Well, I think we all agree with that. But you're talking about top level management down to the guy on the street. And basically what the CLIP Program is designed for, the people on the street are coordinating their efforts more closely than ever before. We can coordinate commissioners sitting in a room, or deputies, which is fine, but the people on the street are the real ones who make the difference, the supervisors and the guys cleaning the lots, the guys removing the graffiti to coordinate their efforts --
But you've been able to figure out a way to get people to cooperate?
Well, basically, yes and now we have to do it Citywide which is a bigger feat than it is just for one district. I mean, we are heading in that direction. I agree with you that we should do it Citywide and we are going to head that way. It just takes time. It took us close to nine months to complete Councilwoman Krajewski's district by sweeping the entire area.
I don't think anybody's prepared to wait that long. And while we're sitting around, having our little coordinating 758 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET conversations, our constituents are thinking other things.
I think if we do a complaint driven basis, we can do a lot sooner. We're not going to sweep the whole entire district. If the complaints come into your office or the Managing Director's Office we can get a better response. It also comes down to resources. When we're sending crews out to abate properties it costs money to do that. The Department of Licenses and Inspections -- I'm not positive -- but they only have several clean and seal crews. We would need more of them.
Well, is this going to be part of your planning effort to lay out?
We can't know of this issues or possibly even propose to give additional resources if we don't have the information or don't understand your constraints.
So in 30 days we're going to know what your role out plan is for the rest of the City? 759 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
In 30 days we're going to give you a plan as to where we are in trying to approach this on a Citywide basis. If I might say to you, this is what it's going to take to get there and this is what we have. We're not going to get there because we don't have enough resources. I'm going to give you the truth. I'm not going to give you something that says -- it's going to be wave a magic wand and it's going to be rolled out at any given time. It takes resources to do that.
That's the way I operate, Councilman. I'm not going to tell you something that I can't deliver.
Telling me anything else is not going to be helpful because we're just going to be having another long hearing.
But I will tell you in 30 days what the objectives are, what it will take to do that, what some of the impediments are. Some of the organizations we have in City government I will tell you they've been in every organization I've ever been in. Part of leadership is to get people to know -- as you know, we're all working for 760 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET the same folk. And that's part of my responsibility. But we will get you something in 30 days and tell you what we think the challenges are and what the opportunities are and when we think we can get from point A to point B.
Well, as you have these conversations with folks, why don't we just understand this: We are going to have it for everybody or we're not going to have it. I'm not going through another year of this kind of nonsense. Because it is nonsense. Now, we're either doing public policy or we're doing politics. Everybody should be getting the same level of service throughout the City. They're all taxpayers. They're paying big numbers. They deserve a certain level of service. It is now unacceptable. A program has been designed. It is clearly working. You know what to do. It is unacceptable that almost three-quarters of the City is not seeing the same level of service on these kind of issues. These are basic, fundamental violations of the Philadelphia Code and it should not be a function of where you live or who you are represented by as to what level of service you did. It is just inappropriate. It's 761 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET bad public policy and it will not been tolerated. I cannot be more clear. I cannot be more serious. I will not be any more vigilant on any issue we're working on other than this particular issue because constituents deserve it. I want to make sure everybody understands that. Im sure my time is up. I'll be back.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke.
Thank you, Madam President. I wanted to ask about the Adult Community Service Program. Just walk me down the process of the implementation, the original request from the community group or the little old lady on the block who has an alleyway that's blocked and there are no people in the community who are willing to help her. What happens? Talk to me.
With the Adult Community Service Program, which is a part of the NTI initiative, several years ago we had the Urban art Artscape Program, which dealt with youth, adjudicated youth. That was merged with the Mural Arts Program so that they had a more rounded 762 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET program. But a spin off of that was adults, nonviolent adults, needed somewhere to go to do their adjudicated hours. So the former Managing Director, Estelle Richman, and I came up with a plan for the Adult Community Service Program. It's been in existence I think since last June or July whereas they get assigned to the Managing Director's Office. We will sit in a Nuisance Night Court with Municipal Court, get them assigned to us. We will then go out with complaints from Councilmembers or through the Managing Director's Office or even with the other City entities that go out cleaning lots. They're responsible for cleaning lots, removing graffiti, sweeping streets. They're building flower boxes, doing some types of beautification. They work along with the Vacant Lot Program, with the Graffiti Program. They drive in the trucks with them, when they can, to help beautify the City. We don't have a huge backlog with requests. We do have a lot of requests from Council --
Hold it right there. When you talk about a huge backlog -- because I have a huge backlog and I need to figure out a way to get it to you. What's the phone number every citizen 763 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET calls? Who do they call?
That's the Adult Community Services phone number. Cathy Harris or Joann Killebrew.
The problem with -- if I can speak about the alleyways. A lot of times it's definitely a safety and a health issue with sending even community service offenders in to clean these alleyways. A lot of times the trash is so piled up, it's about four or five feet high. I don't think it's right that community service offenders would have to clean that out, especially when the homeowners aren't assisting them. So we make it a precedent that they must have at least 10 homeowners working with us. We will provide the trash bags. We will provide the equipment. We will provide the trash hauling.
At least 10 on the block to work with us. It's got to be a community effort. Because if they don't partake in the process, 764 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET they're not going to want to keep it clean.
In what capacity are they required to participate, the community residents?
Well, I would like to at least have percent of the people on the block be 8 involved. 9
In many blocks we have blocks where there are predominately senior citizens, people who traditionally wouldn't be able to do this type of work. Are we going to say, if 10 percent of you people on the block don't come out, we're not going help.
You'd be surprised, because they're probably the 10 percent that do want to help us out. They provide lemon aide.
I'm sorry to say that I would be surprised in some cases if 10 percent do come out.
No. I'm saying that senior citizens are the ones that are more prone to help us out than the younger folks. 765 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
What are they required to do? You're not asking a senior citizen to go in the alley and lift a refrigerator? You said, you give me this percent requirement. 6 What else is associated with the 10 percent? 7
We ask for 10 percent. We 8 just like it to be community effort. We don't want 9 to send City crews in there or actually community 10 service offenders in there to clean alleyways and not have the support of the community because it won't work. A lot of times there are dogs in the back yards. People get scared. Trash is piled so high we have to go through their houses to get to the backyard. We're talking about these small alleyways that are roughly three feet wide. It has to be a community effort. I don't like sending community service offenders out there no matter what they did to clean someone's alley out if they're not going to support it.
I don't understand that. These people are mandated by the court to provide community service?
And you're telling 766 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET me that if we can't get a certain percentage of the residents on the block that they're not required to do that work on that particular block?
Well, I'm talking about alleyways. If it's cleaning a vacant lot --
We've identified a particular category of need. I'm assuming that we've chosen alleyways because municipal workers no 10 longer do that type of activities.
So why are we requiring that the residents participate at a certain level, certain threshold, in order to allow individuals that are mandated by the courts based on some violation of some law somewhere do that work?
Well, basically, Councilman, because if they don't get involved in the process and if they don't want to work with us to clean up the alleyways, we're going to clean it up once; they're going to throw the trash right back out there again and we're not going to solve the problem.
So it's the aftermath. 767 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
So it has nothing to do with asking those guys to do this difficult work?
It's more about in order to maintain it. We clean it up. If they're not involved in the process in helping us clean up the alleyway, then they're not going to really want to maintain it. They'll throw their trash right back out there because they figure we're going to come back out again and do it again, clean it up for them. They've got to be involved in it.
They remove graffiti. They clean vacant lots. They beautify vacant lots. Sweep underpasses. Things a lot of times that have slipped through the cracks of other agencies. A lot of times we do put them out, if they got caught doing graffiti vandalism, we'll put them in a truck and have them remove graffiti. Short dumping. Of course, we'll have them clean up vacant lots, so on and so forth.
So is the alleyway cleaning the only activity that there's a 768 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET requirement to have neighborhood participation?
With respect to individuals who are in this program, are there also included in a program individuals who are released into or living in a pre-release facility? I know at some point an individual comes to the end of their sentence. They're then transitioned into the community by going into a pre-release center. Are they also a part of this program?
Yes. Diversified Health Systems, I believe is one them that comes to mind. Anybody that actually has community service hours assigned to them can do their hours through the Managing Director's Office.
Okay. So that's all tied in automatically to this particular phone number, this particular department.
We monitor their hours and report back to whatever agency assigned them to us, whether it be the courts or health systems.
It's my understanding in a number of the drug treatment facilities that there are also programs that either 769 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET require or request individuals that are in drug treatment programs, particularly the ones living in these type of housing units do some community service as a part of their recovery; is that program tied into --
My name is Mark Bencivengo. I'm the Director of CODAAP. There are a number of facilities in Philadelphia known as recovery houses. They're not licensed to drug treatment programs. There are no licensed drug treatment programs that are part of the project that was just being discussed. A number of the recovery programs, however, many of which are independent programs, One Day at a Time, Recovery King, and so forth, their folks do community service as part of 770 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET their living in the houses. It's more of a I would put it a voluntary activity on the part of the people living in the houses with the strong encouragement of the individuals who run those houses. We know most of those recovery houses, although the majority of them are not part of the drug treatment network. And we encourage them to be good neighbors within their communities and do that kind of work. In fact, a number of them that initially faced some community opposition within neighborhoods are now embraced by those neighborhoods because of the kind of work they do on behalf of beautifying and sustaining those neighborhoods.
Are we, government, tied in any, way, shape or form into that program? Do we assist them with equipment or are we just happy that they're doing, but we don't get actively involved?
We don't get involved with those. We have a number of recovery houses that are known as our Housing Initiative. I believe there are about 343 slots within recovery houses that are supported by the county office. But there 771 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET are many, many other recovery houses in Philadelphia that are not supported by the county office. For the ones that are supported we supply them with a per diem amount of money for the individuals there and then they will use that money to buy supplies. But it's not a line item in the budget because all of these programs are fee-for-service programs, not program-funded programs.
Councilwoman Tasco, could I request a five-minute break, please?
The Committee is now back in Session. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brown.
Thank you, Madam President. I still had one, I guess, outstanding question around the Anti-Graffiti Network. I did hear a complete answer with regard to the continued 772 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET involvement with Municipal Court, but I don't believe I heard an answer to the question on the prevention side of this. We are now entering our third decade, Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti being created in 1983 by the former Mayor, W. Wilson Goode. And again looking at the budget, any thinking or strategies given to the prevention side of the equation for young people who engage in this behavior?
Thomas Conway, Deputy Managing Director. With the prevention side of it, Jane Golden with the Mural Arts Program, she's the one who works with the different schools on the curriculum, working with them. We also have the Police Neighborhood Services Unit that go out once in a while and talk to schools. But usually that would be better answered by Jane Golden.
Okay. I appreciate that. Thank you very much. I clearly did not hear that in your last answer. Earlier this week, we heard both interesting and informative testimony from the Office of Productivity. They shared with us at that time that there are a number of agencies on-line or 773 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET have just started involvement with the Office of Productivity, namely DHS and OESS, so you should know at the end of that process I'm interested in a report that comes as a result of that involvement. But I'm curious to know, given depleting budgets and where we have to work leaner, we also have to work smarter. Who makes the decision that it's time for a particular department or unit to sit down with the Office of Productivity?
I think that's basically the Managing Director's job is to really be working with the commissioners and working with the departments on how they can be working more effectively and efficiency. Part of that's looking at our work processes. Some of it's looking at how do we better use technology. I happen to believe a lot of it's about how do we work better with each other. And I have a background in management, so I think I can bring something to the table on those issues. That's basically where I would like to use my time. How do we get to work smarter and more targeted and focused because we don't have the money to take care of all the City needs. I think that's clear. And so we've got to start prioritize how we 774 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET go about doing that.
So is it a red flag in the operations of the department that says, this agency would benefit from that kind of interface face, or what?
I think it's a continual thing. I think that there's certain issues -- I mean, if you talk about fire, for example, we have a great Fire Department. They're going to deal with how you put out fires how you prevent fires. If we're looking at some common problems that cut across departments, and we're already working on one, that's where I want to get the commissioners together working as a team because that's a problem that's going to cut through all of those issues. A lot of those are red flags that come because we're looking at where we're spending money. That comes up in the quarterly budget reviews and so forth. But that's where I see the commissioners working and really learning from each other. And one department may be doing something great, but unless they're sharing it with another department, we're not getting as much mileage. I think that's part of my job to spot those things. 775 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
My only biased comment to that is, we know for sure that's working when it comes to children and youth because we know for the past months a team of folk have been 6 sitting around the table and exploring how we 7 maximize dollars across agencies, across City 8 departments who are providing services to kids. 9 With the GO mapping, is that universal 10 now across the departments, or not? And why not, if 11 that's not the case? When we know the value of what 12 that means and how we spend our dollars. 13
I believe that each 14 department -- if not each department, most 15 departments has someone that's knowledgeable about 16 that issue. It's really managed out of the database 17 and so forth is managed out of the Mayor's Office of 18 Information Services. But I think that's a great 19 tool for us as a City to really highlight where we 20 should be targeting our resources and so forth. And 21 I think most departments have a knowledge base of 22 how to use that. How we use it smartly and make 23 sure we're getting the most of out it, that's 24 another issue and something we've got to work together on. 776 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
So is that to suggest it's optional for department heads, or required?
Well, I think it's -- I'm going to be asking, why are we going there. I think that the mapping system helps us -- is one information tool that we should be using. I would hope that everyone is using that when it comes to where we're putting our people or where we're putting our resources or how do we work together in certain issues, in certain areas. So I would hope that everyone is using it. Now, whether everyone's trained at it, that's something I will find out. If they're not, then we will do some training on that. I think it is important that the commissioners and department heads, as well myself, understand the full power of what that brings because it's really a very powerful tool.
It ties in very neatly with Safe Streets and what that means for the Administration and really the outcomes we're looking for. So given the Safe Streets initiatives and the GO mapping tool and the agencies that are really in the trenches of dealing with Safe Streets, namely 777 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET Philadelphia Action Anti-Violent, Town Watch and what that means. The budget levels for those departments is sustained or decreased or what from last year's Fiscal Year budget allocation? Can someone speak to that, please?
Are you talking about GIS or just in general on those initiatives?
Namely, the Operation Town Watch initiatives and the Anti-Graffiti Network piece because they are such important vehicles of the Safe Streets Citywide initiative. Where are we with regard to the funding in those areas?
The Town Watch initiative has been funded constantly at the same level out of the General Fund for the past several years and has also been augmented by some "Weed and Seed" money and some Empowerment Zone money. So actually Town Watch overall has increased over the last several years.
So is Town Watch and "Weed and Seed" synonymous of they're two different programs and, therefore, two different budgets? 778 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
Both out of the General Fund, or are either one of those funded through the Feds or the state?
Town Watch is basically funded out of the General Fund and "Weed and Seed" is a grant fund initiative from the Office of Justice programs.
Increased, okay. Anti-Graffiti Network, the status of that funding?
Anti-Graffiti Network, their money has been pretty constant over the past several years.
Okay, then. Finally, the Anti-Graffiti Voucher Program, I need to make sure I'm clear on what I thought heard. 779 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET You've contracted with PIDC for $75,000 because it's your view that that's a smarter way of, besides the obvious that my Councilman raised, it's a smarter way of serving communities that are dealing with graffiti?
Yes. What it basically does is lets us use the same vendor and the people go to the same location each year to get their products and services, so it's basically a smarter way to do it.
One impediment in going through the former process was because you got different vendors which suggested they were one-year contracts.
Well, I can't speak to the fact that they might have been only one-year contracts, but they changed and I'm not sure what the cycle was on when the vendor changed. It might have been a one or two-year contract.
And so what are the clear differences between the former procedure and now doing business with PIDC under this $75,000 contract? I mean, what are the benefits besides the one you cited? Are there additional benefits 780 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET besides the one you cited?
Like I said, we get to use the same vendor. We have a consistency of product and also the community groups are familiar with the vendor and the vendor is also familiar with the administrative processes that we have to go through to get the program to its fruition. So given those benefits, it makes a lot of sense just to stay with one vendor.
The last page of you testimony, , Appendix C, from what I gather, these are in the process of. None of these are items where you can now tell us what the outcome of these initiatives of the coordinated efforts among the Social Services Departments?
Okay. Then we'll wait until next year. Thank you very much for your testimony. Thank you, Madam President.
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilman Rizzo.
Thank you, Madam 781 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET Chair. Mr. Goldsmith, I want to go back to an issue that I was personally involved with. You might have been at the park when this issue first arose. It has to do with the tree pruning. Utility companies in the past had a vegetation management program that really included -- really they had a lot of concern about the finished product, how a tree looked after it was trimmed. And for budget purposes, they got away from that. And I brought to the attention I think it was Mr. Donaghy that a particular community in South Philadelphia where the utility's contractor went in there and just destroyed blocks and blocks of trees because they just chopped the centers out. And that wasn't the way it was done at one time. After a professional arborer got done with a tree you could hardly tell it was pruned because they just rounded it off below the conductors and it went on and I would hope that that process, after hearing the conversation here, that we're demanding via the Fairmount Park Commission that any utility that touches a tree can't do what they did because that damage that occurred there is irreversible. Many of those trees 782 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET are starting to die because of that.
I'm aware of that. I've seen that and I know of the issue. There issue is taking care the line and not the tree.
Well, I would hope that there's a standard that they must conduct business by and I would appreciate you communicating that to the Fairmount Park Commission to prevent that from occurring in the future.
The other issue that I'd like to discuss with you -- and Madam President, any time that I don't use, can I give it to Councilman Nutter?
Is now that we're in the business of animal management where we actually pick up stray dogs and we have people -- you might not be aware of this and I can understand if you're not, but this is the deal, the way I understand it. The SPCA stopped accepting or stopped picking up stray dogs and also the adoption program I'm, not sure exactly where it stands between the SPCA and the City's department that now handles that. But I 783 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET understand that we're starting to destroy a lot of animals unnecessarily because they're not able to be adopted and maybe we don't have the mechanism. And I talked to some folks in the Health Department. Hopefully we can come up with an adoption program that works where we can use the City TV channel to show some of these animals. Because it's a shame to destroy these animals. I would appreciate you giving some support budgetarily, whatever we need to do, because I think the SPCA got out of this business because they didn't like the fact that they had to destroy so many animals. And it's not the animals that are just strays. Someone gives us a dog that they can't manage any longer and if we can't get that dog adopted within a very short period of time -- again, I don't know the specifics -- but that animal is destroyed. I would appreciate you giving that a priority to review what we do and what we can do to get the word out. I've already talked to Public Property who manages the in-house cable television channel or maybe we can do a little -- no pun intended -- dog and pony show to get the word out about this program.
You need special 784 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET zoning for ponies.
I didn't know that, Councilman. You're just so full of information. So I'd like to work on that to try to lessen -- I know we'll never get to where I'd like but I'd like to see if we could lessen the amount of those animals that are being destroyed. I hear of some very beautiful animals that would make good pets and I don't think too many citizens know that we are now in that business.
I certainly didn't know it until I was briefed on it. That's when I realized how big this job is. There's a lot of different components. But actually I'm aware of it and someone just sent me a picture a dog that was adopted just the other day. I think using the cable TV is a great idea.
And again, I understand that there's going to be some funding needed and I would work with you to do whatever it takes to give you the funding that's required to make that. I have a feeling that this could work out if additional funding is necessary. Thank you.
Thank you. At this time the Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter.
Mr. Goldsmith, on page seven of yesterday's testimony, the vacant lot clean-up program. References is made to 17,000 lots that were done in the last Fiscal Year and from July to November City crews cleaned 5,120, I guess, of those same lots. Your testimony again mentions in FY '04 the City will spend about $2 million to continue partnering with community groups to maintain lots and support community service by lending equipment. What groups are we partnering with and what is the $2 million actually spent for?
My name is Thomas Conway, Deputy Managing Director. With regards to the Community Partnership Program, that basically loans out rakes, brooms, bags, trash removal for community organizations throughout the entire City of Philadelphia.
It's a Citywide program, 786 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET yes. We roughly estimate to loan out to over 750 groups this year. It's a wide range of organizations from Boy Scouts, church groups, neighborhood groups, Town Watch groups.
Could you give us a listing of those groups through the Chair by area?
I'll take that. You might want to talk to the Procurement Commissioner about that. Your computer system can break down things by Zip code?
Okay. Good. The Procurement Commissioner could have used your services yesterday. Let me ask about -- this is on seven going into eight, in the testimony, the Adult Community Service Program. Tell us about that.
The Adult Community Service Program, they're nonviolent offenders assigned by mostly Municipal Court, Nuisance Night Court. We work with Judge Mann, Judge McCaffery, several others judges. They get assigned to the Managing 787 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET Director's Office. They're responsible for cleaning up vacant lots, for removing graffiti, sweeping streets, cleaning underpasses, things of that nature.
How do we access those services or who decides where they work?
This is basically a new program over the last couple months to assist with cleaning of the vacant lots throughout the City. The phone number is 685-3071.
685-3071. If I called there, would I be asking for a crew to do something in particular, or how does it work?
Well, basically we'd rather have it requested in writing and you could put it to my attention. A lot of times we might provide a variety of resources, some City, some community service.
Some City and some community service. For instance, we wouldn't need trash picked up after community service offenders do their work on the streets.
As you indicated you 788 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET started this up just a couple months ago and it's fully operational?
Had you sent us some information about this previously?
How has it been functioning if no information has gone around? I mean, I kind of read the Five-Year Plan on a fairly regular basis. It's a fascinating document. But I think most of the community groups don't have copies yet. So how would people know that this was available?
The former Urban Artscape Program was combined with the Mural Arts Program. The adult offenders that used to work out of that Urban Artscape area now work for the Managing Director's Office, Adult Community Service Program. So it's not so much a new program. It was just split in two to have the youth go to the Mural Arts and adults out of the Managing Director's Office to divide it.
Mr. Goldsmith, on 789 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET -51 of the big book, there's a grant here out of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Office and in the detail it says, the funding will be used to provide police protection for municipal employees combating quality of life issues. A large portion of the funding will be used for overtime costs for police officers providing surveillance to apprehend graffiti and short dump offenders. Could you tell me where these activities take place and what lots are we either trying to protect from short dumping or what employees we're trying to protect while all this activity is going on?
Basically, that is with the Police Department's Neighborhood Services Unit that supports the operating departments. If there's a short dump location that constantly is getting re-hit we would put out surveillance teams in that location. Due to the nature of it, we don't really want to give out the list of locations that we're doing surveillance on.
I can understand that. But you can share that with us later privately?
Yes. Correct. Especially 790 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET if you have a specific location that constantly gets short dumped, let us know about that. We can clean it up and do surveillance at that location.
That would be great. Thank you. -16 -- and if you went over this earlier, if I missed it, you'll just tell me that. The third line item, the Livable Neighborhoods Program. Can you refresh my recollection on that? Was that discussed earlier? Did I miss it?
James Coleman, Deputy Managing Director. Councilman, what specifically was your question?
Livable Neighborhoods Program is a jointly funded program by EPA and the state to create primarily a training program for people and neighborhoods to assess City services and how to maintain their own properties and how to maintain their own blocks, keeping things clean, who do they call. And there's a training program that's just started for them. Primarily it was just a few people working with people, block captains and the like. That's primarily funded through the EPA. 791 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
How many people are involved? Who is receiving this training?
Various blocks throughout the City. I don't have the list with me.
Can you get us some additional detail on it, where it's functioning, who's involved, how many people?
Thank you. On -85, Mr. Managing Director, this line item for public relations for the NTI Program, what are these folks doing? And I thought we had a fairly extensive press operation in the government.
This is for brochures, public relations, mostly for the CLIP Program.
I'm assuming you're not carrying them around with you, but if you could send some over to us. You're going to get back to me on that for the Committee? 792 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
Okay. Thanks. Mr. Goldsmith, this is a policy issue. There's presently an effort being conducted primarily by the Streets Department utilizing some NTI funds dealing with the issue of retaining walls throughout the City. The Streets Department has conducted a study to assess these and there's a pilot program going on in a couple locations to test some new materials and also cost efficiency. And then I believe the plan is to take that program throughout the City. One of the issues, though, that a couple of my constituents find themselves in a situation where the retaining wall, once it fails, or once there is a violation notice, the notice is against the entire wall regardless of whether an individual homeowner is at the point of the distress or failure of the wall. So you can pick a location, maybe the problem is at the end of the row or maybe it's dead center. All of the homeowners whose properties abut that wall all get a violation notice. And where that becomes an issue is if a person then decides to try to sell their house. When the check is made, 793 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET against City records it shows that the person has a violation notice. For a problem that they cannot solve themselves, because, again, the violation may actually be five doors down the street on another homeowner's property. I mean, we have a live case going on right now where this had happened and the person is in the process of trying to sell their house. Because they're required to make full disclosure and, again, when the check is made against City records, they're showing a violation notice. We need to figure out a way to put -- I've been working with L&I and then they got kind of, their hand slapped by the Law Department telling them that the notice is what the notice is. There's a violation notice. It's against the entire row and basically there's nothing you can do about it. I think we need to figure out a way for homeowners who are in that situation -- they've been charged with a violation that they can't correct, basically.
You cannot individually go and fix somebody else's wall in order to relieve the violation against your property just because you happen to abut the entire wall. 794 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET Now, if the wall falls down, everybody is affected. So there is obviously some notice that has to be provided. But I think in these special situations, the homeowner is in a worse than catch-22 position. They're totally jammed because they have a violation they cannot correct on their own. There's nothing that they can do. And until the entire wall is fixed, the violation won't be removed. We're not in a position to help those homeowners for a long period of time because of the number of walls, there's at least 90 of them, that have been deemed dangerous by the Streets Department, and the prospect of fixing them is somewhere between now and infinity. I think we owe these citizens some kind of additional designation or notice that doesn't put them in a situation where they might virtually not be able to sell their house because of a violation they can't correct.
I hear you. I will look into it. I want to see what the status is and is there a way to do that. I understand the issue.
Councilman, we have a number of other Councilmembers that would like to be recognized. 795 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
Madam President, I had asked for an 8-part question and I only got to the first part. It's not fair.
We will certainly come back to you. Councilman Ortiz.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I saw Mark testifying a little while ago. Is he still around? Please identify yourself for the record.
Mark Bencivengo, Director of the Coordinating Office for Drug and Alcohol Abuse Programs.
What's the census today in terms of the drug programs that we have.
Probably upwards of 12,500 people currently active in licensed drug treatment programs.
Oh, yes. There are a number of residential drug treatment programs that are set up for single adult men and women and also 796 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET eight residential drug treatment programs in Philadelphia that are for pregnant or parenting substance abusers where the women can live with their children. In addition to that, there are, as I said before, approximately 343 recovery house slots for individuals to live in while they are active in outpatient programs. And these programs are for individuals who have no safe, secure place to live and we feel that they would be better off and could benefit from the outpatient programs, if we put them into a recovery house.
Do we have any programs in terms of bilingual residential programs?
Yes. There are two bilingual residential programs located within the campus of North Philadelphia Health Systems. Torre Delarosa (ph) and Torre Delarosa Harvest (ph). It's in North Philadelphia Health Systems -- on that compass.
I would have to get back to you on the actual capacity. Generally our 797 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET residential programs run in the neighborhood of to 25 individuals and I would assume these two programs run that way.
What is the length of 9 the program, the residential stay, the average 10 residential stay? 11
There are two ways that 12 programs are licensed in Philadelphia and the State 13 Department of Health does the licensing. They look 14 at long-term residential programs, which are in the 15 neighborhood of three months or more and short-term 16 residential programs that are less than months. I 17 would say, however that, the average length of stay 18 in a residential treatment program in Philadelphia 19 is somewhere in the neighborhood of about 20 three-and-a-half to four months. But then what we do is, we work with the individual to do what we call, step that individual down to an outpatient or intensive outpatient program. And that point we might also put the individual into a recovery house.
Are you reaching out 798 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET to any social service agency within the Latino community in terms of perhaps establishing a residential program around their area of concerns?
Congreso is under contract to my office and Congreso also a program that's part of the Community Behavioral Health Provider Network. Congreso, however, does not operate a residential drug treatment program. We are not reaching out at this point to any organizations to open up new residential capacity.
I had hearings not too long ago and I don't think you -- maybe Alba may know -- on the abused women problem in the City of Philadelphia. And the fact came out that we really don't have safe houses in the City of Philadelphia. Actually, I think we have one, if I remember correctly, to which women can recur with these problems. I asked the Administration at those hearings to, at least for the budget report, to give me some study as to how far along we have come to 799 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET resolving that problem. And also that we don't have a bilingual hotline in terms of abused women and that the cost of establishing a hotline is not that really costly. And I'd like to know where we're at on two issues along those lines.
Is there anyone to answer that? Councilman, let us get back to you on both those issues.
See if you can, because there's more issues resolving about that. It has to do with the treatment that we've got to resolve with the DA and the court system. But I think there's something that we can do in terms of the residential aspect and perhaps looking into how we're going to be able to provide for abused women in this City in a different manner and with a greater degree of sensitivity and spanning our services to that community, which is quite large. To me, it's astounding the numbers of people that go through the system.
Good afternoon. My name is Alba Martinez and I'm Commissioner of DHS. Councilman, I will assist the Managing 800 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET Director in getting the information you're requesting. But I do want to say that I was surprised also to hear about the bilingual line because prior to leaving Congreso we had entered into an arrangement with Women Against Abuse to have that line also provide bilingual coverage. But in addition, I want to say that we are at a point in time in this City where it is likelier than ever that we will have quality bilingual, bicultural services because the new executive director of Women Against abuse is the former director of Congreso. So I appreciate your interest and concern because this issue is long overdue. And, again, I believe that the City needs to work strategically with the State, and I will work with you on that.
I think the amount of money for the hotline $900,000, right? That's the number that was given to us. So it's really not that costly a situation. So if you can get me that information and then I could work with Mark on the other drug aspects that we're dealing with. Thank you, Madam Chair.
You're welcome. 801 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET Councilwoman Krajewski, your light is on. Do you want to be recognized?
Thank you, Madam Chair. I just wanted to state I'm very, very excited that everyone knows about CLIP and how it started. Actually, I believe it came under the NTI program and I just would like to bring the attention to Councilman Nutter I believe in the 6th District, out of -- what is it, $295 million in NTI? 10 demolitions, 25 encaps. That's it. That's what I got. So I worked, I believe, like a year and two months coming with this idea of CLIP, which is Community Life Improvement. It's a great program. And I would just like to put it on the record to Councilman Nutter, did you get your questions answered today regarding CLIP.
Councilwoman, I think that one, again, let me commend you for having the idea, spending the time to put it together and organize it and get a level of coordination that actually makes some sense. I can only give you the highest praise and thanks. And I think what's happened here is, it's kind of the power of a good 802 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET idea that gives people an opportunity to see how things could be. And I think it's to your credit that so many of us would like to see this kind of activity. To be honest with you, I express great regret that I wasn't smart enough to come up with it myself.
Well, you've had more than a few. And so I think that now that people understand that there's a fair amount of success -- and Mr. Conway was very good in answering questions about the program -- I think that many of us would just like to see the pilot become the policy.
Well, that's exactly what it is. It's a pilot program that happened to start in the 6th District. And I'm sure in time --
Councilwoman, I would expect it to start in the 6th because it was your idea. There's no where else for it to start.
I'd like to ask Mr. Conway a couple of questions. 803 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET Can you give me a brief breakdown on what other districts are getting through the NTI?
Thomas Conway, Deputy Managing Director. A lot of the other areas are getting demolitions, encapsulations, vacant lot clean ups. With regard one to, of the reasons that the Councilwoman did the CLIP dollars basically initially, she has very vacant lots in her area, very few demolitions, very few stabilizations, as well as with Councilman O'Neill. This is why the program was designed for that area. We worked closely with her office on that. Other areas are getting an enormous amount of funding for demolitions, which is a large piece of the pie. But when Mayor Street was committed to transforming neighborhoods he wanted to make sure that every neighborhood was touched by the transformation initiative. And this was part of the Councilwoman's idea and for her area.
I want to 804 2/26/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET congratulate you for doing a great job.