Thank you. If there are no questions or concerns, we will leave the hearing part of our deliberations and enter our stated meeting. The first bill to be considered that we talked about today is Bill No. 20 070673, and this is on the general obligation bonds, and the Chair calls on Councilman Ramos for a motion.
Madam Chair, I move that Bill No. 070673 be reported out of Committee with a favorable 106 10/18/07 - FINANCE - BILL 070541, ETC. recommendation. I further move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit the first reading of this bill at our next Council meeting. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and seconded that Bill No. 9 070673 be reported out of Committee with a favorable recommendation and, furthermore, that the rules be suspended in order to permit consideration at our next session of Council. All in favor will say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and so this bill is reported out. The next bill to be considered is Bill No. 070541, and the Chair calls on Councilman Greenlee for an amendment.
Thank 107 10/18/07 - FINANCE - BILL 070541, ETC. you, Madam Chair. I move the amendment to Bill No. 070541 be approved. The amendment was circulated. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and seconded that the amendment to Bill No. 070541 be adopted. All in favor will say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and so the amendment is adopted. The Chair now calls on Councilman Greenlee for a motion on the bill as amended.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that Bill 22 070541 as amended be reported out of this Committee with a favorable recommendation and, further, that the rules of Council be suspended to allow for first reading 108 10/18/07 - FINANCE - BILL 070541, ETC. at our next session of Council. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and seconded that Bill No. 6 070541 as amended be reported out of Committee with a favorable recommendation and, furthermore, that the rules be suspended so as to permit first reading at our next session of Council. All in favor will say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the bill is reported out. The next bill is Bill No. 20 070693, and the Chair calls on Councilman Goode.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Proposed amendments to this bill have been circulated to members of the Committee. They're found in your 109 10/18/07 - FINANCE - BILL 070541, ETC. second package. I'm going to run through the amendments very quickly. On the first page of the amendments, they are simply technical amendments to clarify language. So the words "shall be provided" simply moved within Subsection (1) to a different part of the sentence so that it reads more clearly. Also, there's a question as to what subcontractors will be covered under the bill and whether there's any relationship to the value of their subcontract. So there's an amendment that suggests that all subcontractors, regardless of the value of the subcontract, will be included under the bill. On the second page of the bill, it deals with the issue of adequate healthcare benefits. That language is struck to now read "the same benefits as are provided to other full-time employees." 110 10/18/07 - FINANCE - BILL 070541, ETC. Also, there's an amendment with regard to the support for education, and that language now reads "at least $2,000 during each of the first two years of employment and $1,000 during the third year of employment." Also, there was a concern about residency issues. There's language that's being added that says "and has been a Philadelphia resident either continuously since being released from incarceration or for at least three years before being hired." Also, there was no effective date for the bill, so there's language being added now that makes the bill 18 effective immediately and for tax year 2008 with regard to the tax credit. Lastly, the issue I raised earlier about the fact that this is a tax credit or was a tax credit for businesses. We want to extend the opportunities to the non-profit sector as well, so the program will be offering a 111 10/18/07 - FINANCE - BILL 070541, ETC. $10,000 grant to non-profits in addition to a $10,000 tax credit to businesses. The program is still capped at a thousand employees so it does not change the cost of the program. And that's the amendments in a nutshell. So I move for the adoption of the amendments to Bill No. 070693. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and seconded that the amendments to Bill No. 070693 be adopted. All in favor will say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and so the amendments have been adopted. The Chair now recognizes Councilman Goode for a motion on the amended bill.
Thank you, 112 10/18/07 - FINANCE - BILL 070541, ETC. Madam Chair. I move that Bill No. 070693 as amended be reported out of the Committee with a favorable recommendation and that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading at our next Council session. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and seconded that Bill No. 11 070693 as amended be reported out of Committee with a favorable recommendation and, furthermore, that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading at our next session of Council. All in favor will say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and so the bill is reported out. Thank you very much. Let me 113 10/18/07 - FINANCE - BILL 070541, ETC. thank all members of the Finance Committee, all of you who have come to testify and all of you who have come just to support issues of concern. Thank you very much. This concludes our Finance Committee. (Committee on Finance adjourned at 3:00 p.m.) - - - 114 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 on October 18, 2007, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. ______________________________ MICHELE L. MURPHY RPR-Notary Public (The foregoing certification of this transcript does not apply to any reproduction of the same by any means, unless under the direct control and/or supervision of the certifying reporter.)