Aye. Mr. Decker, was Councilman Oh back for the report?
Okay. Thank you. The ayes are 17; the nays are zero. Two-thirds of all members of the Council having voted in the affirmative, Resolution No. 200216 has been adopted. Mr. Decker, please read the Stated Meeting June 25, 2020 6/25/20 - STATED - 2ND READING title of Resolution No. 200377.
A resolution proposing an amendment to the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter to provide for the creation of a Citizens Police Oversight Commission, and to authorize City Council by ordinance to determine the composition, powers, and duties of the Commission; and providing for the submission of the amendment to the electors of Philadelphia.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Jones for a motion on the resolution.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
Moved and seconded the resolution be adopted. Because Resolution No. 200377 is an amendment to the Home Rule Charter, it requires two-thirds vote. Therefore, Stated Meeting June 25, 2020 6/25/20 - STATED - 2ND READING the question is shall this resolution be adopted. The Chief Clerk will call the roll.
Aye. Stated Meeting June 25, 2020 6/25/20 - STATED - 2ND READING
Council President Clarke. Stated Meeting June 25, 2020 6/25/20 - STATED - 2ND READING
Aye. Two-thirds of all members of Council having voted in the affirmative, Resolution No. 200377 has been adopted. Mr. Decker, please read the title of Bill No. 200147.
An ordinance amending Subcode F of Title 4 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "The Philadelphia Fire Code," to establish limitations on the use of hydrogen fluoride and hydrofluoric acid.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question is now shall the bill pass finally. Mr. Decker, call the roll.
Councilman Domb. Stated Meeting June 25, 2020 6/25/20 - STATED - 2ND READING
Councilwoman Stated Meeting June 25, 2020 6/25/20 - STATED - 2ND READING Parker.
Aye. The ayes are 17; the nays are zero. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. Mr. Decker, 200285.
An ordinance to adopt a Capital Program for the six Fiscal Years 2021 through 2026 inclusive.
I believe Councilman Domb wanted to speak Stated Meeting June 25, 2020 6/25/20 - STATED - 2ND READING prior to this bill.
Thank you. (Inaudible) -- services for our residents and businesses (inaudible). Thank you, Council President Clarke and our budget work group, Councilwoman Parker, Squilla, Quinones-Sanchez, and Green for your hard work in putting this budget together.
Councilman Domb, we are having a really difficult time hearing you.
Okay. You're going to call back right now? Because we have a vote on the Stated Meeting June 25, 2020 6/25/20 - STATED - 2ND READING floor. (No response.)
Mr. Decker, we're going to come back when Councilman Domb gets connected. I'm not sure when he'll be ready, so we're going to move on since we did not initiate the vote. Mr. Decker, just read the title of 200286.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. Mr. Decker, call the roll.
Councilman Domb. (No response.) Stated Meeting June 25, 2020 6/25/20 - STATED - 2ND READING
Councilwoman Parker. Stated Meeting June 25, 2020 6/25/20 - STATED - 2ND READING
Aye. The ayes are 16; the nays are zero. A majority of all members present voting in the affirmative, the bill passes. Mr. Decker, please read the title of 200287.
An ordinance adopting the Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2021.
I believe, Councilwoman Brooks, I have Stated Meeting June 25, 2020 6/25/20 - STATED - 2ND READING indicated that you want to speak.
Yes. Yes, I do. Thank you, Council President. So I just -- I will be voting no today on two bills. I will be voting no on Bill No. m. Committee meeting. I want to briefly explain my reasoning. First, regarding the Keystone Opportunity Zone, I have concerns about providing a corporation like Hilco with major tax breaks. I want to recognize the work of my colleague Councilmember Johnson to work through these concerns, and he has made great progress on maximizing the benefits to the community, but I worry that there's insufficient and legal accountability to ensure that the KOZ site upholds their commitments to the community. Stated Meeting June 25, 2020 6/25/20 - STATED - 2ND READING Furthermore, the City's own analysis of KOZ sites concluded that Opportunity Zones are suboptimal policies. The 1,300 acres of land on the refinery site have been used to pollute, endanger, and extract wealth from black communities for far too long, and our residents deserve better, so I'll be voting no. Second, the Operating Budget, Bill 287, eliminates only 19 million increase proposed from the FY21 Philadelphia Police Department budget, a decision that was made by Mayor Kenney and his Administration. It moves crossing guards and safety officers out of the Police budget. It, therefore, includes no real cuts to the Police budget for FY21, and I believe that that is a mistake. My Council colleagues and their staff members have worked incredibly hard over the past few weeks analyzing and amending the FY21 budget, and the Stated Meeting June 25, 2020 6/25/20 - STATED - 2ND READING Operating Budget bill includes a number of improvements. Restoring funding to Philadelphia -- I'm sorry; Pennsylvania Immigrant Family Unity Project, the Housing Trust Act, adult education programs, anti-poverty programs, and the African American Museum are all changes that will have tangible impact on the lives of our constituents, especially those most vulnerable to the impacts of COVID-19, and I want to commend my colleagues for fighting for affordable housing, immigrant communities, and poor, working-class families when they need it the most. The Philadelphia that our community members deserve and the Philadelphia that we are fighting for in the streets can only be realized through bold changes. Restoring funding to critical programs that were cut is not enough. Keeping the PPD budget at FY20 is not enough. I cannot accept a budget that allows the Philadelphia Police Stated Meeting June 25, 2020 6/25/20 - STATED - 2ND READING Department to make up 15 percent of the total operation budget when they have failed to historically make our communities safer. The PPD budget has been increased at a rate that far surpasses any other department, despite the fact that the violence in our city remains rampant and the clearance rates of homicide have been stagnant. Displays of excessive force against protesters, hostility towards journalists, and rallying behind violent vigilante groups has further called into question whether the PPD's budget is justified. If the Police Departments were our schools, we would have long ago threatened with closure. We could not continue to pour our trust and our resources into institutions that have continued to exhibit racism and perpetuate violence against the most vulnerable communities. It is a false promise that increasing the Police presence makes Stated Meeting June 25, 2020 6/25/20 - STATED - 2ND READING communities safer. Poor, working-class communities of color are suffering from high rates of COVID-19, gun violence, lack of affordable housing and healthcare, unemployment, and underfunded toxic schools. Policing is not the remedy to this. What our neighborhoods need is investments, resources, and opportunities. A fair budget is not just an adjustment to the status quo. A fair budget would confront structural problems with structural changes.
We must develop lasting strategies to cut the root causes of homelessness, gun violence, chemical dependency, environmental racism, and poverty, because policing and imprisonment are not solutions. They simply exacerbate existing social problems. This is what our constituents have been saying for months, cut Police funding, invest in communities. And I'm here because the movement that elected me into office, and it is important for me Stated Meeting June 25, 2020 6/25/20 - STATED - 2ND READING to advocate on the behalf of people who do not have a voice. For decades, poor and working-class black and brown communities have been left out of this political process, and if we are serious about addressing systemic racism, the ongoing pandemic, economic uncertainty, and severe inequality, we need to start by giving these community members a voice and decisions directly impacting their lives. So the people want to be heard, and to pass a budget with no meaningful cuts to the Police Department at this time when thousands of Philadelphians are flooding the streets, occupying City buildings, calling, e-mailing, organizing, and rising up in grief and in rage, is clearly saying de-fund the police, would be a mistake. I cannot in good faith vote on a budget that shows disregard for the voices of our constituents. And when we Stated Meeting June 25, 2020 6/25/20 - STATED - 2ND READING fail to listen to the people that we serve, we fail to represent them. That's why I'll be voting no. And thank you, Council President.
Thank you, Council Lady. Let me go ahead -- Mr. Decker, read the title one more time on 287.
Mr. President, I'm reminded that the Council needs to pass the Capital Program before it passes the Operating Budget.
Bill No. 200285, entitled "An ordinance to adopt a Capital Program for the six Fiscal Years 2021 through 2026 inclusive."
Stated Meeting June 25, 2020 6/25/20 - STATED - 2ND READING Thank you. Councilman Domb, did you want to be recognized?
Today I'm voting in favor of the Fiscal 21 budget to ensure that vital services for our residents and businesses are delivered. I want to thank you, Council President Clarke, and our budget work group, Councilmembers Parker, Squilla, Quinones-Sanchez, and Green, for all of your hard work in putting this budget together. And I'd also like to thank Councilmember Curtis Jones for his participation in our final budget meeting where the goal was for all of us to reach Stated Meeting June 25, 2020 6/25/20 - STATED - 2ND READING a final consensus. We all made compromises in order to reach the goals approving a budget we felt best served the residents and businesses of Philadelphia, and each of us brought a perspective to the table to help craft the budget we're putting forward today. While I'm in favor and voting for this budget, it's not without great concern with the process and the outcome. My office put in over 30 requests for information to the Administration so we could help find additional savings, avoid tax increases, and restore funding for essential programs and services. Nearly all of our requests went unanswered, including the cost of a cadet class for prisons, overtime policies, expenses, and major contract costs. Philadelphians deserve better. They deserve to hear alternatives and not just broad-based alternatives, but calculated, well-thought-out alternatives Stated Meeting June 25, 2020 6/25/20 - STATED - 2ND READING based on facts, facts and details that make the transparency expectations of our public and certainly our City Council. One thing is certain. This Administration has been on a $900 million spending spree for the last four years and, in doing so, jeopardized funding for affordable housing, health services, arts and culture, workforce development, parks and rec, and this occurred at a time when it was needed most. This is a wake-up call for the City. The last few months have proven that even when Philadelphia experiences a few years of economic growth and increased revenues, there has to be corresponding impact for our people and for our city, impact that's transparent to everyone, because everyone has the right to know what's working and what's not. We need a city government that's relentlessly mindful of its spending and extremely focused on results for our people and businesses. Stated Meeting June 25, 2020 6/25/20 - STATED - 2ND READING We are off track right now, heading in the wrong direction. After investing 900 million, the question is what has been the measurable impact to poverty, crime, opioids, jobs, affordable housing, education or healthcare. We have to make tough decisions to get us through this pandemic, and today we're doing exactly that with this budget. But today also marks the moment my colleagues and I agree that the Administration must justify its ongoing spending and assure the City Council that our approved budget is being put to good use. We're putting the Administration on notice that we'll be holding quarterly meetings to the Committee on Fiscal Stability to address and better account for their spending, efficiency efforts, management practices, and strategic investments, as well as setting aspirational goals that we expect them to work towards for our short-term health and our long-term well-being. Stated Meeting June 25, 2020 6/25/20 - STATED - 2ND READING It's also clear that we're a city in need of a plan for its economic future. Today I'm calling on all my colleagues to support the creation of the Special Committee on the Future Economy of Philadelphia, and with the support of you, Council President, I ask all of you to work with us and other stakeholders to develop policies and promote economic competitiveness, quality, and expansion for our city and all its people. It's time now we get serious about our jobs crisis and intentionally build a shared economy for all Philadelphians.
I look forward to joining my colleagues in designing ambitious and comprehensive reforms that create a stronger roadmap for our city's future economy. It's time for big change in the City, and these two efforts are just the start of what's to come. We must become the City everyone expects us to be, one that's equitable, inventive, and Stated Meeting June 25, 2020 6/25/20 - STATED - 2ND READING resilient. And I want to thank all my colleagues and you, Council President, for your willingness to do this with me. Thank you. Thank you, Council President.
Thank you, Councilman. Real quick, I just want to remind everyone that as a part of the budget process, we do have a $1 billion stand-by appropriation that will give us an opportunity during the course of the next several months to not only receive federal and state dollars as it relates to CARES, but also gives us an opportunity to adjust and look at possible realignments of budgets as we move ahead. So it was important for us to move from the 800 million initially to one billion in anticipation of the possibility of some changes, because as was said earlier, this is unlike any budget process that I've ever been in and Stated Meeting June 25, 2020 6/25/20 - STATED - 2ND READING I'm assuming everybody here, understanding the shortness and all of the challenges, but it's unlikely that we will not be back at some point during the next couple of months to address this budget again, but right now we must move forward and adhere to the Charter-mandated balanced budget. And I don't want to be corny and say as the guy in the suit, whatever his name, Arnold Schwarzenegger said, I'll be back, but we will be back. I mean, it's the simple reality based on what we have to do. So with that, Mr. Decker, you read the title. This bill having been read on two different days, the question is now shall the bill pass finally. Chief Clerk will call the roll.
Aye. Stated Meeting June 25, 2020 6/25/20 - STATED - 2ND READING
Aye. Stated Meeting June 25, 2020 6/25/20 - STATED - 2ND READING
Council President Clarke, it's Allan Domb. I'd like to vote aye.
Because we were getting ready to talk about you real bad if you didn't come Stated Meeting June 25, 2020 6/25/20 - STATED - 2ND READING back on that line. All right. The ayes are 17; the nays are zero.
Thank you. We'll go back to 287. Why don't you, Mr. Decker, I think read that title again.
Bill No. 200287, entitled "An ordinance adopting the Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2021."
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.
Councilwoman Brooks. Stated Meeting June 25, 2020 6/25/20 - STATED - 2ND READING