vision for the college's future has been set. In short, because of City and State funding for the current year, the college was able to make extraordinary progress in a wide range of programmatic and service areas. To continue that progress and to address forth-coming issues of increasing enrollment, technological literacy, expanded access to programs, and our commitment to work force and economic development, additional resources in 2001-2002 will be essential. Community College of Philadelphia has been the education answer to almost 500,000 Philadelphia residents since our creation in 1964. We are the sixth largest institution of higher 2087 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET education in the State. Over 60 percent of our students are years of age or older. The college 4 works with business, industry, government, higher 5 education, public and parochial schools to prepare, 6 train, and develop students, employees, leaders and 7 contributing citizens for our City. 8 We touch the lives of students long 9 before they ever enter the college. Our programs 10 with the School District of Philadelphia are helping 11 high school students improve their academic skills, 12 access college credit courses and experience 13 college. We are also helping to develop new 14 teachers in a variety of critically important areas. 15 Our students select us for certificate 16 or associate degree programs that lead to employment 17 or transfer to the four-year institution of their 18 choice. Students choose us because of our 19 affordable tuition, although, unfortunately, it 20 remains the highest tuition among Pennsylvania's 21 community colleges and one of the highest in the 22 country. Nevertheless, taking the first two years 23 of study at Community College of Philadelphia 24 significantly reduces the cost of a four-year 25 degree. Students also choose us because they are 2088 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET working parents and need to remain close to home and they can take courses at one of our many facilities throughout the City. Most importantly, students choose us because we have a proven record of success, a record confirmed by family, friends, and neighbors. Similarly, business and higher education choose Community College of Philadelphia in ever increasing numbers. More and more businesses select Community College to find employees or upgrade the skills of current employees. Four-year colleges and universities, Drexel, Penn, Bryn Mawr, Temple, the state system and others offer our students to opportunities to continue their education at their schools. The quality we provide and the success of our education programs create a positive benefit for all. 7 million in the next budget. Without these added and necessary resources, the college's efforts to serve the City will be hampered. With them, we will be able to continue on 2089 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET the positive path of improved student services, expanded programs for business and industry, and enhanced effectiveness for the citizens of Philadelphia. We respectfully urge Council to support this allocation. The increase in our allocation will allow us to make significant progress in a number of areas. As a few brief examples, it will enable us to keep any increase in tuition and fees to a minimum. It will help us further improve our technology infrastructure. As an example, within the next 9 to 12 months we intend to quadruple our internet-based courses and to upgrade our computers across the college, both in number and beginning a cycle of replacing older computers with new ones.
It will enable us to introduce new degree programs and other curricular changes to meet the needs of the City's emerging industries; to expand student services at off-campus locations throughout the City; to replace worn out or obsolete equipment used in our laboratories; to enhance our partnerships with the School District of Philadelphia; to address some key deferred maintenance issues; to significantly expand the career planning and job 2090 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET placement services available to our students; to plan for a new expanded business and industry education center; to strengthen and expand our dual Administration agreements with area four-year colleges and universities; to continue our highly successful ACE Program, that's the Advanced College Experience for high school age students; and also to implement a new summer camp program for younger children; and to expand instructional offerings using alternative delivery strategies such as web-based courses, as I mentioned previously, interactive video and television in order to provide greater flexibility for both current and potential students. We cannot tackle our students' need for technological literacy, skills that are mandatory for the 21st Century without your help. We cannot expand career exploration and job placement services without your help. We cannot meet the demands of increased enrollment without your help. We cannot do any of the things I've listed without your help and support. Community College of Philadelphia has made tremendous progress in meeting its mission over the past year. With your continued support, our 2091 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET contribution to the economic vitality of the City will be further enhanced. As we do continuously, we have tightened our belts, secured supplemental grant funds, and advocated in Harrisburg for additional resources. We now need to ensure that our City's college is positioned to continue to respond efficiently and effectively to the needs of business, industry, government and its citizens for high-quality, affordable educational opportunities. To do this requires the additional resources recommended in the Mayor's budget. We have the experience and work force development and training and we have excellent programs in business, science, engineering and technology, health care, social and human services, liberal arts, arts and communications. We have talented faculty, dedicated employees, a visionary board of trustees and a collective talent to ensure success. We ask you to see us as this City's college here to help our City achieve its education and economic goals. We have been pleased to work in many ways to support the City, but we can and seek to do more. We ask that you help us formalize our 2092 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET position as the City source for educational resources. Systematically consider us as your training source when you need to upgrade the skills of the City's work force. Include us in your discussions to provide expanded professional development opportunities for School District teachers and staff. Involve us in the planning to improve work force training and economic development for current and potential employers. Community College of Philadelphia is affordable, agile, and responsive. And we are this City's college. We ask your help in achieving our collective vision for the City of Philadelphia. I thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today. We urge your support of Community College of Philadelphia's annual appropriation as recommended in the budget. And we're happy to answer any questions you may have.
Thank you very much, Doctor. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you very much. 2093 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET Thank you, Doctor. Thank you, Mrs. Cohen. We certainly wanted to say a special thank you to Lynette Brown and my own State Rep Jim Roebuck who's very active on this board, I know, and certainly to Lillian Smith. I see Delores Brisbin back there, too. We certainly want to thank Lillian Smith in West Philadelphia. I'm glad to hear about the expanded programing because our branch has really become a pillar in the community. We have the perfect leadership out there who understands the community and has really open the doors so that we always have all kinds of seminars and important meetings, etcetera, going on there and we're just glad to hear about your positive leadership and willing to be flexible and to enhance programs there and certainly support your endeavors. Thank you. Thank you both.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brown.
Thank you, Madam President. Good afternoon, Community College. On of your testimony you mention, and I quote, 2094 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET that you have developed and expand collaborative programs with the Philadelphia School District. If you could just elaborate on that for us and speak if you will about the ACE Program that you also talk about in your testimony.
Surely. Starting with ACE, ACE is in our summer program for high school students, 10th, 11th, and 12th graders. It's open to any high school student in the City. There are some parameters. I think you have to have some of experience in terms of English composition, that kind of thing. But aside from that, it's open to any student, 10th, 11th and 12th grades. We offer a group of courses, typically about 12 to 15 just for the high school students. These are sections geared just for the high school students. The students get either A, B, and C; they can not fail. The goal is to let them have a collegiate course experience. If it turns out they're not prepared enough to really pass the course, they're not penalized; that's bottom line. So they either receive either the passing grade or they get no grade at all. It's a program that we're looking to expand. And as we work with clusters and high schools around the City, 2095 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET we're starting to try some other courses that haven't been previously offered. As an example, I believe on the schedule for this summer it is an automotive course designed to point toward West Philadelphia, for instance. That's not the kind of thing we've offered in the past. It's typically been a computer course or some other kinds of courses. In terms of general question, there are a number of things we are doing. I gave you one example. We're trying to do more in terms of professional development because we have things to offer the School District, and Act 48 does allow for community colleges to participate in that endeavor as well. The pilot program I mentioned to you is in response to something that has been said to me personally, but also a number of us at the college as we work with our K through 12 colleagues around the City. And that is that at middle school level, there is real need for math science technology among the teachers. Many are elementary school teachers who have moved into the middle school may not have that kind of background. So this is an effort to move forward in that way. As I said, this is a 2096 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET pilot we hope to expand. We're expanding our dual enrollment program. That gives during the year 11th and 12th graders an opportunity to take college courses for credit. And I'll use the West Philadelphia example again. This year, I believe, there are students 8 taking our automotive course from West Philadelphia. 9 So again, that did not occur a year ago. So we're 10 reaching out in different ways, whether it's 11 students taking courses, whether it's working with 12 teachers. We conducted a career fair at a middle 13 school a number months back, again, looking at career opportunities, so it's a range of things.
And starting earlier. What you're talking about, I know historically has been a practice of four-year institution where you tap young people around the 8th or 9th grade and then try to hold on to them and guide them, if you will, through the ultimate admission to that institution. But this is the first time I'm hearing a two-year institution take that approach, and I commend you for that. Earlier this week or last week the Commerce Department was before us and a new 2097 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET initiative they have undertaken with regards to bringing high tech new technology companies to our City. What initiatives is the college pursuing to ensure that students are getting prepared for the new technology companies?
I mentioned in my testimony that among other things that we have done is to create a long-range -- and I use the word advisedly -- technology plan. I say advisedly because it's only three years out. Things change so quickly, you have to constantly reassess where you're going. But that plan calls for a number of things. I'll give you two or three examples. One, we're seeking to infuse technology more and more into every curriculum. And to do that, we're putting a computer in every full-time faculty member's office. We are increasing the level of professional development that we're doing for faculty and staff. They need to know how to incorporate that into their curriculum. It's easy for computer science, computer information systems. What do you do in chemistry, what do you do in some other areas? So we're infusing in that way. I mentioned that we are expanding our 2098 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET web-based courses. When I arrived about a year and a half ago, we had four interest-based courses and we intend to quadruple that in the next to 5 months. We have a dozen faculty who are developing 6 internet-based courses now. 7 But we're not just trying to do it that 8 way, we're also trying to get faculty to develop 9 modules for their regular courses, a history course 10 or other courses to give internet assignments so 11 that students are forced to encounter technology in 12 that way. We expect in the next two years, as I mentioned briefly, to expand our center for business and industry. And as we do that, we'll be moving toward a 24-7 computer lab that, again, will expand access for students. So there's a whole range of things that are very much part of our plan and which we are aggressively pursuing.
That's encouraging as well when we know what tomorrow holds with regards to high technology. Back to the ACE Program, how old is that program? How many years?
Are you 2099 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET operating at capacity?
I'm not sure there's an issue of capacity. We keep looking to build it. If there are enough students, we'll create more courses.
Finally, with the Welfare to Work and the insistence that at some designated hour men and women have to either go into the work force or to college, child care has been one reality that's come as a result of to that. I know that Community College does have child care facilities. Should I assume that there has been increase in enrollment due to the Welfare to Work phenomena.
I don't know that I can answer that in a databased way. I would say the answer is no. I think that as Welfare reform came in, what we probably saw overall was a decline in enrollment because it put some parameters on what you could do education-wise. So if your question is, are we increase; I think the answer is no. What we're trying to do is to accommodate the nature of the work requirement in some different ways. And I may have mentioned this last year. I can't 2100 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET remember. We have a church in the City for two years now provide a scholarship -- not one scholarship, a fund for scholarships specifically for persons on public assistance. And the goal is to turn that into work study money. The college actually matches those scholarships dollar for dollar out of our work study funds. The goal is to allow that person who is on public assistance to come to the college, take the courses, but also fulfill will work requirement on campus. It makes it much easier to handle both. So we've been working with ways that we can accommodate the situation. But I don't think the literal answer is that it means we're increasing enrollment, no. 16
That's troubling. I thank you for the explanation. Thank you very much. Thank you, Madam President.
Thank you. The Chair recognize his Councilman Kenney.
Thank you, Madam Chair. In the last paragraph of your testimony 2101 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET there's discussion of a systematically consider us as your training source when you need to upgrade skills of the City's work force. Since John Timoney became commissioner, for example, he has been extremely strong on management, people continuing to improve their skills. And I know that through the Police Academy there is a relationship that's developed with Family College in Philadelphia. As it relates to the Police Department, as it relates to other management upgrade, as it relates to all the departments of the City, do you have a relationship with the City?
Which departments are they and what's the arrangement?
Some are continuing, some are about to start. We are just completing negotiations with the Police Department, in fact, to offer credit courses at the Academy so that as cadets finish their -- I think it's 40 weeks there, they'll walk away with five courses, 15 credits toward an associate degree. That's not a signed deal yet. But that's a proposal that we are currently working on with them. We do things with 2102 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET the Streets Department. I mean, we have a series of relationships throughout the City. My comment was meant to say that most of those develop in an ad hoc way. We reach out or, honestly, someone from a particular department will call us, but I'm not sure that the City has historically thought we've invested all this money in our local Community College, it has a level of experience and a level of I think a record of really producing. And so when we're talking about retaining a company in the City or trying to bring in a new company as well as the City itself to automatically call and say, Would you like to sit at the table, so that we see what you have to offer, I think it's not done in that systemic way. That's what that was meant to say.
So the potential relationship between the Police Department and Community College as it relates to cadets, has there any discussion as it relates to continuing management rank of lieutenant, captain and up or sergeants -- or even more generically, I guess, leadership kinds of courses that could be applied to Fire Department, to other areas?
Yes. I'm sorry, my answer 2103 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET was not complete enough. That usually gets dealt with through our regular course curricula. We have a justice program and we have an advisory board on which members of the department, and it's true for fire as well, a separate program -- not justice. And we do have upper level members of both departments who are taking a curriculum through the college in that way.
But that's done through the department itself or individual --
It's with the support of the department. Individuals are signing up. Am I stating this correctly? Yes.
So it's clear to the individual employees that graduation or matriculation through to particular course is something that their commissioner smiles upon?
Absolutely. And again, we have an advisory board for every career program and specifically for fire and police, which is what you asked me about, we have advisory board members from the department that sit with us and they helped us craft originally and now modify the curriculum so that it meets the needs of those departments. 2104 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET
I'm happy to hear that. I was just concerned about the comment that we don't think of you enough.
I've tried to explain what I meant by that. I will be frank with you and say that it's true at the state level too, I think. The State also doesn't look at what they have invested in community colleges throughout the State, not just us, and say we have an investment thre. When we're talking about economic development at the State level, let's look at immediately to community colleges. It tends to happen based on the hard work of the parties involved rather than let's take a look in a systemic what can be done.
You mentioned the State. The close proximity of our state office building here in Philadelphia and the college is an opportunity to have students from the state government advance their skills in Community College. Is there any relationship directly between the State and Community College?
I don't know the answer to that. I don't think there's anything formal. I'm not aware of it at least. 2105 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET
Thank you, Madam Chair. In terms of using Community College, and we have right now coming to fruition the five-year period of people that have been on Welfare. How has Community College been approached or used in terms of these individuals that have been required by law to go out and find work, many times without the skills necessary to be able to find those jobs? Has any City or State agency worked or contracted with City College to begin a process of preparing individuals for the workplace?
Sure. We work with PWDC as an example. We've started a new program this year, the Next Step Program. We are involved with the One Stop to a certain extent, the one that's currently in place. So we do have some of those specific programs. I would say to you they're in the large programs in terms of numbers.
That's my next question. How extensive are they and how many 2106 2/23/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET people are you touching.
I don't know that I can give you a number off the top of my head. I know it's fair to say it's not huge numbers. Part of that is driven by some of the program requirements. Sometimes when these programs are geared on a particular training track, there may be other requirements, 6th grade reading level, that sort of thing. If that isn't matched, it's difficult to get them into that program within a reasonable amount of time. That's something you're starting to see more of because in the good economy many people who have at least some skills have been able to find some employment.