That's okay. I appreciate that. I'm just trying to keep track of our little recreation facility out there. Madam Chair. ACTING
My pleasure. All right. Councilwoman Tasco, do you want me to call on someone and come back to you? Thank you. Councilman Ortiz. Do you want me to call on someone and come back to you?
Thank you, Madam President. 00076 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole ACTING
Recreation Centers. We are aware that a number of play areas are being rehabbed and/or new. I'm interested in the buffer that's laid down for play areas. So really my first question really needs to go to the Streets Department. I want to know what we do with tires in this City because new research shows that recycled tires are the best filler for play areas. ACTING
Councilwoman, may I note that in Council we introduced about three terms ago legislation to make it... Because in some cities they even grind it up -- that's not the right word -- and use it for street fill, too. We tried that but our City wasn't ready for that kind of technology. Commissioner Tollson, before you identify yourself and answer the question, let me thank you for all the work you did. Some of you may know that on Friday -- We have the Lucien E. Blackwell Mantua Revitalization Project. And 00077 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole they're working in Mantua under NTI. And on Friday night, in fact, Lu was honored, as he is downstairs right now with Charles Dutton, the actor. And we were trying to clean up the area as part of our NTI project. And in two blocks we removed abandoned cars. In 8 two blocks. So you see, they were making that 9 area a human trash dump site. 10 But we thank the Streets Department 11 and all of those at L & I and Managing Directors 12 Office for all that you do to try to improve the 13 quality of life in neighborhoods, that if we 14 didn't, just would be totally lost. Thank you. 15
On behalf of the all 16 the City agencies involved, I say thank you. 17 ACTING
Good morning. My name 20 is Tyreena Tollson, Streets Commissioner. 21 With regard to tires, the City 22 collects a couple hundred thousand tires per year. 23 The tires that we collect curb side from citizens 24 are taken, according to our contract, to a waste 25 to energy facility. 00078 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole
No. It's in Chester. And it is used as an alternative fuel. We've had contracts in the past where we have taken our materials to a vendor that chipped them and sold them to companies that made rubberized products or sold them as alternative fuels.
That's helpful. I am going to revisit the legislation that Councilwoman Lucien -- Lucien -- Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell has just referenced. ACTING
The reason being that the Fire Commissioner and myself participated in a press conference last week that talked about preventable injuries that happen to children on playgrounds or playground surfaces. And in Philadelphia I think the number was 13,000 last year. And that, coupled with this new technology that tires, recycled tires, are a 00079 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole better buffer, I think it's time for us as a City to catch up with technology, if we want to be serious about making the lives of children better. So, know that that's coming down the road. And I'll look to cooperation with your department to see how we can figure out this new opportunity for recycled tires, specifically as they relate to rec centers where the commissioner's already about the business of making them safer.
Good morning. I think I have a question similar to Councilman Nutter. And it has to do with something that's... 00080 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole
We're trying to organize ourselves so that we can call other agency heads up, when need be.
In reference to Police facilities, I plan to start visiting many of those facilities, because I'm hearing from some of the police officers, detectives, that work in those facilities of the deplorable conditions. And I know what I witnessed just stopping at some of them to get gas occasionally: Trash cans at the gas island overflowing, not a very desirable situation, a fuel location; and then to see trash that looks like it hasn't been emptied in years. I don't know who's responsible for that. But I'm going to start visiting the Police facilities because I, again, hear from detectives that have to go home at night and put trash bags over their work on their desk because they're concerned about the rain that comes through the 00081 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole roof or air conditioning systems that don't work well. And I see that you have HVAC improvements in here. But what I would like you to provide to the Chair, I'd like to know where the Police Stations are, what you plan to do at every Police Station in the City of Philadelphia. As a matter of fact, one detective said, it isn't even humane to bring a prisoner to some of these locations. And I'm going to ask the Captains of those Districts to bring me to the areas that the public rarely sees, where the prisoners are held, et cetera, the toilet conditions, because if I hear -- I can imagine if the people that work in some of these facilities complain, I wonder how it must be for a person that doesn't have much of a venue to complain about. And sometimes people are held that aren't necessarily guilty of what they're being held about. So, I would like to know. And again, it's not your job to tell me who empties the trash cans in a Police Station, but I would hope to know -- I would like to know about the 00082 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole maintenance, and if someone could come forward, because I understand the new Police Stations are being contracted out for their custodial services, the older ones are being done by the Police Department. It sounds very confusing to me. And again, I plan to inform the Police Commissioner that I'm going to start at the first and I'm going to work my way through the entire City of Philadelphia and visit these locations, to see firsthand what I've been told exists. But I'd really appreciate it to get what you have listed as item four, interior and exterior renovations of all of -- It says, funds will be used for interior and exterior renovations at several Police Department facilities, City wide. I'd like it broken down so I can see exactly what we're doing and where we're doing it.
We'd be happy to get that for you. And let me say that we share your concern. As you noted --
I said we'd be happy to get that information for you. But I also want 00083 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole to note that we share your concern. As a matter of fact, Gary brought that up, Gary Gastrap brought that up during our hearings. And what we would like to do is, and perhaps working with your office, is a comprehensive sort of facilities management review. What we've tried to do this year is make sure the roofs don't leak, make sure the HVAC system can go on, et cetera. And we'll prepare that for you. But I think -- I agree with you. That still doesn't address the entire problem. Not only with operations but also with the physical plant. And you have a senior member of our staff, the gentleman sitting to my left, who has expressed a real concern and a desire to be in the forefront in our agency.
Well, again, I want that question asked about the maintenance representative of the Police Department. Let me give you an example. I visited -- I started my unofficial visit. I 00084 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole visited the 22nd-23rd Police District. The parking lot looks like it needs -- What do we call it? The Blight Plan. We need them to go clean the Police Station parking lot up. Empty oil cans just thrown on the parking lot, a pile of rock salt that was apparently dumped there, taking an entire parking space. Just not what a City building should look like. Understand, Police Station, rough environment, neighborhood -- inner City neighborhood. But for that Police Station to look the way it does... And the Captain of the District, you know, they're worried about fighting crime, not cleaning up parking lots. And I think that we shouldn't really have... The captain shouldn't be the one that makes sure that an abandoned car left on the parking lot of a Police Station -- A person came, the car didn't start, and the car sat there for eight months. So, these are the kinds of things that I think need to be managed better. And who's 00085 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole responsible? Mr. Dubow.
Yeah. There are two initiatives in the Five-Year Plan that are in part designed to help address this problem. One is the out sourcing of custodial services. And the other is the centralization of Facilities Management. Both of those would centralize the control over maintenance of Police Facilities, put in Public Property's control, and on the custodial side use private contractors to do it. And we're hoping that improves service at the Police Facilities and puts them in better condition.
Well, I would hope that -- Could somebody just explain, even through it's taking some time here. A perfect example is a trash can that doesn't get emptied at a fuel location. And again, I've noticed... Go back one week. Three weeks later you go back. The same trash is in the trash can. Who's responsible to take care of things like that?
Is it the Police Department? Is it Public Property? I wouldn't know because the Police Station didn't seem to know.
Good morning, Councilman. Joan Slaughterbeck, Facilities Director, Department of Public Property. Currently the way the Police Facilities are maintained, it's a combination of custodial services which are managed and operated through the Police Department, and Public Property's responsible for all other maintenance. As far as the refuse, trash removal is done by the Streets Department. I have recently begun discussions with Commissioner Tollson about establishing a standard and therefore enforcing a collection a little bit better than we're doing right now.
At one Police Station -- and I won't tell you on the record publicly -- the public restroom hadn't worked in months. A lady was there, asked to use the restroom. They had to bring her inside the operations office and let her use the facility 00087 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole that the Police Officers use. Not a good situation. And I hope we -- I would like to get some information from Public Property, if you're the maintenance... Responsibility --
Yeah. You know, what are the general conditions? I think Ms. Griffith's idea of getting a report on where these facilities actually stand because, again, when Police Officers have to work under those conditions, even though -- And I'm talking about the Police Officers and Detectives that work inside. Not a good situation.
I agree. And Councilman, we've made major headways. Any facility that has been new -- 24th, 25th Police, you should visit that one. We've done a great job of maintaining that up to a better standard than we have in the others.
We have about six other facilities that we do private custodial services. 00088 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole
Like anything, like when you have a new house. The first couple years it's a piece of cake.
Nothing breaks; everything works well. I'm talking about the older Police Stations. And there is no excuse for anything old to be dirty.
Thank you, Madam Chair. On the issue raised by Councilman Rizzo, I think everything he said he could have said even 20 or years ago, and it's only gotten 25 much worse. 00089 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole
Is that when your dad was the Commissioner? (Laughter.)
But it really is a disgrace for everybody in the City to have Police Facilities operate at the very low level. Of course we can say that of many of the facilities of the City. And I'm getting a little suspicious when I hear talk about out sourcing which is the polite word for privatization. It seems to me that maybe there is a plan on the part of the Administration to let everything go bad, to have sort of a justification for out sourcing, privatization. But that's not going to be any kind of remedy, and I would personally be opposed to it. I think we ought to have a steady staff, assigned to duties. I think it's a question of management. Instead of management defaulting in 00090 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole managing, I think management ought to begin to manage and take responsibility. And I think we're going to accord that management the responsibility and hold current management responsible. There's not only no reason for the dirt and the trash, but there's no reason for letting things go until they get to that stage. And I've noticed, from my days as a private practitioner and working a great deal in criminal defense, and taking me across the City in different Police Stations in the morning, all of them were pretty miserable. And I think that's got to be tended to. And I thank Councilman Rizzo for raising that issue so sharply here today. I think there's got to be a lot of replacement, as I think some of the stations have gotten to the point where it's just wrong to ask people to work there, and it's wrong to expect to house people from the community there. Incidentally, it's not only prisoners that go to Police Stations. These days you have Police Advisory Boards. You have real community participation. 00091 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole It's very discouraging to the community to get involved when they see the place is kind of falling apart and nobody taking care of them. I had one special question I wanted to raise. The newspapers have reported, and some citizens even confirmed the fact, that along Ogontz Avenue, the potholes that the Daily News referred to are in the process of being patched up. It's a little kind of unnerving to serve on City Council and find out that our efforts to get things done availed nothing, but a newspaper column produced results. But that's one area where the Daily News seeks to find redemption from its terrible activity in support of predatory loans. They make huge fun out of that. Look at the ads in the Daily News today urging everybody to borrow money from different companies all with very extraordinarily high interest rates. But the Daily News had one redeeming feature. Apparently they got some action on it. 00092 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole Now, tell me: Is that capital funding or are the patches going to survive or am I going to get hundreds of complaints after the next rainstorm telling me all these patches washed out?
Is it part of the Capital Budget or is it part of the Operating Budget, what's being spent on these patches?
I believe it's operating, but we still need to get an answer to your question. So, Commissioner Tollson is coming to the microphone.
As we were discussing the other day, apparently some people were already working on the patches.
Did you get briefed by the City Administration on the patches, Commissioner?
Pardon me. I'm sorry. 00093 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole I didn't hear that. I didn't hear your last comment, sir.
I asked whether you got that briefing on what was happening on Ogontz Avenue.
Are the patches temporary or are they going to be permanent?
Let me just say this one thing for you, to clarify something. Ogontz Avenue is undergoing -- will be undergoing a major resurfacing and improvement project.
That is the hope. Because we've been told that for years it's going to be undergoing. But it ain't never happened yet. And many people say it ain't never going to happen. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: What do you have to say about this, Commissioner?
It's going to happen. 00094 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole On Wednesday our bids are coming in. And we expect to start our work in May. It's a major construction project, estimated cost of $7 million. We're doing our patches right now for potholes, just so that it is safe until we do our permanent resurfacing work that's going to happen on that street. But it is a major project, and we expect to begin it in May. Our bids will be in from our vendors on this Wednesday.
If you don't have enough money, I suggest the City might think of trying to get some of the money back from the lawyers on the pension fund operation that was reported in today's Inquirer. I think they can afford to do Ogontz Avenue all over the City, with those fees. But we're glad to hear that it's on the docket yet. It hasn't been cancelled.
Who will make the decision, will be it PENNDOT or the City, as to whether the project moves forward?
We expect to have contracts that are going to come under the value 00095 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole that we have placed on it. We have sufficient funding in place to take care of that contract. We will work with PENNDOT on the final approval of the vendor that will do the work.
Do we have any power to do something about those bicycle lines on Ogontz Avenue, which make the condition much worse because it reduces a heavy load of traffic to a single lane? Nobody has not yet seen a single bicycler, which happens on most of the residential areas where these white lines exist. They seem to be useful in Center City. I see more bicyclers in Center City. They're usually delivery people. And sometimes there are genuine bicyclists, you know, for pleasure or for transportation locally. But in the community we see no use of these. Is it absolutely necessary to paint these lines? Can't we avoid doing it by showing that there's no need in the community or no use for them? I mean, I'm a great fan of the environment, but to set up these confusing white 00096 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole lines in fine traffic blocks, without a bicycler ever in sight -- I've never seen one on Ogontz Avenue, and I'm on that street every day many times.
Councilman, we expect that once we have Ogontz Avenue complete, with a nice fine surface, no trolley tracks to hit, no 9 bumps to hit, you're going to see lots of bicyclists.
Commissioner, it's just... I don't want to say comical, but I've been through areas of the City where whoever put the bicycle lanes in obviously was doing it while everybody was at work. And now cars are parked when people come home from work where the bicycle lanes are. Like, it doesn't seem like it was very well thought out to put a bicycle lane in where cars 00097 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole then eventually park. So somebody ought to really look at that before they start painting these lines, because there's many locations where -- I'm talking about legal parking, now, not illegal, where the bicycle lanes are and cars are parked in them. So, just... I'm sure you probably are aware of that.
I think we've troubled the Commissioner enough on that. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Point of information.
Yield, yes. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: I'd like to come to the defense of the Streets Department.
Well, they do a great job in many areas. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: No, no. But when it comes to bike lanes, many of the streets in my District, I actually welcome the bike lanes. It narrows the cartway or the road surface, the 00098 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole roadway down enough that it actually acts as a deterrent for people who are speeding. It slows traffic down. I mean, I live on 11th Street. And for some reason the bike lane stops at Washington Avenue and doesn't go any further south to Reed where the Police Station comes in. But from Washington Avenue up to Bainbridge, where 11th Street is a very wide street, it actually helps slow traffic down. And Aramingo Avenue, which is another part of my District as well. Although people still tend to speed, the majority of the people, I think, kind of slow down because it squeezes the lane.
Point of information. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: You ready for this one? This is going to be a good one. Stay; nobody leave. Yes.
Point of 00099 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole information.
I'm sure the points of information are not being abused, Councilman.
Unfortunately, bike lines aren't meant to slow traffic down. They're meant for people to ride bicycles. And maybe, Councilman, you ought to ask the Streets Department to put some speed bumps in for you. That might work. Thanks.
Madam Chair, I thank you very much for your time, and to the Streets Department, in many areas you do do a great job and we don't intend to imply differently. But we do think that management has to manage and in every area. And we suggest that. I suggested it the other day. But we thank you for what you do, and we know you're going to continue to improve the work you do.
Thank you, Councilman Cohen. 00100 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole Councilman Rizzo, were you finished?
Thank you, Madam Chair. These Capital Programs are going to invest a lot of money in capital projects. We've had hearings here during the last month or so in which the participation of minority blacks, Latinos in contracting have been labeled everything from abysmal to shameful, by City representatives. What can assure us that this record of abysmal and shameful record that the City has had over the years in bringing minorities into the contracting process is going to change?
Well, first let me say that I share your concern, Councilman. I for eight years was the minority contractor. I had a woman-owned business, and I of course am African American. As you know, the City Planning 00101 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole Commission, even to the extent that we coordinate the Capital Program and Budget, don't have direct purview over the letting of contracts. I would draw your attention to the previous statements of Rick Tustin who is one of the primary developer of contracts. Perhaps Rick could come to the mike again and answer specific questions about future plans.
He is not going to have the answer. There has to be a purpose, a will.
Well, the Mayor has spoken very strongly to this. I know that the Director of Finance is developing a construct, a framework.
I mean, what guarantee do we have that next year, when we have the same hearings, we will not be listening to the same platitudes that, yes, we are very much aware. Of course we're all aware. What I want in front of us, before we approve all of this, is a plan with teeth in it that will guarantee that this will happen. Not good faith that we're going to try and make all 00102 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole the best attempts possible, this and that, blah, blah, blah. And then we go to the employment side of the issue. Because even when minority contractors get hired for these public projects, they cannot hire minority workers. And again, we've had situation and testimony just this past week in which J.P.U.A.C. testified that, yes, we train some folks in the Building Trades Congress, but they don't get employed. They pass the examinations, they pass all the tests, and they don't get employed. They do not get called up to the construction sites. When are we going to say to people, we made a commitment here, this is going to happen? I know that Streets is resurfacing miles of streets. We use probably one or two main contracts. DePaulo, I think, is one of them. But he gets most of those contracts. The records there are abysmal. So, we are going to be approving a huge extension, 00103 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole because you're asking for, and you're going to put on the ballot, right, a referendum question to be asked that the citizens of Philadelphia approve... How much? $300 million, Rob? $300 million? $250
Well, we're asking citizen approval for $83 million. That's the GO part of this year's Budget.
$83 million. What are the guarantees that we're going to have that these figures, both on the employment level, and the contracting level change?
All I can say, Councilman, is each one of us in the Administration have heard the concerns of this Council loud and clear. The Mayor and the Chief of Staff have expressed their concerns in a very pointed manner. The folks you see arrayed before you hear this concern. And I will take back a summary of this hearing as well.
Okay. Thank you, Madam Chair. 00104 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole ACTING
Yes. Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown. Thank you, Councilman Ortiz.
I've raised the question earlier about the flexibility of department heads, only because I know since I've been here throughout the Budget Hearings for this year the City Solicitor exceeded the goals. The Rec Commissioner... I have visited rec centers and actually seen women and minorities in place. And I know that more than a good faith effort has been tried by the D.H.S. Commissioner, Albert Martinez, again, because I've gone to see and look for myself. So you have some Department heads who have the will, but they have made it exceedingly clear through the ranks that this will be the expectation. And so, that's why I raised the question, what is the level of flexibility with Department heads, period. 00105 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole And I would suggest that that latitude or whatever, as you craft a plan, as has been requested by my colleague, a part of the -- I would think, not being incredibly familiar with procedures around in that, that Department heads get it, and then execute the expectational or the instruction, that honoring -- giving men and women of color and... period -- men and women of color -- minorities and women -- that covers the gamut -- get a fair break when it comes to contracting opportunities. So that's why I raised the question about Department heads, because we see it happening in some places, and it's completely vacant in other Departments.
Yes. I got that reference, Councilwoman, when you raised it before. And I think what we are trying to craft is a checks and balance process, to make sure that agency heads are supported in doing the right thing, and encouraged when that's more the order of business.
Okay. Thank you again. Thank you, Madam Chair. 00106 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole ACTING
Yes. I just want to add my compliments to the City Planning and certainly to Streets Department. It's refreshing to have Miss Tollson there to work with us. And I agree with Councilman DiCicco. We raised a lot of issues about the bike lanes when they were first put in. But I travel Upsal Street, and it does serve as a calming... Keeps the traffic in line, instead of having this flurry all over the place. I want to thank you for your help and your staff's help, Miss... I can never remember your name.
And her staff for the work that ya'll have done on the Logan area. And I'm trusting that we will move forward very quickly on that project so we can see some light at the end of the day.
Before we reach 00107 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole the tunnel. Most of the questions I had were asked by other members of Council. That's why I didn't raise it. But I too will raise the issue of the inclusion of our diverse work force, particularly in the planning and design stage. And you do have an opportunity to be inclusive, because those are professional services contracts. And we do have many qualified architects and designers and whoever you might need, who can participate in that process; and certainly want to encourage you to make sure that that happens.
Thank you, Councilwoman. And let me be as gracious as you were and thank the agency heads and senior members of staff that are here today from the agencies of City Government. I appreciate them at my back here.
Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilman DiCicco.
No further 00108 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole questions. Thank you. ACTING
Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. Good morning to all the City Department heads. I just have a couple questions. I was wondering if the resurfacing or the Water Department's work in the 500 block of Ashmead, 500 block of Penn, Bringhurst, and Queen Lane are in this year's Capital Budget, in the '04 Capital Budget. This is a project that was actually supposed to happen about three years ago, but there were L & I issues on about -- on those five blocks. And all those issues have been resolved at the individual homeowner's issues. The Streets Department cannot resurface until the Water Department does whatever it is that they want to do.
I'm sure the Water Department is making their way up to the mike.
Good morning. My 00109 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole name is Kumar Kishinchand. I am the Water Commissioner. We have to get back to you because I don't know the latest details on that particular project.
It's really time to move on that particular project. It's been some time now, in terms of delay.
Secondly, I'd also like to throw my support regarding minority inclusion, particularly on Capital Projects. I just had one recently in my District where a waiver was granted to the contractor, and it sort of makes me unhappy. So, I'd like to not see so many waivers, see more minority, women firms, participating in these Capital Projects here in the City, at all levels, design, the subs, whatever all of that. Also, I'd like to also just express my thanks to the various Departments and Department heads that's worked with our office. Thank you. ACTING
thank you, Councilwoman. 00110 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole Councilman Clarke.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Good morning. I have one question on a specific issue on a street reconstruction. I'm trying to think of the hundred. It's actually on... I think it would be Newkirk and Dover Street between York and Cumberland, the two blocks that probably have around four occupied houses. Actually, four houses standing. And right now it's in the midst of a major street reconstruction. I'm assuming there was sewer lines put in, new streets, new sidewalks, things that people would kill for on occupied blocks. Somebody here explain to me how the decision was made to do that and what's that all about. I'm assuming it's a water -- Normally when we do major street reconstruction, it's usually a water/sewer line.
I'm sorry. I'm not familiar with that one, but we can find out.
It's the most bizarre thing I've ever seen. I mean, it's very 00111 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole nice sidewalks, very nice new street. There are, like, no houses on the block. I'm wondering why would we do that. Can somebody find that, find out what's going on with that, please?
Particularly given the fact that I'm sure there are a lot of blocks in that particular area, in the Strawberry Mansion community that probably need sewer line construction and would love to have new sidewalks and streets. All right.
I mean, that's not normal, is it, that would we do something like that?
Not normally. When we put in a water main, it's only where, you know, there's a need for replacement. In this particular area, being in the Strawberry Mansion area, we would already have at least a water main or a sewer. And if it's in need of replacement, we would do that.
I'm thinking -- 00112 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole I'm speaking more of the subsequent work, the new sidewalks and the new street. I mean, I can speak -- I can recall and I've actually asked you to come out when we did some work on Diamond Street.
And I had to get into a tussling match with the Department and a contractor to get them to replace sidewalks, sidewalks that were beyond the ones that were broken as a result of the construction. But on these particular blocks, there's like total reconstruction of all of the sidewalks where there are no people. But yet on blocks where there are people -- I mean, I had to literally beg people to go out and, you know, block by block make an assessment of which block should be repaired.
Sometimes when the whole street is essentially destroyed or if we are putting in a water main as well as a sewer and 00113 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole they are side by side, and if it's a narrow street, we pretty much destroy it, and your curbs fall away. And once your curbs fall away, then your sidewalk starts to fall. Under those conditions we would replace them. I don't know whether in this particular situation that you speak of --
There's no 10 people on the block, no occupied housing on the block.
There may not have been any occupied houses, but if we have, through our construction, destroyed the curbs and the sidewalks, then it's our responsibility to replace them. If there are no houses in the block, I'm not sure why we even replaced the main. We could easily have cut it off, actually.
Thank you. Please do. Avenue of the Arts. Can you give me 00114 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole an update, a time line, where we are with the funding and our scheduling? North. I'm sorry.
Somehow I assumed that was the area you were speaking to. As you know, there is work ongoing. I believe a contract was let or should be close to it. I think design was completed in February. And then after the Commissioner speaks to the ongoing work, I can speak for a moment about the planning work that's happening.
The Avenue of the arts, where the design is 99 percent complete, all of our streetscape elements are done, the street lighting is being finalized. We anticipate that our final package will go to PENNDOT for final review on March 25th, next week. After that, we expect to have PENNDOT approval within two months, and they will advertise for bid in July.
What do they 00115 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole have to approve?
They will go over our final -- We have worked with them through this process. They will give a final signoff on all the design.
It may not take them two months, Councilman, but we've been told so far two months.
What exactly do they do? I mean, what takes them two months? Particularly given the fact that they've been involved in the process of formulating the streetscape project.
I'm going to let, actually, Joe Sernick to come forward and add a little detail here for you. ACTING
00116 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole Might I note, especially for Councilman Nutter, who has his light on, that we need to recess until -- Is that okay with you, you will withhold your questions?
Good morning, Council. My name is Joseph Sernick. I'm Chief Engineering Surveyor of the Streets Department. With regard to the PENNDOT review, there's two things on this job. Number one, of course, North Broad Street is a State highway; and second of all, most of the money being used for this project is Federal money. So PENNDOT has actually two entrees into reviewing these projects.
Federal money. There's a large segment of Federal Highway money involved in this project. They look at every aspect of this job. I mean, they looked at the traffic signals, 00117 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole they look at the pavement design. They will read the proposal, which is the book of specifications, word for word and will catch typographical errors. I mean, they are very thorough in their review. Part of the problem is that they typically are not sitting up there waiting for a project to come in for us, so we need to sort of get in line to get reviewed. I know this project has a lot of support both at the City and State level. They're very aware that this is an important project. And it is our hope that they will get on this as soon as it comes in. But typically it does take two months, sometimes longer, to get a response back from them.
Did it take that long on the Avenue of the Arts South?
It probably took longer than that on Avenue of the Arts South.
I don't think that had as much at that time of a push, in terms of the 00118 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole time crunch. This particular project has been in the works, you know better than I, for a long, long time. And PENNDOT is very sensitized that this is important to us, because we made it clear to them, and I'm sure you have also.
It's someone working for Vito Genoa. They have a Plans Review Unit. And it's done... We are hopeful that it would be done at District. Sometimes they send these to central office, which is Harrisburg, which is a little problematic from us, because we do things a little differently than PENNDOT does it. It's just a difference. And the people at the District are more familiar with the way we do things. So hopefully we'll keep this review at the District level.
Well, they work for PENNDOT, which ultimately comes under the Governor, of course. 00119 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole
So the fact that we have a Governor who might have an interest in the Avenue of the Arts North, since that was kind of formulated under his watch, you'd think that we may be able to get that expedited?
Do we have someone that's going to make that call? I mean, you know, I only bring that -- I mean, I understand that different administrations have different priorities. We, frankly speaking, were sitting here last year, actually in the room downstairs, talking about this project. And it was kind of like -- At that point in time I think we were talking about sending it to PENNDOT for review. And here we are a year later, we're still, you know, getting ready to send it to PENNDOT for review. And I just don't understand why this project last taken so long, I mean, particularly given the change in the Administration in Harrisburg.
Well, to be fair to 00120 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole the State right now, I mean that -- we... They don't have it yet. So when they get it, that's when we need to make those phone calls. And I know that you've asked to be alerted to the fact as to when that goes there, and that I think you're going to try to help us there also.
Okay. So, supposed to -- Excuse me. Madam Chair, what time do we need to recess? ACTING
Ten minutes ago. And I understand there's some issues that we need to deal with. Can I pick up this line of questioning? If you want to recess now. ACTING
Absolutely. So that will be fine. So then we will recess. And after the recess we will pick up where we left off. And we thank you all for your service, for your patience. This hearing will be recessed until 2 o'clock today. Thank you all. (A recess was taken from 11:30 a.m. to 2:40 p.m.) 00121 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole ACTING
Councilman Clarke was testifying and wanted to complete his questions that were so scintillating and just earth shattering and keeping all the juices flowing. I know you could not wait and are very angry with me for making you wait to finish this discussion. Thank you, Councilman.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We were in the middle of talking about the status of the Avenue of the Arts project. And I think, Mr. Sernick, you were talking about PENNDOT's involvement, their need to ratify, sign off, or review, analyze, whatever it is they do in PENNDOT, before it comes back to us, the City. Can you just pick up on that testimony, please.
Certainly, Councilman. You'll recall that I said this was both a State highway and the project was utilizing Federal money. So PENNDOT needs to sign off on every 00122 03/17/03 - Committee of the Whole aspect of the project. The part that probably takes the longest is the line by line review of the highway work proposal which is basically the contract and specifications, which is a document that's about two-and-a-half inches thick. They literally go through this line by line and read every word here. If you have a typographical error, they'll catch it. This is what takes the longest amount of time.
Okay. Now, they review this and approximately two months it comes back to the City, to the Streets Department?