Stated Meeting 1 9/14/2023 COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA STATED MEETING Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Thursday, September 14, 2023 10:43 a.m. PRESENT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT DARRELL L. CLARKE COUNCILWOMAN CINDY BASS COUNCILWOMAN KENDRA BROOKS COUNCILMAN MICHAEL DRISCOLL COUNCILWOMAN KATHERINE GILMORE RICHARDSON COUNCILMAN JIM HARRITY COUNCILMAN KENYATTA JOHNSON COUNCILMAN CURTIS JONES, JR. COUNCILWOMAN QUETCY LOZADA COUNCILMAN BRIAN J. O'NEILL COUNCILMAN ANTHONY PHILLIPS COUNCILMAN MARK SQUILLA COUNCILMAN ISAIAH THOMAS COUNCILWOMAN SHARON VAUGHN MICHAEL A. DECKER, CHIEF CLERK Stated Meeting 2 9/14/2023
Good morning, everyone. Happy to be back. Glad to see everyone back engaged in their government-sponsored debate. We really appreciate you being here today. We're going to get started. Hopefully we will have a thoughtful and fruitful discussion today on matters before us, and we want to thank you for giving us this privilege and this opportunity to serve you as Councilmembers. We note that the hour has come and we have a quorum and Councilmembers have been seated. To give our invocation this morning, the Chair recognizes my good friend and our good friend, the Reverend Luis Cortes of Esperanza. He is here today as the guest of Councilwoman Lozada. I would ask that all members, guests, and visitors please rise. (Councilmembers, guests, and Stated Meeting 3 9/14/2023
I was hungry, but you did not give me anything to eat. And I was thirsty, but you did not give me anything to drink. I was a stranger, but you did not welcome me. I was naked, but you did not give me any clothes to wear. I was sick and in jail, but you didn't take care of me. The people will ask, Lord, when did we fail to help you? When were you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in jail? The King will answer, whenever you failed to help any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you failed to do it for me. We pray for this Council and we pray for all the challenges before it, the violence in our city, high rates of poverty, hunger. It's harder to maintain a rent or buy a house or to create a home. A city where too many people fear its police; where not enough support for Stated Meeting 4 9/14/2023 different sources, whether they be traditional or charter schools; a city where Black and brown communities are being displaced at an alarming rate due to social policy; where we have a community overwhelmed with an opioid epidemic. For the least of these, say the scriptures. God bless this body. Give them the wisdom of Solomon. Help them to decide the future fate of our city and who this city is for. We thank you for the opportunity to be here. We thank you for the members who give their service here, and we ask that you bless them. And all the people of Philadelphia say amen and amen. (Amen.)
Thank you, Reverend. Council will be at ease. (Council at ease.)
Thank you, and thank you again, Reverend, Stated Meeting 5 9/14/2023 spiritual guidance today. Our next order of business is the approval of the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, June 22nd, 2023, and the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Bass.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, June 22nd, 2023 be approved. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It has been moved and properly seconded that the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, June 22nd, 2023 stand approved. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and our Journal is approved. Stated Meeting 6 9/14/2023 of business is requests for leave of absence, and the Chair recognizes Councilman Jones.
Thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of the members, there is a request for leave of absence from Jamie Gauthier, member of Council.
Thank you. The Chair thanks the gentleman. Leave shall be granted for Councilwoman Gauthier. The Chair recognizes Councilman Squilla for a motion concerning certain legislative matters that may arise during the course of today's session of Council and that were not listed on the Calendar circulated prior to today's meeting.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that any of the following matters, if considered today, may be added to the agenda for this session of Council and, as required by law, subsequently published on an agenda after the consideration of those matters: Stated Meeting 7 9/14/2023 hearings, amendments to bills on first reading, the consideration of a bill vetoed by or re-called from the Mayor, amendments to bills re-called from the Mayor, resolutions taking substantive action to be voted on in this session, a motion to withdraw a bill or resolution that is not on the Calendar, and a motion placing a bill or resolution on or returning a bill or resolution from the Suspension Calendar that is not listed on today's Calendar. The purpose of this motion is to provide the public with notice concerning possible actions by Council that arose too late to be included on the Calendar that was published prior to today's session. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It has been moved and properly seconded that the legislative matters stated by Councilman Squilla may Stated Meeting 8 9/14/2023 agenda for today, should those maters arise during the course of the session. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The motion carries. Thank you all very much. And our next order of business is communications, and I would ask the Clerk to please read the messages from the Mayor and any additional communications that he may have in his possession.
From the Mayor to the President and members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, pursuant to Sections 4-604 and 2-307 of the Home Rule Charter, I am today transmitting to the Council the recommendation of the City Planning Commission on the following Stated Meeting 9 9/14/2023 bills: Bill Nos. 230486, 230488, 230512, and 230547. And I am pleased to advise you that on July 5 and July 12, 2023, I signed all of the bills that were passed by Council on June 15, 2023, and that on June 23, June 28, July 12, August 23, and September 13, 2023, I signed all of the bills that were passed by Council on June 22, 2023, except Bill Nos. 230005, 230418, 230419, 230442, and 230443, which I am returning without my signature, and Bill No. 230448, which I am returning disapproved. And I am transmitting for the consideration of your honorable body an ordinance amending various provision of Subcode "P" of Title 4 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "The Philadelphia Plumbing Code," by making additional additions, deletions and amendments to the City's adoption of the 2018 edition of the "International Plumbing Code," as published by the Stated Meeting 10 9/14/2023 International Code Council, all under certain terms and conditions.
Thank you, Mr. Decker. And our next order of business is the introduction of bills and resolutions, and I would ask Mr. Decker to please read the title of the legislation that's being offered by our members today.
Councilman Phillips offers one bill and one resolution, entitled "An ordinance amending Title 9 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled 'Regulation of Businesses, Trades and Professions,' to require certain businesses to implement and enforce shopping cart containment systems."
And, Mr. President, Councilman Phillips would like to be recognized to speak on this bill. Stated Meeting 11 9/14/2023
Close enough. Good morning, Council colleagues and viewing members of the public. I am glad to be back here in Council Chambers resuming the people's business of legislative work. This summer, though our legislative offices were in recess, our office was not off. My team and I buckled down to research and assess issues across the City of Philadelphia, and one issue that kept coming up was abandoned shopping carts littering our streets and neighborhoods. It must end, Stated Meeting 12 9/14/2023 and store owners have to begin taking accountability for these shopping carts that pollute our sidewalks. In this vein, I've introduced legislation today to require store owners to implement and enforce a shopping cart containment system. It could be a wheel-locking system mechanism, a physical barrier, equipping carts with protruding arms, or even requiring a small deposit to use shopping carts. No matter what shopping cart containment system store owners use, they must keep their carts on their property and off our streets. Residents in the City of Philadelphia deserve nothing less, and I expect nothing less. I look forward to continuing to collaborate with the Administration to tackle this important issue. And I'd also like to thank our co-sponsors for this legislation, Councilmember Gilmore Richardson, Councilman O'Neill, Councilwoman Gauthier, Councilwoman Stated Meeting 13 9/14/2023 Vaughn, Councilman Mark Squilla, and Councilwoman Lozada. Thank you, Council President. Always good to see you.
Thank you, Councilman. That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
Councilman Phillips also offers a privileged resolution recognizing the week of September 18 through 24 as "Diaper Need Awareness Week" in Philadelphia.
Councilwoman Gilmore Richardson offers an ordinance amending Chapter 9-4400 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Responsible Business Operations," to expand the provisions for video monitoring of nuisance businesses and to provide additional enforcement mechanisms in connection with certain nuisance Stated Meeting 14 9/14/2023 businesses engaged in drug paraphernalia sales.
Councilman Thomas offers two bills and two resolutions. On behalf of Council President Clarke, an ordinance amending Chapter 11-700 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Right of Way Management," by amending Section 11-705, entitled "Construction", by adding new provisions relating to notice and making other conforming amendments.
And an ordinance amending Chapter 9-3500 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards," to add provisions regarding the consideration of convictions that result in exoneration and make related changes.
The Chair recognizes Councilman Thomas. Stated Meeting 15 9/14/2023
Good morning, Council President. Good morning, colleagues. Good morning to the listening public. Today we had a press conference prior to the start of City Council to introduce what I feel like is a very important package of bills that will hopefully set precedent not just for us here in the City of Philadelphia but for the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. We know that there have been over 40 people in the City of Philadelphia who have been exonerated because they had been incarcerated for crimes that they didn't essentially commit. When folks serve their time, whether it was a plea deal or a jury sentence, when they are released from prison, as of right now, the guilty person has more resources than the person who is deemed innocent. Hopefully that Stated Meeting 16 9/14/2023 will change if my colleagues can support this bill and we can get it passed into law. The Exoneration Justice Package will provide access to education, housing, employment, and overall resources for people who were incarcerated that should have never been in jail in the first place. While this package will never give them the time that they lost back, what we're hoping to do is make the transition a little bit smoother. For me, this is a personal issue. I remember being in high school and one of my good friends, a guy named Jeffrey Dawkins, was essentially found guilty for a homicide that everybody in the neighborhood know that he did not commit. His case is currently being picked up by the Innocence Project. And it's lived experiences like that that inspired me and a bunch of other people to advocate for what we know is right as Stated Meeting 17 9/14/2023 it relates to people being exonerated. So I want to thank my colleagues for co-sponsoring this legislation, and I look forward to not just working with this legislative branch of government but hopefully our colleagues in Harrisburg. Senator Hughes introduced similar legislation to provide resources to people who have been exonerated. And unfortunately when we do get it wrong, as government we have to find a way to right our wrongs to the best of our ability, and this bill looks to do just that. So thank you, Council President. Thank you, colleagues. We look forward to the work around the Exonerated Justice Package.
Councilman Thomas also offers a privileged resolution Stated Meeting 18 9/14/2023 honoring and congratulating the Champion of the Week, Chill Moody, a West Philadelphia born Hip Hop Artist and entrepreneur for being the first Community Artist in Residence at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts.
One more time. Thank you again, Council President. I just want to take a moment to pay homage to Chill Moody, who is not just a hip-hot artist but an entrepreneur, a mentor, and I think, most importantly, an inspiration to young people and to professionals all across the City based on the work that he's done. There are a number of people here to testify as it relates to this particular resolution, including Chill Moody himself. And we also want to thank the good people at the Mann Center for working with us and allowing him to Stated Meeting 19 9/14/2023 become the first artist to have this position as it relates to the great work that we know he's going to do. So I look forward to hearing from the witnesses that are here to testify, but I wanted to be the first to say congratulations to him and thank him for what he does to make Philadelphia a better place. Thank you, Council President.
Thank you, Councilman. That will be on today's Calendar.
Quick shout-out to his former teacher, Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson. So it's a small world. My colleague was his teacher in high school as well, so we got to give her a shout-out too.
Awesome. Awesome. Thank you, Councilman. Stated Meeting 20 9/14/2023
Councilman Thomas also offers a non-privileged resolution calling on the Administration to work collaboratively with Community Legal Services, Philadelphia City Council, Defender Association of Philadelphia, and other relevant organizations to provide reentry supports to exonerated and wrongfully convicted Philadelphians.
Councilman Jones offers seven bills and two resolutions. On behalf of Council President Clarke, an ordinance authorizing encroachments in the nature of a sidewalk cafe in the vicinity of 1216 North 29th Street; and An ordinance authorizing encroachments in the nature of a sidewalk cafe in the vicinity of 635 West Girard Avenue; and An ordinance to amend Title 14 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Zoning and Planning," by revising Stated Meeting 21 9/14/2023 certain provisions of Chapter 14-500, entitled "Overlay Zoning Districts," by creating the "Brewerytown-Sharswood Overlay Subarea." And on his own behalf, an ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 266 by striking from the City Plan and vacating the legally open portion of Lex Street from Thompson Street to its terminus southwardly therefrom; and An ordinance renaming and designating the property commonly referred to as the Charles Baker Recreation Center, located at 5433 Lansdowne Avenue, as the "Charles Baker and Carol Baker Rice Recreation Center"; and An ordinance granting permission to Wynnefield/Overbrook Eruv Association, in order to demarcate the boundaries of a Wynnefield/Overbrook eruv district, to construct and maintain a Stated Meeting 22 9/14/2023 clear nylon cord and other ancillary facilities including a maximum of one hundred poles and forty-five pieces of plexiglas; and An ordinance amending Chapter 14-1000 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Historic Preservation," to establish a temporary demolition moratorium with respect to properties in the area bounded by Ridge Avenue, Rochelle Avenue, Vicaris Street, and Hermit Street.
Thank you. Those bills will be referred to the appropriate committees.
Councilman Jones also offers a privileged resolution supporting the National Minority Business Development Agency and recognizing October 2 through October 6, 2023 as Philadelphia Minority Enterprise Development Week, which provides critical information, resources, opportunities, and inspiration to the minority business Stated Meeting 23 9/14/2023 community.
And a privileged resolution authorizing the City Council Committee on Public Safety to hold public hearings examining "three strikes you're out laws" and to understand their potential impact on retail theft in Philadelphia.
Thank you, Mr. President and colleagues. This is a continuation in my mind and with my colleagues' support of the Kensington Marshall Plan. There are big-picture issues, but there's small quality of life issues, and one of them that we -- and thank you, Member Lozada, thank you, Member Squilla, thank you, Member Harrity, for those long hearings. What we found out was that some of the merchants along Frankford Stated Meeting 24 9/14/2023 Avenue suffered from shoplifting, similar to what happens in Center City, similar to what many of the members of the Chamber of Commerce have complained to us about. If we don't take care of the little things, the big things happen. All you have to do is look on Frankford Avenue and see the roll-down gates that are there and the helplessness that we heard at that hearing from them being victimized by people who need help. But when you invest your life savings into a business and when you put your livelihood on the line, there needs to be support so that people don't feel free to walk in, take what they want, without consequence. So what this bill and what this resolution is considering is that after one, after two, after three times you shoplift, get prosecuted, that we can keep you out of the store. And this gives a little bit of help to those Stated Meeting 25 9/14/2023 merchants, but gives a lot of help to the City of Philadelphia. So I'd like you to consider it. Let's see what small pieces of legislation can add up to a big consequence at the end of the day. So thank you.
Councilman Johnson offers a privileged resolution commemorating the 60th anniversary of the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, honoring the lives of those lost, and recognizing the Reverend Arthur Price Jr., Philadelphia native and pastor at 16th Street Baptist, for his continued work on behalf of the community.
Councilwoman Vaughn offers a privileged resolution Stated Meeting 26 9/14/2023 authorizing the Committee on People with Disabilities and Special Needs to hold hearings regarding the issues, challenges, and misdiagnoses for children and their families dealing with Ehlers-Danlos syndromes.
Hold on, Mr. Decker. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Vaughn.
Good morning, everyone. Thank you, Council President. Today I am introducing this resolution to help bring awareness to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, specifically regarding the issue of frequent misdiagnosis of this disorder. We occasionally may hear stories from loved ones or friends about Stated Meeting 27 9/14/2023 medical misdiagnosis they or someone they know has received for several different reasons and how alarming that is. No matter if it is a form of cancer or something rare like EDS, a misdiagnosis can have serious life-altering implications, such as receiving appropriate treatment, delayed care, or even lead to a mistaken allegation of physical abuse, as some EDS symptoms can mimic bruising. No one, especially a parent, wants to be wrongly accused of abuse, but particularly when it's a matter of having equity healthcare access a patient-centered approach. It is the challenges and personal experiences shared with me like that of my friend, Cody Carter, and his child who has EDS and others that made this resolution necessary. That's why I'm convening the Committee on People with Disabilities and Special Needs to shine a light on this Stated Meeting 28 9/14/2023 urgent, increasingly common situation. Thank you, Council President.
Councilwoman Brooks offers a non-privileged resolution declaring Philadelphia's commitment to protecting and expanding access to abortion and reproductive healthcare through the establishment of a Reproductive Rights Taskforce in the wake of increasingly severe attacks on the fundamental right to bodily autonomy.
Councilman Harrity offers two resolutions, a privileged resolution authorizing the Committee on Neighborhood Services to hold hearings regarding the use of Zip Codes as a proxy for discriminatory actions by businesses and other service providers. Stated Meeting 29 9/14/2023
And a non-privileged resolution urging the President of the United States and the United States Congress to reexamine foreign policy towards Ethiopia.
Councilman Driscoll offers one bill and one resolution, an ordinance continuing the Aramingo Avenue Shopping District beyond its termination date, in an area that generally includes the east and west sides of Aramingo Avenue from 3300 Aramingo Avenue to 3995 Aramingo Avenue and certain blocks and streets that intersect that portion of Aramingo Avenue and for which Impact Community Development Community, a Pennsylvania nonprofit corporation, serves as the Neighborhood Improvement District Management Association for the District. Stated Meeting 30 9/14/2023
Mr. Decker, hold on one second, please. Councilman Harrity, you wanted to speak on your resolution?
The first resolution, yeah. That's all. Thank you, Council President and colleagues. Many businesses throughout the City, particularly in Kensington, are unable to contract with vendors and contractors to obtain necessary goods and services to run their business and improve their properties. The denial of these services is not allowed under the Fair Practices Ordinance of the City of Philadelphia. If you want to do business in Philadelphia, you should do business with all Philadelphians regardless of what zip code they live in. It is important that we hear from all stakeholders, community members, and business leaders to make sure that the City is doing all it can to Stated Meeting 31 9/14/2023 facilitate fair business practices and enable all individuals to gain access to vital services. Denial of these services include insurance refusing to write policies for or charging higher premiums to businesses, residents, and contractors refusing to come out to certain neighborhoods, and suppliers refusing to deliver along key commercial corridors. This is absolutely unfair, and it's already against City practices, the Fair Practice Ordinance. We need to give these businesses a chance to succeed, and part of that is being able to get what they need in order to supply their business. So I thank you, and I ask my colleagues to please vote with me.
Thank you, Councilman. Mr. Decker, can you read Councilman Driscoll's ordinance again.
An ordinance Stated Meeting 32 9/14/2023 continuing the Aramingo Avenue Shopping District beyond its termination date, in an area that generally includes the east and west sides of Aramingo Avenue from 3300 Aramingo Avenue to 3995 Aramingo Avenue and certain blocks and streets that intersect that portion of Aramingo Avenue and for which Impact Community Development Corporation, a Pennsylvania nonprofit corporation, serves as the Neighborhood Improvement District Management Association for the District.
And a non-privileged resolution initiating action to continue the Aramingo Avenue Shopping District beyond its termination date, in an area that generally includes the east and west sides of Aramingo Avenue from 3300 Aramingo Avenue to 3995 Aramingo Avenue.
Referred to committee. Stated Meeting 33 9/14/2023
Councilman O'Neill offers a non-privileged resolution authorizing and ratifying Councilman O'Neill's appeal, on behalf of and as representative of City Council, of the decision of the Zoning Board of Adjustment with respect to 2901 Grant Avenue. Mr. President, Councilman O'Neill would like to be recognized on this resolution for a motion.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit consideration of this resolution at today's session of Council. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.) Stated Meeting 34 9/14/2023
The ayes have it. That resolution will be on today's Final Passage Calendar.
Councilman Squilla offers five bills and one resolution, an ordinance authorizing encroachments in the nature of a sidewalk cafe in the vicinity of 817 Christian Street; and An ordinance authorizing encroachments in the nature of a sidewalk cafe in the vicinity of 1524 South 10th Street; and An ordinance authorizing encroachments in the nature of a sidewalk cafe in the vicinity of 2301 East Albert Street; and An ordinance amending Chapters 12-900 ("Parking Regulations and Penalties") and 12-2800 ("Administrative Adjudication of Parking Violations") of Stated Meeting 35 9/14/2023 The Philadelphia Code to revise requirements, limitations, and fines with respect to angle parking; and An ordinance amending Section 9-212 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Newsstands," by modifying the list of products that may be sold from newsstands.
Those five bills will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And a non-privileged resolution also naming South Quince Street between Locust and Walnut Streets in the "Gayborhood" as "Les Harrison Way."
Councilwoman Bass offers two bills and five resolutions, an ordinance amending the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Johnson Stated Meeting 36 9/14/2023 Street, Germantown Avenue, Rittenhouse Street, and Wissahickon Avenue.
And an ordinance continuing the Chestnut Hill Business Improvement District in the area that generally includes both sides of Germantown Avenue from 7640 to 8705, and on certain blocks of streets that intersect that portion of Germantown Avenue, plus on Bethlehem Pike between 10 and 105 and within the district boundaries 200 blocks of West Evergreen Avenue and West Highland Avenue; Benezet Street, East Springfield Avenue, 7600 block of Winston Road.
And a privileged resolution recognizing and honoring Philadelphia's Bishop Melvin Floyd, by renaming the 5200 block of Wayne Avenue "Bishop Melvin Floyd Way" to honor the Stated Meeting 37 9/14/2023 life and legacy of Bishop Floyd, Founder and Pastor Agape Christian Chapel and the Neighborhood Crusades, Incorporated.
And a non-privileged resolution calling on SEPTA to investigate and create a public plan for addressing the SEPTA Key Card System's numerous issues, including the compromising of the kiosks which allows for the theft of riders funds who attempt to purchase Key Cards.
Mr. President, I think Councilman Johnson wanted to make remarks on Bishop Melvin Floyd.
Thank you, Stated Meeting 38 9/14/2023 Council President. I just want to commend my colleague for really taking the thoughtful time to honor a gentleman who was on the forefront of addressing the issue of drug violence in the City of Philadelphia as well as gun violence, and Bishop Melvin Floyd was in all the communities as a grassroot activist. So I think this honor is well overdue. When you talk about boots on the ground, he is the embodiment of what boots on the ground means when it comes to going out in the communities and advocating to save young people here in the City of Philadelphia when it comes to drugs and gun violence. So I just want to commend my colleague for that, and also take a moment to acknowledge the Exonerated Justice Package that was recently introduced and thank my colleague Isaiah Thomas for making sure those who have been through this great American justice Stated Meeting 39 9/14/2023 system have the opportunity to move forward. And so thank you for taking up this now. Thank you, Council President.
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Bass.
Thank you, Mr. President. I want to thank my colleague for his remarks regarding Bishop Floyd. We all remember him, you know, when we were younger as the guy who rode around with a van with a coffin on the top. And, you know, a funny story is, my good friend, his daughter, Bishop Mary Floyd Palmer, talked about how he would insist on driving her to school in the van with the coffin on the top. But he was a great man who did a lot of great things for our community. But related to the SEPTA Key Card system, we did introduce a Stated Meeting 40 9/14/2023 resolution today calling on SEPTA to really address some of the inefficiencies. Now, we know that back in the spring of this year, SEPTA announced that they were going to search for a new vendor and for a new system, which we think is great. From its inception in 2008 up until this very moment, SEPTA has had a lot of issues with the Key Card system in terms of delays, cost overruns, and many obstacles that have prevented it from really operating in the manner in which it should. Most recently it was brought to my attention that the machines are compromiseable, I would say, in the sense that the machines can be jammed, and once they are jammed, there can be a device stuck in the machines that will jam the machine. So if Cindy Bass goes to purchase a Key Card, I am unable to purchase a Key Card, I am unable to get a Key Card out of the system, and I am Stated Meeting 41 9/14/2023 unable to get my money back. SEPTA's resolution for that is, if you ask them, they will say, well, you need to call customer service and work through a process with them, but as we know, many of our riders on the Broad Street Line, on the Market-Frankford Line, you know, that $20 that they stuck in that machine that they can't get back, that's the last 20 for the week. And so asking them to go through a lengthy process when they need a Key Card right now and are depending on a system that works is totally unacceptable. And so I want to thank my co-sponsors on this, Councilman Johnson, Squilla, Driscoll, Brooks, Phillips, and Lozada as we really push SEPTA to do better by our constituents, by the citizens of Philadelphia, and really by themselves. So thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, Councilwoman. Stated Meeting 42 9/14/2023 Next week's Calendar.
And a privileged resolution recognizing and honoring Rafael Villamil for his outstanding work and advocacy regarding art in various forms, representing his childhood in Santurce, Puerto Rico and his adopted hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he lives and continues this important work around the importance of Latino art.
And a privileged resolution calling on the Committee on Streets and Services to hold hearings regarding traffic calming measures in the City of Philadelphia and the status of the implementation of speed cushions, bike lanes, delineators and other tools to decrease pedestrian injuries and fatalities, as well as property damage.
This week's Calendar. Stated Meeting 43 9/14/2023
And a non-privileged resolution initiating action to continue the Chestnut Hill Business Improvement District.
Thank you, Mr. President. I just really wanted to say I'm looking forward to getting information from the Streets Department on traffic calming and the progress that they've made around streets issues and specifically speed bumps. Everywhere I go, every person I talk to, everybody wants speed bumps, and it's really just the result of people are just driving way too fast. I know, Mr. President, we share Broad Street on the 2700 block of North Stated Meeting 44 9/14/2023 Broad Street where there have been at least three fatalities on that block this year alone, traffic fatalities, where people are going way too fast. And so the Streets Department has come up with some additional remedies, and we're looking forward to working on a hearing to make sure that people know what's happening around these very important tools to keep us all safe. And I wanted to thank Councilman Johnson, Squilla, Driscoll, Brooks, Lozada, and Thomas for co-sponsoring. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, Councilwoman. And I would like to add as they place the speed bumps, that they place notification of the speed bump, and particularly around playgrounds. I'm seeing an uneven implementation of the signage, where some areas you have a sign saying it's a playground, some areas you don't. And they need to also paint the speed bumps, Stated Meeting 45 9/14/2023 because I'm also getting complaints about people tearing up the bottom of their cars, and I immediately tell them, well, slow up. They say, well, I didn't know the speed bump was there, right? So we got to let them know it's there, and they have no excuse, right, and that's your challenge in getting your car fixed. But thank you for bringing that to our attention.
Thank you. Mr. Decker, does that conclude our introduction?
There are no other bills or resolutions being offered today by the members, Mr. President.
Thank you very much, Mr. Decker. And we have no reports from committee today. So we will now consider special business and we will reconsider Stated Meeting 46 9/14/2023 230448 and place on the Calendar. We will now proceed under a special order of business, a motion that Council reconsider the vote by which Bill No. 230448 was passed. The bill was passed by the Council at its June 22nd, 2023 session and was returned disapproved by the Mayor at today's session of Council. Mr. Decker, please read the title of the bill.
Bill No. 230448, entitled "An ordinance amending Chapter 14-500 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled 'Overlay Zoning Districts,' by amending Section 14-514, entitled /FNE, Far Northeast Overlay District, Section 14-515, entitled /NE, Northeast Overlay District, and Section 14-524, entitled /FDO, Fourth District Overlay District by creating regulations for Medical Marijuana."
Stated Meeting 47 9/14/2023 this time, the Chair recognizes Councilman Jones.
Thank you so much, Mr. President. I move that City Council reconsider Bill No. 230448, which was approved by City Council June 22nd, 2023.
Thank you. All in favor, let it be known by saying aye. (Aye.)
The motion carries, and Bill No. 230448 will be placed at the end of today's Calendar. Our next order of business is the consideration of the Calendar. Stated Meeting 48 9/14/2023 2ND READING There being no bills on the First Reading Calendar, the Chair recognizes Councilman Jones for the purpose of calling up bills and resolutions that are on our Final Passage Calendar today.
Thank you, Mr. President. The following bills and resolutions are being called up from Second Reading to Final Passage Calendars today: Nos. 230432, 230186-A, 230410, and 230448. All other bills and resolutions are being held.
Thank you, Councilman. Before considering the resolutions and bills, we will consider our public comment session. It will go as follows: Your public comment must concern matters on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar for action at today's session. All speakers must sign up in order to testify. If you need to Stated Meeting 49 9/14/2023 sign up, if you haven't done so already, you can sign up now. There's a table outside in the hallway of the Council Chambers. Once you have signed up, you will be called in the order in which your name appears on the sign-up sheet. Under ideal circumstances, we will have three minutes. Today we have an extensive level of individuals wishing to express their opinion and their views on today's Calendar legislation, so we will alter that to two minutes to ensure that everybody has a chance to speak that has indicated they wish to do so. So I would ask you to please address and adjust your testimony to reflect a two-minute limit. With the device on the podium, there's a light. When the light turns green, it will be your time to speak. When the light turns yellow, you will have 30 seconds to conclude your remarks. When the light turns red, we'd ask that you please adhere to the guidelines and Stated Meeting 50 9/14/2023 conclude your remark. Also, if you have written testimony, you may submit that also and it will be placed in the record for today. We do reserve the right under Council rules to adjust the list when there's repetitious comment, meaning that if there's 20 individuals wishing to testify in support for and opposition to a particular bill, we have the ability to adjust that under the Council rules. So I would ask Mr. Decker to please call the first name. And I would like to say I would thank you all who are interested in testifying to express your views at today's session in your City Council today. Mr. Decker, please call the first name on the list.
Kelli Murray, commenting on 230410. (Witness approach podium.) Stated Meeting 51 9/14/2023
Good morning. My name is Kelli Murray. I was born and raised and reside in South Philadelphia. I am in Councilman Johnson's district. I work throughout the downtown hospital emergency rooms inpatient floors as a certified recovery specialist. Every day I work with people who use substances to get them into treatment, trying to help them jump through hoops to get well, because if they don't, they will be part of next year's statistics. We had 1,413 people die, four people a day, die of an overdose in Philadelphia. My alcohol and substance use began at a very young age and stopped at 52. I wasn't ready. The only way I ever knew to get relief from a substance was to numb myself. I did not want to feel any of it, and I wanted to be saved, but Stated Meeting 52 9/14/2023 I didn't know how to get the help. Treatment helped me get through it, but recovery begins in the community. The community began for me in harm reduction needle exchange that gave me a life and a life I live today to the fullest. Overdose prevention centers is a pathway to treatment. I see it every day. A harm reduction site showed me what service really means. I was able to connect with people by meeting them where they are. I met a girl named Deanna at a local needle exchange just the other day during my outreach at the hospital. She has chronic osteomyelitis, which means an infection of the bone and the muscle. Opioids, severe xylazine withdrawal, her fear of losing her life was scary enough, but the withdrawal was even more frightful. The next day I was reengaged with Deanna at the same harm reduction Stated Meeting 53 9/14/2023 site, the needle exchange, to connect her back to housing, case management, to advocate for her to return back to her house. Also to connect her to MAT for an appointment for a pathway to recovery. This was in less than 36 hours coming back to a harm reduction site. You see, standard treatment pathways are not enough. Emergency rooms are not enough. This is a disaster area, an epidemic. Banning OPCs, this public health initiative that has history of 120 locations over 30 years worldwide, we will not save the people I struggle to help today if we don't open one. To reach the people at the highest risk of fatal overdose, we need non-judgmental, trusted providers to --
Wrap Stated Meeting 54 9/14/2023 it up. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. We appreciate it.
The next speaker is Waheeda Shabazz-El, commenting on 230410. (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning. My name is Waheeda Shabazz-El. I live in District 4, Councilman Curtis Jones. I'm here today in opposition to the banning the overdose prevention centers, and I want to say the reason why is because I have witnessed two people, two Black women, overdose in my lifetime. One was my own mother, and it was a terrifying experience. I was 17 years old. It was the first time -- my mother was on drugs. I had never seen her use drugs, but this was the only time I ever saw her use drugs, and she collapsed. I don't know how I was able to Stated Meeting 55 9/14/2023 bring her back around, but I threw water in her face and ice and shook her and yelled, and finally she came around. I need to say that my mother eventually went on to get recovery, and recovery is the cornerstone for many people who are trying to rebuild their lives. These overdose prevention centers offer wraparound services, not just a place for people to use but a place for people to get services that they need, legal services, housing services. They may want to go into recovery. I'm also a person who lives in recovery. It has changed my life. I just want to say that last year over 1,400 people died from overdose in the City. Now, this year, 29 percent -- it's gone up 29 percent, and the people who died this year are Black women. This is a racial justice issue. It is a gender justice issue. It Stated Meeting 56 9/14/2023 is a human rights issue. And I'm hoping that we can count on the City of Philadelphia to help, right? Not to take away services. So the medical -- when people go to treatment and they get drugs, like for a program where they get medical treatment, that's great, but we need a combination. Our toolbox has to have more than one thing. People need treatment for recovery, but they have to get into recovery. So coming into the prevention overdose centers is a segue for them to get into the recovery programs. Thank you.
The next speaker is Shoshana Aronowitz, commenting on 230410. (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning. My name is Dr. Shoshana Aronowitz. I'm a nurse practitioner, researcher, educator, and Philadelphia resident in Councilmember Squilla's district. I'm faculty at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, and I treat patients with opioid use disorder at Prevention Point. I'm here today to register my opposition to this ban on overdose prevention centers. As a healthcare provider, I have dedicated my career to helping people live better, healthier lives. Despite the hard work of healthcare providers and advocates in Philadelphia to provide gold standard care to people with substance use disorders, what we are currently doing is not nearly enough. That is why we see fatal overdose rates rise year after year in Philadelphia, along with other negative health consequences related to drug use, including severe skin wounds Stated Meeting 58 9/14/2023 and life-threatening infections. People are suffering and dying in the streets of our city, and it does not have to be this way. Overdose prevention centers do more than help stop fatal overdoses. They also provide vital services like substance use disorder treatment and wound care. For many people who use drugs, these types of organizations are the only healthcare they receive on a regular basis. By banning overdose prevention centers in our city, we are throwing away an opportunity to help keep people alive and engage them in healthcare, including treatment for substance use disorders. People cannot improve their lives and circumstances if they are dead. Given the crisis of overdose and suffering we are currently facing, we should not reject any opportunity to save lives and provide care to those in need. Thank you.
Stated Meeting 59 9/14/2023 Thank you for your testimony.
The next speaker is Moses Santana, commenting on 230410. (Witness approached podium.)
Before our next speaker, I ask individuals, if you have a device that makes noise, please turn it off or turn it on silent. Appreciate your cooperation. Thank you. Good morning, sir.
Good morning. My name is Moses Santana. I am a resident of Kensington. I was also born and raised in Kensington. I was born in a hospital called St. Mary's Hospital, which was a Catholic hospital run by the Catholic church. It was for poor people who couldn't afford labor and delivery. So I'm here today because of that resource. I want to thank Reverend Cortes for his prayer where he said I was hungry and you fed me. I was thirsty, you gave Stated Meeting 60 9/14/2023 me water. I was naked, you clothed me. I was a stranger, but you treated me as a friend. This was words coming from the Lord to the people. When the people asked the Lord, well, we never clothed you, we never given you water, we've never done any of these things, he said, when you do this to people who need it, that's when you're doing it to me. Okay? I want people to think about -there's a song in the '90s called If God Was One of Us, right? We walk around all day looking at folks who are in the street who need services, who are overdosing, who lose their kids. Some of them lose their kids. Some of them lose their parents. But we have to look at these folks as if we're looking at ourselves, right? I remember growing up in North Philly. I used to live on Swanson and Somerset. My uncles were heroin users. There were a lot of people in the neighborhood. If you guys know anything Stated Meeting 61 9/14/2023 about Kensington, you know that there's been drugs in Kensington for at least the last 60 years. I'm 42. Okay? When I was a kid, we used to take care of the folks that were using, because we knew they were in need. We were poor. We were feeding them. We were clothing them. This body has the opportunity to make a change. You guys messed up in 2019 when y'all didn't ban doctors from receiving gifts. That's what caused this today. Folks got to think about what's happening and who is dying. I get it, we're not going to agree on the measures, but OPCs work and they save lives. If you folks deny us this tool, you are responsible for these deaths, and I hope that each and every one of you that says yes to the ban comes to every funeral.
Thank you. I need you to wrap it up. Thank you, sir. Stated Meeting 62 9/14/2023 (Applause.)
Next speaker is Kelly Gilson, commenting on 230410. (Witness approached podium.)
I'm up here because -- yeah. In 2021, 1,250 people in the City of Philadelphia lost their lives to an opioid overdose. In 2022, on Stated Meeting 63 9/14/2023 July 25th, I got the call that nobody ever wants to get, that my partner, that my friend had passed. I showed up at their house and I had to spend six hours waiting for their body to then be picked up. Sitting not two feet away from them was doses of Narcan. Overdose prevention centers work, because you can't Narcan yourself if you need it. If you care about your constituents, if you care about the people of this city at all, spare them the pain of having to see that. (Applause.)
The next speaker Stated Meeting 64 9/14/2023 is Erin Kelly. (No response.)
The next speaker is Jabari Jones, commenting on 230410. (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning to the members of City Council. My name is Jabari Jones and I'm a resident of the Belmont neighborhood in the Third District. I am testifying today on Bill No. 230410 regarding the safe injection sites. I want to thank Councilwoman Lozada for her leadership as she introduced this legislation. I am firmly in support of banning safe injection sites across the City, but I'm here today to raise an alarm that the Third District is the only district not included in the current overlay area. That makes Southwest and West Philadelphia the only areas in the City that safe injection Stated Meeting 65 9/14/2023 sites can be open. I believe that this is another perfect example of repeating a policy decision that has already shown to have disastrous results. One of the reasons that the Kensington area looks the way that it does is because once upon a time, some officials in this city made a policy decision to contain the crisis instead of solving it. The City cracked down on opioids and drugs in every part of the City except Kensington. They sent a message that if you do drugs in any of the other neighborhoods, you will have swift consequences, but if you do drugs in Kensington, you won't be arrested, you won't be stopped, and you won't have any other issues. (Applause.)
That message caused the individuals that are struggling with Stated Meeting 66 9/14/2023 addiction to leave their neighborhoods for Kensington, what became a safe place, and by "safe," I mean safe from law enforcement, to do drugs unimpeded. Then the City turned its back on that community and allowed this problem to grow for decades. Bad policy created the Kensington crisis. And today I worry that this bill, which prevents safe injection sites in every part of the City except in the neighborhoods in West and Southwest Philadelphia, will create the next beacon and will send the next message that West Philadelphia is the new Kensington. The residents of West and Southwest have been clear that they do not support safe injection sites. And as a resident, I worry about the kind of crime, violence, and drug sales that will follow an injection site that opens in my community. We all know that there's no way to safely inject poison into your body. Stated Meeting 67 9/14/2023 We should be exploring resources for prevention and treatment, not keeping the door open for sites that will enable harmful addictions instead of treating them. I've noticed today that my Councilmember is not even here, and so I ask the residents of City Council to not repeat the same policy mistake that created the current crisis by amending this bill to ban safe injection sites in West and Southwest Philadelphia. Thank you. (Applause and booing.)
Thank you for your testimony. Mr. Decker, who is next to testify?
The next speaker, Mr. Chairman, is Erin Kelly, commenting on 230410. (Witness approached podium.) Stated Meeting 68 9/14/2023
Thank you. Please state your name for the record and begin your testimony.
My name is Erin Kelly. As a Philadelphian, I'm embarrassed that we don't already have any overdose prevention sites. They're a proven public health intervention, which has been saving lives in New York City for years now and all over the world for decades. A common refrain among opponents of overdose prevention sites is, well, why don't you make your house a safe injection site then. My answer to those people is that I have done so many times. My best friends are physically dependent on illicit fentanyl. They're good people. They're my favorite people in the universe, and they deserve so much better from the City and this country. They deserve policy changes that are beyond the scope of what I can ask from Stated Meeting 69 9/14/2023 City Council. I know this isn't about addiction either, because I am addicted to something legal and I get treated as a whole person and does so my actions towards others, like anyone else would, and I know my friends deserve the same. I know the only reason I'm better off than them really and less likely to die, at least in the immediate term, is because I have civil rights. And I know that Philadelphia City Council or anyone in this room can't personally change the laws that ultimately mean my best friends don't have any civil rights, but you can start changing your hearts. You can make different decisions. You can certainly not pass a bill banning a very simple proven public health intervention. I'm here because the purpose of this bill is really nothing other than hatred. I'm here to say that the hatred and ignorance kills people in so many Stated Meeting 70 9/14/2023 ways, not only from overdoses, although every overdose is preventable and everyone I know who has died of one did because they couldn't tell the other people in the house with them that they were using drugs. I'm here to say that every person on Kensington Avenue and all over the City that most of you look down on is my neighbor, is a part of my community, is just as likely to be a good person, not a potential good person some day but a good person right now whose life is already valued, as any of you are. They all deserve better. They all deserve civil rights. They all deserve housing, and maybe City Council can spend some of their energy on that. I don't worry that much about my best friend dying from an overdose, because ironically because they use a lot, their tolerance is high. It's not that likely. People are statistically most likely to overdose after a period of Stated Meeting 71 9/14/2023 abstinence, after getting out of rehab or jail when their tolerance is lower than it was before. A study also recently came out saying that overdoses in the area go up dramatically directly after police do a drug bust. I do worry a lot that my best friend could die of an infection and not get medical care. I've spent days, weeks, months of my life begging them to go to hospitals to get some infection looked at, and generally they won't because they know how healthcare workers will probably treat them. They know that even the people tasked with caring for them mostly hate them and view them as less than human. Of people I know who have died of something drug related, I know just as many or more who died of an infection that they hesitated to get medical care for because of how hospital workers treat drug dealers. Stated Meeting 72 9/14/2023
Double hatred and ignorance towards people who use drugs is honestly insane once you see it, once you really see it. It's shocking. That hatred directly kills people, traumatizes people, ruins lives more than any drug ever could. That hatred is the only thing motivating this ridiculous bill. Overdose prevention centers are a simple proven public health initiative. It is embarrassing that the City doesn't already have one. I demand that Council retract this bill -
We're going to wrap it up, please. We have a long list. (Applause.)
Mr. Chairman, the next speaker is Nikal Saval. Stated Meeting 73 9/14/2023
Senator, you know how to do this. Please state your name for the record and begin your testimony. SENATOR SAVAL: Sure. Thank you. Nikal Saval. Good morning, Councilmembers. It's my honor to serve the people and communities and lands of Pennsylvania's First Senatorial District. I come before you today in opposition to the proposed overlay that would effectively ban overdose prevention centers and I respectfully ask for your opposition to it. As a legislator, I feel the same urgency and responsibility that you all do, to lessen the tremendous suffering that the ongoing opioid crisis has caused our communities. I recognize Stated Meeting 74 9/14/2023 that all our city's Councilmembers care deeply about the well-being of their constituents. Every person deserves to be treated with respect and dignity and provided with the support and care they need to be healthy and well. This is true regardless of whether a person is sober or uses drugs. Our nation continues to experience an historic loss of life to overdose. New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that in 37 states, accidental overdose is now the leading cause of death for people under 40. As Councilmember Brooks has noted, Pennsylvania is one of them. One death from overdose is too many. Our Commonwealth loses 15 people every day. In our densely populated city, these numbers are staggering. In 2022, we lost 1,413 people to overdose, the highest number ever recorded. Against the backdrop of this Stated Meeting 75 9/14/2023 crisis, overdose prevention sites have risen as a proven commonsense tool to save lives. This spring my team and I visited OnPoint in New York City to learn about their work. In the year and a half since opening, OnPoint has reversed over 1,000 overdoses. Opposition to these life-saving spaces is based in misunderstanding of how they operate and of their impact on the surrounding communities. Studies in Canada and Australia show that people who used an overdose prevention center were more likely to enter addiction treatment. They were more likely to decrease crime. They were more likely to be effective. The very real consequence of a continued push against them is that people continue to die. Overdose prevention centers are places where our neighbors, loved ones, and constituents go to stay safe, to stay alive as they work to heal. Stated Meeting 76 9/14/2023 As the communities we serve face the increasingly devastating impact of the opioid crisis, it is imperative that all levels of government embrace evidence-based solutions to save lives and support better health outcomes for all. Overdose prevention centers are crucial among these solutions. Thank you so much. (Applause.)
The next speaker is Ayden Scheim. (Witness approached podium.)
Thank you. Good afternoon. Please begin your testimony.
Thank you. My name is Ayden Scheim. I'm an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Stated Meeting 77 9/14/2023 Biostatistics at Drexel and affiliate scientist in the Center on Direct Policy Evaluation at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, Canada. I'm funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to conduct an evaluation of overdose prevention sites in Toronto. As an epidemiologist, I'm trained to critically assess the strength of the evidence in support of health services or treatments, and I have been hired by organizations, including the World Health Organization, to critically appraise health research. And yet you don't need to be an epidemiologist to appreciate the simple fact that the status quo is an abject failure, as other speakers have mentioned. As a human being and someone who lives in District 1, Councilmember Squilla's district, a few blocks from the site of the first proposed OPC in Philadelphia, I oppose this bill. But as an epidemiologist, it is Stated Meeting 78 9/14/2023 also my professional opinion that this bill flies in the face of strong evidence that OPCs have an important role to play in preventing drug-related deaths and including community health. Lest you think that I am just one epidemiologist, I'll leave you with the conclusions of a review that was conducted in 2020 by an organization called the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, an organization with no stake whatsoever in harm reduction, that uses an approach called comparative clinical effectiveness to weigh the benefits and harms of different treatment options through systematic reviews of the evidence. They do not conclude likely -they do not lightly conclude that they are highly certain. It takes a high degree of evidence for them to make this kind of conclusion, and yet they concluded that they are highly certain that supervised injection facilities Stated Meeting 79 9/14/2023 provide for the community at least a small net health benefit and possibly a substantial one when compared to syringe service programs that we already have here. There are legitimate scientific questions around OPCs. Indeed, I'm involved in trying to answer them. However, there is nothing legitimate, morally or scientifically, about outlawing a strategy that has proven potential to prevent needless overdose deaths. Thank you. (Applause.)
The next speaker is Max Wander, commenting on 230410. (Witness approached podium.)
Thank you. MAX WANDER: Hi. Good morning. Stated Meeting 80 9/14/2023 My name is Max Wander. I'm a Jefferson nursing student and a West Philadelphia resident. I will graduate in May and go on to work at one of the hospitals here in Philadelphia. As a nursing student, my professors teach us how to read research. They also teach us to use something called evidence-based practice to inform our decisions as future nurses. Using evidence-based practice is how all the nurses in the U.S. and in Philadelphia are taught how to work. In a nutshell, evidence-based practice means using the most up-to-date research information we have, plus clinical experience to make the best, safest treatment decisions for our patients and to save people's lives. And evidence-based practice is also growing and improving. So we're using overdose prevention sites as an example of what to do to improve outcomes and save people's Stated Meeting 81 9/14/2023 lives. After reading the research on over 100 overdose prevention sites around the world, the evidence-based practice for this case would be to implement an overdose prevention center, to not effectively ban overdose prevention centers in Philadelphia, to oppose this bill. Along with my nursing education, I also have lived experience with opiate use disorder. I have worked as a recovery specialist. I have survived three overdoses. I can tell you, along with the evidence and research that supports overdose prevention centers, I have personally benefited from robust harm reduction services. I would not be standing here today without them. I'm not arguing that these centers are the end-all, be-all to treatment. I think we need lots of various support programs for people who use drugs in the City. I've heard nurses say that it Stated Meeting 82 9/14/2023 can be frustrating to follow evidence-based practice because it changes over time, and despite feeling attached to an old way of doing things, I need to as a future nurse learn how to be flexible, humble, put my ego aside, and make the right decision to save people's lives. I'm going to use the best evidence-based practice that I can to care for you and your families in the future, and I urge you to do the same for people who use drugs in Philadelphia. Thank you so much for your time. (Applause.)
The next speaker is Marnie Aument-Loughrey. (Witness approached podium.)
Good afternoon. My name is Marnie Aument-Loughrey. I am from the Kensington area of the City of Philadelphia. I'm here speaking on overlay 230410 and Resolution 230432. I am here with the community members of Kensington-Harrowgate, South Philadelphia. We have been talking about safe injection sites for over six years in our community. Basically as most people say, Kensington already is a walking safe injection site. People are overdosing every day on the street. Narcan is being given. Officers are being hit when they are coming out of it, and they inject right again. Our children are walking over bodies and needles every day. I have a six-year-old little girl that stepped on Stated Meeting 84 9/14/2023 a needle and has to be tested for HIV every six months. Her rights count. Our businesses are shutting down. It is not -- anyone in our community doesn't want to see people die. That is a fallacy. We do want people to get help, but our rights have to be heard. We have the right to say what happens and goes on in our community. And the people that are on the streets have the right to become healthy lives and be reunited with their families. That is not done through a safe injection site. That is done through rehabilitation. That is done through rehabs. That is done through education. That is getting them into recovery. (Audience members yelling out.)
Hold on. Hold on one second. Folks, we have had a respectful hearing. Allow people to testify. All right? If you want to speak at the mic and enforce your opposition, but please Stated Meeting 85 9/14/2023 do not try to shout down individuals speaking. Let's be respectful of each other, please. Thank you.
I thank every Councilmember that is sitting here that signed on that said their district, the people that live there, their constituents and their residents, have the right to decide what happens in our neighborhood. As it stands now, the Kensington-Harrowgate society has not had that right. I thank you for giving us our rights back. I also thank you for looking out for the people that are on the street and trying to get them into a rehab and to get them into a facility, get them the education they need and get them back with their families. That is all anybody wants. We want them to have their rights back, but we want the rights of our children, our seniors, our businesses, and us to live in a peaceful neighborhood back as well, and I thank Stated Meeting 86 9/14/2023 Council for giving us that choice.
Thank you for your testimony. (Applause and booing.)
Good morning, Mr. President, members of Council. Thank you for providing me the opportunity to speak today. My name is Cait Allen and I Stated Meeting 87 9/14/2023 am the President of the Queen Village Neighbors Association. I am requesting that Council votes to update the zoning overlay to prohibit safe injection sites and prevent them from being built by-right. An Inquirer article from January stated that Registered Community Organizations are organized groups within a given neighborhood that advocate for and take action to shape the way their community looks. The main purpose of RCOs is to weigh in on development projects in their neighborhoods. I am here today, along with my fellow civic presidents, to ask for the chance to weigh in on one of the most divisive development projects since the Crosstown Expressway. We are not here to debate the efficacy of safe injection sites or because we lack compassion for those suffering from substance abuse disorder. We are here because we want a seat at the Stated Meeting 88 9/14/2023 table to decide the fate of our communities. Residents still have unanswered questions about these sites and how they will affect our neighborhoods. This overlay provides an avenue for residents to get answers to those questions. This battle has been going on for years. Yet, no one has ever reached out to our organization to discuss a proposal. No one has ever asked for volunteers who want a site in their neighborhood, because it's not about what our communities want. It's about what everyone else wants for our communities. My experience even getting the opportunity to speak today underscores how important this bill is. My fellow civic presidents and I are here to advocate on behalf of our communities. Yet, our voices were almost drowned out. This tactic is exactly what this bill is designed to avoid. As the leaders of our Stated Meeting 89 9/14/2023 communities, those tasked with partnering with you to better the City, we are here once again to ask you to stand up for our neighborhoods and to prohibit these sites from being built by-right. Thank you.
Thank you for your testimony. (Applause and booing.)
The next speaker is Barbara Capozzi, commenting on 230432. (Witness approached podium.)
Barbara Capozzi of South Philadelphia and the Second District. I'm for the Ordinance 230410 and for the Resolution 230432, as are all my neighbors. In 35 years of advocacy, there's never been an issue that they felt more strongly about, and we've had Stated Meeting 90 9/14/2023 some very big issues in our neighborhood. Thank you to Councilman Johnson for listening to his constituents in the Second District. For some reason, the first proposed site was in our area. We had zero, zero notice, zero notice. So this ordinance will prevent that. If anybody wants to put an injection site, they have to go through the neighborhood, and this argument that's here, 10 o'clock on a Thursday, now 12 o'clock on a Thursday, is very inconvenient for neighbors. So there's a few of us here, but we represent thousands of people. And if somebody really wants a safe injection site, then make them go through the process of coming to the neighbors and explaining all the good that an injection site might do. Ten o'clock on a Thursday is a very bad time. Civics are the first line of defense, and we were around while everyone else was gone during COVID. We Stated Meeting 91 9/14/2023 were the first line of defense. Everybody knows where we live. They knock on our door every day. We must have a say in this discussion. It's too important. Proper notice and a legitimate process regarding a use that is unanimously rejected by neighbors, or close to unanimously rejected by most neighbors, needs to be done on the neighborhood level, not in City Hall. And if somebody is foolish enough to try to do a safe injection site in the Second District again, we will fight it as much as we did the first time on very short notice. I'm very disappointed that Councilwoman Gauthier is not here today, because we would love this passed by every District Councilperson so that there is better safeguards. The civics that have worked very hard on this issue deserve the peace of mind that there will be a process in place to give us ample notice and ample Stated Meeting 92 9/14/2023 input into any suggestion of a safe injection site. Thank you very much.
Thank you for your testimony. (Applause and booing.)
Hold on one second, please. (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning. My name is Lynn Landes. I'm founder of safestreetsphilly.org and a parent who has witnessed the devastating effects of drug addiction on family members. I'm here to support Resolution 230432 and Ordinance 230410. I don't want to be repetitive about what has already been said, which I completely support, but I do want to just quickly say that we have a history of good intentions but bad consequences. Stated Meeting 93 9/14/2023 And I think everyone is in agreement, we want to see a lot of time, money, and effort given to people with drug addiction problems, but that does not include enabling the addiction and it does not include -- that makes no sense. And I just want to say a few things. You know, some of the examples is a safe -- the clean needle program. Now we have needles all over our neighborhood, you know. Or the methadone program, where the methadone moms, who are clearly still addicted, come through our neighborhoods in downtown Philly with their poor children and you can tell they're not benefiting from that program. So everybody wants good things, but we have to consider common sense and what are the real life consequences of what we're dealing with. So I think safe injection sites are a very bad idea, but I also think free voluntary and involuntary treatment for drug addiction is what's called for. Stated Meeting 94 9/14/2023 Thank you very much. (Applause and booing.)
The next speaker is Lucia Dimascia. (Witness approached podium.)
Hello. Good afternoon. My name is Lucia Dimascia. I was born, raised, raised a child, and I still live in the Harrowgate section of Philadelphia. I also want to let you know that I've worked at overdose sites, I've worked at shelters, and I also walk the streets of Kensington, and what I see is just horrible. You cannot live. We cannot walk the streets without seeing uncapped needles, children watching this in the developmental years and thinking Stated Meeting 95 9/14/2023 that it's normal. I was trying to make my way to the library, McPherson Square, and I had to walk in the street in Kensington Avenue. I was told to walk in the street by people that were living on the sidewalk. I am empathetic, I am sympathetic, but I stand with my neighborhood and say that we have had enough, that our quality of life needs to be restored. I am for recovery. I am for people getting help, but Kensington-Harrowgate is not the place to have a safe injection site. I'm not for safe injection sites. I see how -- I saw how inappropriately the organization that I worked for was run. I have facts. I've been there, I lived it, and I know that it's not run properly. So I stand in passing Lozada's bill. Thank you. Stated Meeting 96 9/14/2023 (Applause and booing.)
The next speaker is Catherine Chill. (Witness approached podium.)
Good afternoon. Thank you so much for giving me a few moments to speak on behalf of Chill Moody and the Mann Center. I'm Catherine Cahill. I am President and CEO of the Mann Center, and we are thrilled to be here with you today in honoring Chill Moody. We created at the Mann our first-ever Community Artist-in-Residence program and invited Chill to become our first community artist-in-residence due to his impeccable career, his leadership, and being one of Philadelphia's proudest Stated Meeting 97 9/14/2023 hip-hop artists, of who we salute and honor today. We asked Chill to be our first-ever community artist-in-residence to help us with educating our young people, so many who are anxious to learn and to create, and Chill happily said yes to this invitation, and for the last year, we've been working in partnership with Chill, and you'll hear more from him about his role at the Mann Center. But most recently he has been serving in our Music Industry's Training Program at Overbrook High School, where he is a graduate. He's been helping us to curate our free HBCU Festival, the first ever done by the Mann in May. He has curated our Young People's Concert, a free series for our young people as well. He also led and curated our Voices of Hope Celebration on the eve of Juneteenth to celebrate Black excellence, and also he is an award-winning composer, Darin Atwater, who Chill worked with to create Stated Meeting 98 9/14/2023 a new work to celebrate hip-hop at the Mann, and that composition and that work was free. It was sold out to our community, and it made it to the top cover of both the Daily News and the Inquirer, if you saw that recently, something we're very proud of. Chill is an amazing artist, a great collaborator, a friend of the Mann, and we join you in celebrating him and recognizing his artistry and importance to Philadelphia. Thank you, Isaiah Thomas. Thank you to our wonderful Councilman, Curtis Jones, and to all of the Council for your support of both the Mann Center, the importance of arts in education, and what we do for our community. And, Chill, we're so proud of you. Chill.
The next speaker is Chill Moody. Stated Meeting 99 9/14/2023 (Applause.)
Good afternoon. Good afternoon, everybody. How y'all feeling? Y'all good? First and foremost, I want to say thank you to Councilman Isaiah Thomas and Donna Miller [sic] and the whole staff and the whole City Council. It hit a little different when the City is behind you. I can honestly say that. I really appreciate, you know, this proclamation today. As Catherine was telling you, we've been doing amazing work over at the Mann Center all year and throughout the West Philadelphia community as well. Our work with PHL, Juneteenth, working with the students at my alma mater, Overbrook High School. I usually get a little applause Stated Meeting 100 9/14/2023 when I say that. (Applause.)
Working at my alma mater, Overbrook High School, with the Music Industry Training Program, as well as connecting with the Philadelphia Orchestra and world-class composer Darin Atwater for a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration of Black metropolis. I'm honored to be here today. I'm blessed to have this light shined on me. I don't know. I just feel -- it feels really good that the City continues to amplify my message and empower my mission. I don't take any of this lightly. I just want to say thank you all, and hopefully I can, you know, stand here as an inspiration for anybody trying to make a dream become a reality. I always just stand as a message to remember we still got time. Stated Meeting 101 9/14/2023 Thank you. (Applause.)
Thank you for your testimony and thank you for your work.
The next speaker is Alfred Klosterman, commenting on 230410. (Witness approached podium.)
My name is Alfred Klosterman from Harrowgate. I'm here to speak in favor of the legislation restricting so-called safe injection sites. In speaking with my neighbors, we agree that these sites will be another insult to our long-suffering community. For too long, Kensington-Harrowgate has been used as containment areas for the City and region's opioids addicts. We didn't ask for this, and we suffer daily for the decisions made by others. Now Stated Meeting 102 9/14/2023 some people want to add injection sites to this mess. Along with the primary issue of addicts living on our sidewalks, we have a serious secondary issue of service providers for the addicts. Along with the needle giveaways, we have mobile providers feeding, comforting, and otherwise supporting the addicts, leaving us with mountains of trash, these services and attraction drawing yet more addicts to our community. We don't want any more. The City allowing these services for the addicts led to the destruction of the residents' quality of life. Most of these addicts come from elsewhere in the City and beyond. Kensington is seen as a place to allow these activities because we're the City's poorest community as well as one of the most diverse. To a lot of people, we don't matter. Enough is enough. We're tired Stated Meeting 103 9/14/2023 of being a dumping ground for this behavior. We certainly don't want any more drug users attracted by the injection sites. We call on the City to end this tragic situation and send these addicts home from our streets. In closing, proponents of these sites who are not our community members simply have no right to insist we take on this added burden. Only we community members can decide what's best for our own community. We don't want your addicts or your injection sites. We are not your damn colony. (Applause and booing.)
The next speaker is Neyda Rios, commenting on 230410. (Witness approached podium.)
Thank you, everyone. I thank God first for allowing me to be Stated Meeting 104 9/14/2023 here today. I had suffered two minor strokes without knowing it, and I just give him the glory, the honor, and the praise for allowing me to be here today. I thank our Councilmembers for also giving us the opportunity to speak as a community and to support us. I'm here representing the Friends of McPherson, Friends of McPherson Library group and also Harrowgate, as I live in Harrowgate, but also I'm on the Advisory Board of the Friends of McPherson group. On a daily basis, we have to deal with different situations, and I'm going to testify as far -- we're not against, we are not against safe injection sites. We are against our rights are being taken away, our rights to be able to make the decision of having to deal with things, of having things pushed on top of us. We are not here to say, no, we don't believe these people should get Stated Meeting 105 9/14/2023 help. Yes, they should get help, but also we shouldn't be objectified, we shouldn't be forced to deal with the needles and deal with the trash and deal with having people steal our things that we so work hard for. The other day, I think it was Tuesday, we went to the Advisory Board McPherson meeting. On the way as I was driving from the library, I look over and I see a squirrel walking on top of two gentlemen. I immediately told my daughter, who was with me, no, something is wrong, let me hurry up and get around there. I got into the -- parked on the grass and reached up to the library to send Narcan down, and immediately we started the life-saving necessity of giving -- of calling 911 and also having the Narcan ready in hand, doing the first aid procedures first, and it was administered. The person after a while finally did wake up. 911 got there Stated Meeting 106 9/14/2023 afterwards. So -- yes. Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate everybody for -- I just wanted to say we're not against it. We're just against things being pushed on us. Thank you.
The next speaker is Ed Baker. (Witnesses approached podium.)
We're from the Pennsylvania Innocence Project and we're here to plead our case. My name is Walter J. Ogrod. I spent 28 years, the last 24 years, on Stated Meeting 107 9/14/2023 death row for a false conviction of killing a child. I was released June 5th, 2020.
Hello. My name is Alfredo Domavitch (ph). I was convicted for homicide and I served 18 years in prison.
I'm Ed Baker. I got out 1999. I did 27 years for a crime that I did not commit.
My name is Lance Felder and I was convicted for a murder that I did not commit and I did 17 years in prison.
My name is John Moore. I served 27 years in prison for a crime I did not commit. And together we served a combined number of 117 years of incarceration for something that we did not commit.
I want to talk about the impact of us. I don't want to say me. I want to say us, the impact of us being incarcerated for a crime that we Stated Meeting 108 9/14/2023 did not commit. It was trying for me, the brothers, everybody, the sisters that, you know -- it was hard on us and our families. When I came home, I had to live with my sister because I ain't have nowhere to go at. My mom passed away, so I didn't have nowhere to go at. And my sister, she had kids, so the rooms was limited, so I had to sleep on the couch sometimes. I had to make sure that I did not, you know, eat all the food, because, you know, the kids had to eat too. You know, and the bills is piling up, so I really couldn't help my sister with the bills. So when I finally had got a job, I had tried to get an apartment on my own and I got denied because I had a criminal charge. They didn't have no idea that I got exonerated. So, you know, it's hard. It's really hard, the struggles that we had to go through on coming home, you know. We Stated Meeting 109 9/14/2023 got people that been paroled. They get housed at halfway houses or, you know, they find them jobs. Us guys, we come home, they just kick us right out and we, you know, out here fighting for ourself. Like this brother right here did how much, 27 years, and you just kicked him out to this world and we're just out here lost. We're just asking, you know, that everyone help us pass this bill and, you know -- I can't -- I can't talk right now. I'm sorry. (Applause.)
Thank you all for your testimony, and you have our support. Thank you. (Thank you.)
There are no other speakers, Mr. President. Stated Meeting 110 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING
That concludes today's public comment. We will now consider the bills and resolutions on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar. I would ask Mr. Decker, please read the title of Resolution No. 230432.
A resolution calling on Safehouse, the United States Department of Justice, and the Mayor to halt implementation of supervised injection sites in the City of Philadelphia, to involve community groups and other branches of city government with differing views to participate in settlement negotiations, and to enforce the previous holding from the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Harrity for a motion on the resolution.
I'm sorry. I move for the adoption of the Stated Meeting 111 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted. Mr. Decker, 230186-A.
Hold on. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brooks.
I just would like to be recorded as voting nay on the resolution.
Councilwoman, thank you. Your vote shall Stated Meeting 112 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING be recorded. Thank you.
Bill No. 230186-A, an ordinance authorizing an increase in the non-electoral indebtedness of the City within the Pennsylvania constitutional limit; authorizing the Bond Committee to sell bonds at public or private negotiated sale, to provide funds toward various capital municipal purposes.
Thank you. This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. Mr. Decker, call the roll.
Councilman Driscoll. Stated Meeting 113 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING
Aye. Stated Meeting 114 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING
Aye. The ayes are 14; the nays are zero. A majority of members present voting in the affirmative, the bill passes. Mr. Decker, please read the title of Bill No. 230410.
An ordinance amending Chapter 14-500 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Overlay Zoning Districts," to add an overlay zoning district pertaining to injection sites for narcotics.
Thank Stated Meeting 115 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING you, Council President. I will be voting no on this proposed overlay to ban overdose prevention centers. In the mix of an overdose crisis that is destroying families and communities, we should not be banning a tool that could save lives. We should make decisions based on evidence-based public health research, tools that have been proven to be effective, and lived experience. As many of you know, my support for overdose preventions comes from my own life experience. I have watched addiction take hold of people I love. I have been through the trauma and devastation that comes with it. In my family, we have suffered violence, cruelty, and loss caused by addiction. We have raised children of addicted parents who are absent or in prison or we have mourned loved ones who died early deaths. And I know from experience that people with addictions Stated Meeting 116 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING are not easy to live with and they're not easy to love, but when it's your family, you don't have a choice. You keep loving them, you keep rooting for them, and you keep hoping that they will live long enough to make it to recovery. According to research, a third of Americans fear that someone in their family will die of an opioid overdose, and I live with that fear every day, and I know many of you do too. It's an important reminder that this crisis does not just impact people who use drugs. It impacts the entire family. I've seen people I love make it to the other side of their addiction, and it takes courage, faith, support, and time, sometimes a lot of time. But for thousands of people in Philadelphia with addictions and for the millions of people who love them, time is running out. The rise of the drugs like fentanyl and xylazine are cutting lives short at an Stated Meeting 117 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING alarming rate. The number one cause of death for people under 40 in Pennsylvania is accidental overdose. Nationally this rate has skyrocketed over the past five years, and the devastation is accelerating in Black and brown communities. In 2021, Philly had twice the number of overdose deaths than homicides. I'm going to repeat that again. Philly had twice the number of overdose deaths than homicides. And our city is finally treating the gun violence crisis with the urgency this deserves, and why are we failing to treat the opioid crisis with the same urgencies? These are preventable deaths that we are failing to prevent. Across the country, the overdose crisis is getting worse, and many of the approaches we've tried, from declaring war on drugs to locking up millions of Black men, have all failed Stated Meeting 118 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING and what we are doing is not working, and this ban does nothing to address the overdose crisis and it offers no hope for the countless people who are praying for their loved ones to live long enough to make it to recovery. With the crisis this daily, my focus is finding -- my focus is on finding the strategies that will prevent people from dying, and I can't support permanently banning a tool that is proven to save lives. Thank you so much, Council President. (Applause.)
Thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Lozada.
Thank you, Council President. As I stated earlier this Stated Meeting 119 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING morning, I will not apologize for making the voice of the people who live in my community a priority. I was elected to represent them. If we were paying attention as we were hearing public testimony, the majority of the individuals who were in support of the bill do not live in the Kensington-Harrowgate community. (Applause.)
It is disturbing to me that those voices, the voices of the people who don't have to deal with the day-to-day trauma that our children and our community have to deal with, it is disturbing to me that they think that their voices should be heard louder than those who walk those streets every day. (Applause.) Stated Meeting 120 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING
I want to thank the people in the Kensington-Harrowgate community who came out today, who continue to stand up, who continue to be compassionate and empathetic to those who are suffering in addiction. It is -- I want to say thank you to you, and I want to apologize to you, because as a government, we have allowed that. And we together, together will find a solution to improve the quality of life for all of us, because we all matter. We all matter. We are all important. (Applause.) (Audience members yelling out.)
I want to thank my colleagues, I want to thank my colleagues for making a very difficult decision.
Yo, Stated Meeting 121 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING we're not having that. If you want to speak, you had your opportunity to speak. Just respect the people speaking. That's all we ask. Councilwoman, please.
Thank you. I want to thank my colleagues for making a very difficult, unpopular decision to co-sponsor my bill. I'm grateful for all of the support that I have received from each one of you in my short time here. I respect, I respect people's opinions. Councilwoman Brooks and I have had conversations about this, and although we don't agree, we are respectful to one another. I would like for those of you who don't live in the Kensington community to be respectful of those individuals who are raising their families there and who experience and are impacted by what they go through every Stated Meeting 122 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING day. Thank you, Council President.
Thank you. We're going to call the vote. Thank you. Mr. Decker, you have read the title of the bill. This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. Mr. Decker, please call the roll.
Councilman Driscoll. Stated Meeting 123 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING
Aye. Stated Meeting 124 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING
Aye. The ayes are 13; the nays are one. A majority of members present voting in the affirmative, the bill passes. (Applause.)
Thank you. Thank you all for your participation. Mr. Decker, do you have any additional resolutions?
A resolution recognizing the week of September 18 through 24 as "Diaper Need Awareness Stated Meeting 125 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING Week" in Philadelphia, introduced today by Councilman Phillips and Councilman Harrity.
I just want to simply say that we need to do the best we can do to ensure that women and children have the opportunity to have -just families, diapers and so forth and the importance of supporting this initiative. So I want to thank all the colleagues for making this happen. Thank you. I motion -- excuse me. I motion for the passage of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.) Stated Meeting 126 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution honoring and congratulating the Champion of the Week, Chill Moody, a West Philadelphia born Hip Hop Artist and entrepreneur for being the first Community Artist in Residence at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, introduced today by Councilman Thomas and Councilman Jones.
Yeah. Council President, I want to also echo the sentiments of my colleague Councilman Isaiah Thomas in honoring an extraordinary rap artist, Chill Moody, who represents the City of Philadelphia in the finest of matters. Stated Meeting 127 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING He also has been a guest of the Point Breeze Community Appreciation Day, but I also was proud to watch him become a, I guess you call it, a rap curator at the Mann Music Center. And so these congratulations and this honoring of him is very, very well deserved. And, most importantly, Council President, he's a well -- as a young man, he conducts himself like a very, very fine young man, like how he carry himself, how he go about his business. And he also has his own beverage drink called Nice Things. So for those that like -- y'all that like to drink beer, I want to encourage you to get a copy of Nice Things. Thank you, Council President.
Thank you. Councilman Thomas, call for a motion.
Thank you, Council President. Stated Meeting 128 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING Thank you, colleagues. I move for the adoption of the resolution. And I want to thank my co-introducer of the bill, the District Councilperson, Councilman Jones. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution supporting the National Minority Business Development Agency by recognizing October 2 through October 6, 2023 as Philadelphia Minority Enterprise Stated Meeting 129 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING Development Week, which provides critical information, resources, opportunities, and inspiration to the minority business community, introduced today by Councilman Jones.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution authorizing the City Council Committee on Public Safety to hold public hearings Stated Meeting 130 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING examining "three strikes you're out laws" and to understand their potential impact on retail theft in Philadelphia, introduced today by Councilman Jones.
Thank you again, Mr. President. I move for the adoption. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. Councilman Johnson, did you need to speak?
Yes, Council President. Last comment for the Stated Meeting 131 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING day. I do want to commend my colleague for this resolution, because part of the strategy and why we're talking about the issue of addiction and we talk about safe injection sites is because part of the failed policies that enable individuals to steal up to a certain amount of dollars before they're actually held accountable is why we see the continuously of stores being robbed pretty much day in and day out. And so hopefully this will be an opportunity for us to force the issue on -- I mean, you know, my approach is the carrot and the stick. If you don't want to get into a treatment program, right, it should be mandatory, right? That's how you get long-term treatment as opposed to allowing the situation to fester, right? And I'm speaking from just -- I mean, we all grew up in Philadelphia, so we all had somebody in our families or somebody -- seven degrees Stated Meeting 132 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING of relationships that we've seen either pass away, deal with addiction. And so it's not new to us. This didn't just all the sudden happen. I come from a generation of the crack epidemic, right, and we didn't have safe crack houses, just to be quite frank with you, and we lost a generation of young people to that epidemic. But this all goes toward how this next train that we're going to have around retail theft and enabling individuals who go on in the store, need to get their fix, so I'm going to keep robbing you so I'm going to continue to get high, and part of that is based upon that policy that says you can steal up to a certain amount before you will be held accountable. That has to go. So thank you, Chairman Jones, for introducing that resolution, and we look forward to a robust conversation around how we address that issue. Thank you. Stated Meeting 133 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brooks.
Mr. President, I would like to be excused for Council business, and I vote aye on all bills and resolutions.
Thank you, Councilwoman. Let the record reflect Councilwoman Brooks has been granted leave and is voting aye on all bills and resolutions. Mr. Decker, go ahead.
And a resolution commemorating the 60th anniversary of the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, honoring the lives of those lost, and recognizing the Reverend Arthur Price Jr., Philadelphia native and pastor at 16th Street Baptist, for his continued work on behalf of the community, introduced today by Councilman Stated Meeting 134 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING Johnson.
Thank you, Council President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution authorizing the Committee on People with Disabilities and Special Needs to hold hearings regarding the issues, challenges, and misdiagnoses for children and their families dealing with Stated Meeting 135 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING Ehlers-Danlos syndromes, introduced today by Councilwoman Vaughn.
Mr. President, I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution authorizing the Committee on Neighborhood Services to hold hearings regarding the use of ZIP Codes as a proxy for discriminatory actions by businesses and Stated Meeting 136 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING other service providers, introduced today by Councilman Harrity.
I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution authorizing and ratifying Councilmember O'Neill's appeal, on behalf of and as representative of City Council, of the decision of the Zoning Board of Adjustment with respect to 2901 Grant Stated Meeting 137 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING Avenue, introduced today by Councilman O'Neill.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move the adoption. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution honoring Rafael Villamil for his outstanding work and advocacy regarding art in various forms, representing his childhood in Santurce, Puerto Rico and his adopted hometown of Philadelphia, Stated Meeting 138 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING Pennsylvania, where he lives and continues this important work around the importance of Latino art, introduced today by Councilwoman Bass.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution calling on the Committee on Streets and Services to hold hearings regarding traffic calming measures in the City of Stated Meeting 139 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING Philadelphia and the status of the implementation of speed cushions, bike lanes, delineators and other tools to decrease pedestrian injuries and fatalities, as well as property damage, introduced today by Councilwoman Bass.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
There are no Stated Meeting 140 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING other resolutions on the Final Passage Calendar, Mr. President.
Thank you very much, Mr. Decker. That concludes our -- almost concludes our Calendar for today. We will now move to our special business, also known as a veto override of Bill No. 230448. We will proceed with the consideration of Bill No. 230448, which was passed by Council at its June 22nd, 2023 session, which was returned disapproved by the Mayor at today's session. The Chief Clerk will please read the title of Bill No. 230448.
An ordinance amending Chapter 14-500 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Overlay Zoning Districts," by amending Section 14-514, entitled /FNE, Far Northeast Overlay District, Section 14-515, entitled Northeast Overlay District, and Stated Meeting 141 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING Section 14-524, entitled Fourth District Overlay District, by creating regulations for Medical Marijuana.
Thank you. This bill having been read on two different days -- Councilman Jones, did you -
Okay. This bill having been read on -did you want to be recognized?
First day back. This bill having been read on two different days was duly approved by City Council on June 22nd, 2023 and was returned to Council by the Mayor disapproved at today's session. The question is shall Bill No. 230448 pass notwithstanding the Mayor's disapproval. Please note that a vote of aye Stated Meeting 142 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING is a vote to override the Mayor's veto. A vote of nay is a vote to sustain the Mayor's veto. And, Mr. Decker, please call the roll.
Aye. Stated Meeting 143 9/14/2023 9/14/23 - STATED - 2ND READING
Aye. The ayes are 14; the nays are zero. Two-thirds majority of all members of Council having voted in the affirmative, the Mayor's veto is overridden. This now completes our Calendar for today. And the part that we have all been waiting for, are there any speeches on the part of the minority? The Chair recognizes no one. Are there speeches on behalf of the majority? The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Vaughn.
All right. Thank you, Council President, and welcome back, everyone. This afternoon -- this morning has been quite interesting. As a new academic year and legislative session gets underway, I want to take a moment to urge people to wake up. The last 18 months have been a Stated Meeting 145 9/14/2023 historic rulings from an increasingly right-leaning Supreme Court and the many subsequent policy changes that have followed, from the repeal of Roe v. Wade in 2022 and ongoing attacks on reproductive rights, to this year's rejection of affirmative action and the initiative to ease the burden of student loans to millions of Americans. Now, more than ever, you must pay attention. While it's heartening to see recent headlines in the Inquirer and elsewhere outlining efforts to push back against affirmative action decisions and other legal outcomes such as discontinuing of legacy admissions at some highly competitive schools and other considerations to further diversify the college admission process, we must understand what these outcomes mean to our communities. You must educate yourself about who is doing what and how it can benefit Stated Meeting 146 9/14/2023 in the long term. Please pay attention to what's happening, not just at the federal level but also in your home backyard. We're at a pivotal point in our city and the nation's history. It frustrates the hell out of me that people keep missing the significance of local policies and elections and the implications they have on our livelihoods and personal freedoms, like our rights to clean air and voting. Remember, elections do not just happen every four years. Elections happen twice a year, people. Pay attention. Know who is influencing legislation and the policy that impacts your life and the lives of our children at the ground level. Be clear on what changes are happening within our schools and elsewhere and what that means to Black and brown kids from underserved neighborhoods. Stated Meeting 147 9/14/2023 of life is being changed for better or worse by those in leadership, particularly regarding issues like public safety and the never-ending gun violence in our city. Understand that your vote is ultimately and only your voice. Otherwise, don't you dare complain about anything that what being woke means, living with your eyes wide open. Our civil liberties are under threat now more than ever, and it is past time for everyone to wake up. Thank you, Council President. (Applause.)
Thank you, Councilwoman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Phillips.
Thank you, Council President. Stated Meeting 148 9/14/2023 quickly note from earlier the second time I made this mistake, I just -- I move the adoption of the resolution instead of motion. So I just want to make that clear being corrected. But I also want to just make a quick announcement, that we are going to be having some block meetings in the Ninth District. One of the things that I always wanted to make sure that our community understood was that I wanted to bring resources to our neighborhoods directly to their houses and be ever so present. So we're having -- just announcement for those watching from the Ninth District, we have one tonight in Olney from 6:00 to 7:30 at the 5700 block of North Howard Street. We also have one next week in West Oak Lane, Tuesday, on the 7000 block of Forrest Avenue from 6:00 to 7:30. And then in Mount Airy, we have one on the 1100 block of Dorset on September 21st from 6:00 to 7:30. And Stated Meeting 149 9/14/2023 one, on the 1300 block of Unruh Street on September 28th from 6:00 to 7:30. So just come out to the block meetings, learn about City resources, and hear from other City leaders about how we can work together to make our neighborhoods stronger. Thank you.
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Squilla.
Thank you, Mr. President, and I just have to say a few things today. And I'm usually not one to speak, but I find it very hard to dissertate and understand how people are opposed to community input. The bill that we passed today on safe injection sites is allowing the communities to have a say in the process. It's not even saying they have to support it or oppose it or anything, but just to Stated Meeting 150 9/14/2023 the process. Yet, there was people here today testifying saying that people who live in the community don't have that right to even talk about it or have a conversation with somebody who is going to bring a proposal into their neighborhood. You know, we're dealing with big projects right now, like the Arena District and other things, and we're having a whole bunch of community processes in that, and nobody is saying that you have to have 100 percent support or 20 percent support or anything like that, but there needs to be community input in those processes. And today we have elected officials say, no, you shouldn't have community input. I find that hard to swallow in that we represent people in the communities. And, again, we're not saying you got to have 10 percent, you have 15 percent. We're not saying any of that. All we're saying is you need Stated Meeting 151 9/14/2023 input, and yet there's people voting against giving community members a say in the process. So the reason why I supported that bill is because we are here to get community input and we are here to make a final decision at the end, and this actually goes to a zoning board, who is an outside body from Council, to make that decision. And so we support this bill. We support the community input and, again, we should as elected officials understand whether -- I don't have -whether we agree with something or disagree with something, we shouldn't exclude the community from that because we strongly feel something strong about the circumstance. So thank you so much, and hopefully that people will understand that moving forward.
Thank you, Councilman. Thank you for Stated Meeting 152 9/14/2023 clarification, for those that don't know. The Chair recognizes Councilman Jones.
Mr. President, I want to thank all of my colleagues for deliberating on hard issues. It's when we disagree and want to kind of debate an issue strongly, passionately but respectfully that I admire us the most. If 17 people always agree on everything, 16 of them aren't necessary. So that's why we have this forum, that's why we have this process, and at the end of the day, that's why we come out with pretty good public policy. I rose today -- I wasn't going to say anything because Member Thomas wants to go to lunch, but I feel compelled to report back about last night. I had the honor of being at a meeting. It was about public safety. It was in your district up at the church on, Stated Meeting 153 9/14/2023 think, 3200 block of Broad Street, and it was a coalition of ACLU, it was Black Votes Matter. It was a number of them. And I sat through the three hours that they did it. It started a little late. But what I want to tell you is that we have to do more of the dialogue, difficult conversations where people who don't necessarily agree with everything that we're doing, because out of that, you get better understanding. So I say that because the issue is public safety, and you have some people who are expert, as nominee Parker said, expert pontificators of the -- say it again for me.
Articulating the problem. And I respect that, because you have to kind of first understand what the nature of the problem. But for me, let's get to the solutions. At the end of the day, that's what counts. Stated Meeting 154 9/14/2023 doing, I was ferreting through a lot of the long -you think we're long? You should have been there last night. But there was a group of young people that were out of West Philly, not in my district but I think they were in Jamie's district, Movita Johnson's people. Those were some of the best speakers in the whole conference, because after every issue that they raised, they raised a potential solution. They talked about conflict resolution that I heard from you, Member, I heard from you first, and they talk about they need more of that in schools. They didn't read your legislation, but they understood it to be true. These are young people that said, you know, to us that what matters is not showing up for the photo opp. They want consistency, that they can rely on us and be there for them. And that rung -- that tattooed my heart, because they're the ones going through it, Stated Meeting 155 9/14/2023 16-year-olds, 17-year-olds going through it every day, scared to go to school. They were at school, a gunfight breaks out, and you could see the trauma on them. So I listened to that. So what I want to urge us to do, and hopefully we will all play a role in the summit on gun violence and crime that I want everybody to play a part of, but that we come up with solutions that we can present to the 100th Mayor. We made a trip to a number of cities, and what came clear to me was that they were able to get along. And they didn't always agree, but they all together committed to put down their egos at the door and work on the problem. If we can evolve to that state, I absolutely believe that the solutions to gun violence and to crime are within our reach. So at St. Joe's, we're going to have that conference. If you have ideas out there, those who are listening, send Stated Meeting 156 9/14/2023 hear the problem, yeah, yeah, but tell me what we're going to do about it. If I hear another "thoughts and prayers" without solutions, I'm going to scream. So thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Bass.
Thank you, Mr. President. I just really wanted to thank Councilwoman Lozada and also Councilman Harrity for the legislation today and for moving forward with it, and I just really wanted to give them kudos publicly, because I know that this is hard. This is not something that -- this is not an issue that is easily dismissed. I think sometimes it's easy, or it seems to be easy, to draw a very clear line and to say if you don't vote this way, if you don't think this way, if you Stated Meeting 157 9/14/2023 thing, then you don't care. And nothing could be further from the truth. And we all care. The difference is, we disagree on how to address the problem, and fundamentally that is what is happening right now. You know, I don't agree that having safe injection sites, unless you can have one on every corner, is going to have the impact that advocates say. There's still so many questions that are out there that haven't been answered by the advocates, such as what if my daughter, a teenager, shows up to use, are you going to admit her? What if I show up and I'm with child and I don't know, are you going to test me prior? Is there a pregnancy test involved prior? What if I show up visibly pregnant, do you allow me to use? What if I drive up and then I use and drive away? Who is responsible? Is the City of Philadelphia liable for whatever happens once you get behind the wheel of a car? Stated Meeting 158 9/14/2023 of very important unanswered questions that need to be addressed before I think we can have any sort of conversation otherwise. And I think that one of the things we see among the folks from the community, they just want to have a say, and I think that fundamentally every community should have a right to say what goes into their neighborhood, whether it's a safe injection site, a stop-and-go, a smoke shop. You know, people should have a say as to what's happening in their community. So I just really wanted to say thank you, Councilwoman Lozada and also Councilman Harrity, because, again, these are just really not easy decisions. We all know someone who is affected by addiction. We all probably have loved someone who is affected by addiction. I know I lost my 27-year-old niece last summer through addiction, who was a mother of a newborn baby. Stated Meeting 159 9/14/2023 that we are unaffected really just doesn't even touch the surface of what we're trying to do here and who we are and what they're trying to accomplish as well. So I thank everyone for supporting this legislation, and thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you. That concludes our speeches on behalf of the minority -- I'm sorry. I mean, I can't see what I can't see. Did you press it?
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Harrity.
I Stated Meeting 160 9/14/2023 One percent, one percent, that is the number of individuals who actually asked about treatment in New York's facility. One percent. So for somebody who is in recovery -- and I get the families that are upset because their loved ones have died and they're looking for anything that may have prolonged their life. And I get it, because I was there, but when I tell you that giving them a place to get high is only keeping them out there longer. We need to make it easier for them to get into long-term treatment. These people need long-term treatment. Three months is not going to do it for them. We need six months, with follow-up. And that's why I'm so happy that Councilwoman Lozada has picked the lead up on this and has run with it. You know, I've been calling her the little fireball, because whenever we go out to the meetings, she gets it, you know. Stated Meeting 161 9/14/2023 And, listen, we are not unsympathetic. None of us here want any of our people to die. We don't want these poor people to die. I don't want them to die. I want to save as many of them as I possibly can, and that is by getting them into recovery, because otherwise they will never have a life. Giving them a maintenance program so that they can stay zombified is not it. And, listen, I'm not sure of all the things. I'll be the first to admit that. I'm not sure of all the things that we should be doing, but I know one thing, I know that's not it. So thank you, Quetcy. Thank you everybody else who voted for this, you know, and let's just keep on trying to help these people by getting them into recovery. Thank you.
Thank you, Councilman. That concludes our speeches on Stated Meeting 162 9/14/2023 and the majority for today's session. With that, the Chair recognizes Councilman Squilla for a motion to adjourn.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, September 21, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It has been moved and properly seconded that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, September 21, 2023, 10:00 a.m. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
Thank you all very much. ) Stated Meeting 164 9/14/2023 CERTIFICATE I HEREBY CERTIFY that the proceedings, evidence and objections are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me upon the foregoing matter, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. MICHELE L.