The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted. Chief Clerk, please read the title of the resolution.
A privileged resolution honoring and recognizing Dr. Bernice Suddler for her landmark 44-year tenure of leadership, desegregation, trailblazing and community stewardship at Hamilton Disston 10/22/26 - STATED - 2ND READING School. Introduced by Councilmember Mike Driscoll.
Chair recognizes Councilmember Mike Driscoll for a motion on the resolution.
It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted. Chief Clerk, please read the title of the resolution.
There are no 4 further resolutions in my possession, Council President.
That completes our Calendar for the day. Any speeches on behalf of the Minority? Chair recognizes Councilmember Kendra Brooks.
Thank you, Council President. I want to take a moment to thank everyone who joined me at Wingohocking Neighbors Day earlier this month. It was a wonderful day and my neighbors truly appreciated the resources, the food, the performances, and just a chance to come together and celebrate our community. Not that long ago, the police department wouldn't even let us have a block party on Wingohocking Street because of concerns of violence. But now, we host one of the biggest annual street festivals in Nicetown, and that's something that we're really proud of. Wingohocking Neighbors Day would not have been made possible without the generous support of so many partners. In particular, I want to thank my colleagues Councilmember Isaiah Thomas and Councilmember Jim Harrity for helping make that day possible. I also want to thank my colleagues for participating in this year's Spooktacular at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, Councilmembers Gilmore Richardson, O'Rourke, Landau, Thomas and Harrity. My team and I are looking forward for a really fun evening with costumes, fall crafts, a trail of treats and archery for the children. That will be next Thursday, October 29th from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. All are welcome. Thank you so much.
Thank you very much. Chair recognizes Councilmember Nicolas O'Rourke.
Thank you, Mr. President. I want to begin by thanking Member Jones for forwarding the call for hearings into the rising debts that our neighbors owe to PGW. I'll be watching that conversation with intent, good brother, and we need to find a fix that doesn't involve shutting off service nearly as much as we currently do. It is a shame that we have gotten to this point. Thanks for shouting out the Cost of Living Report in the resolution as well. You know I'm always down to turn the words into action, so thank you for doing that through this resolution. It really is an encouragement to see how not just yourself, but others across this body have been trying to figure out how we tackle this affordability issue and how exploitation is afoot in our city. Making a shift to what turned out to be kind of the public comment theme of the day, I am excited to reintroduce the Transit Access Fund, colleagues, and to have your support and the support of the Transit Forward, Philadelphia and so many other organizations, as I do this. This restructured version authorizes creating the fund and requires the City to publish an annual Transit Access Plan to be introduced alongside the operating budget and Five Year Plan. The plan will lay out all the city operations, including capital spending that increased SEPTA's affordability and accessibility over the coming five years. And our experience, colleagues, shows why this is important I would say. I hope you can recall when the future of the Zero Fare program was at risk. 20,000 Philadelphians who struggle to afford the benefits of riding transit had a taste of true access to the system, and preliminary results from the Better Government Lab show that our neighbors leapt at that chance. Recipients who initially used transit less than once a week became more than twice as likely to use public transit on a weekly basis. Daily riders took more rides. Infrequent riders began to rely on the system with some regularity, which is a good thing. And here's the finding that matters so much: Zero Fare participants say the program, as Stephen mentioned in his comments, increased their trust in their local, in their local government, key word local government, not necessarily in the federal system, but us here in City Hall. So it helps people look at us and smile as opposed to frown. And we know how important Key Advantage is for the city's workforce, for our staff. I think all of us have staff that has admitted that, and we just saw Key Advantage help to win the Burlington deal over there in, I believe, Member Gauthier's District. That's a wonderful addition to our city's base. I'm so grateful to Transit for Philadelphia's organizing because they've really helped to show how we have to wield SEPTA's affordability and accessibility together. So I know we're all excited to build a transit authority that meets the mark on both of those fronts. Thank you all again for supporting this. Let's run on and see what the end will be. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you very much. Speeches on behalf of the Majority. Chair recognizes Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson.
Very briefly. Thank you so much, Council President. I wanted to take this opportunity just to remind everyone about a very important event we'll be having tomorrow in partnership with my District colleague, my Councilmember Curtis Jones, Jr., and also the Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Center. We are bringing our annual Senior Resource Fair back to the Salvation Army Kroc Center at 4200 Wissahickon Avenue. We have over 40 vendors together, services, light refreshments, music and fun activities. So join us tomorrow at the Kroc Center for our Senior Resource Fair, Friday, October 23rd from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. And as always, we're going to dance, we're going to have fun and we're going to have great giveaways. Thank you for the partnership, Councilmember Jones.
Thank you very much. Councilmember Quetcy Lozada.
Thank you, Council President. First, I'd like to thank you for the opportunity to introduce the bill recognizing Wayne Miller, who has been one of the first people and a consistent supporter of mine and the work that I've been doing in the community. He's a neighbor of Juniata, a neighborhood he grew up in and still actively plays a role in ensuring that young people in that community are connected to services. So thank you very much for that privilege. Today I also introduced a resolution authorizing the Special Committee on Kensington to hold a hearing to evaluate the progress from the past year and the current state of affairs, future barriers and the goals in the Kensington community. We are in a strong position to build upon the work and the momentum. I want to continue to strengthen the efforts we have made in Kensington by applying and learning the lessons we've learned during the process. And I also want to work on improving coordination. Everyone believes that our residents deserve safe, clean streets, and the people who are struggling and living in addiction deserve access to treatment and recovery services. In order for us to continue the work that we've done, we need a clear picture of the work that we've done, what still needs attention and how do we continue to progress in order to give the residents of the Kensington community a better quality of life. I'm looking forward to listening and learning more and figuring out how we continue to work together to give the residents of Kensington the quality of life they deserve. Thank you, Council President.
Thank you very much. Chair recognizes Councilmember Jones.
Thank you, Mr. President. Just really brief. Shout-out to Member Phillips for his recognition of the gambling machines that are in our community and keeping that before us as an issue. Shout-out to my -- which is not my At-large, but everyone's At-large Member Gilmore Richardson for her constant diligence on nuisance businesses, and we are working together on the 54th Street curfew to keep our senior citizens face. But the hero of the day is Member Driscoll, for his standing up for us for gas shut-offs. He is a member of the Gas Commission, but he doesn't forget where he comes from. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Member Jones. Waiting for that gas moratorium bill to come out. Chair recognizes Councilmember Jeffrey Jay Young.
Thank you, Mr. President. This past weekend was a powerful reminder that North Philly's legacy is built by people who give our neighborhoods their character, their culture and their pride. This past Saturday, we honored Derrick Phat Geez Gant, a North Philadelphia recording artist who used his music to represent his community and speak out against gun violence. His song Life with Meek Mill helped bring him writer recognition, while his song No Gun Zone called for an end to violence affecting our neighborhoods. But unfortunately, Phat Geez was murdered at the hands of gun violence in front of his own door in North Philly. And so, we wanted to honor him. And this is a story that is all too common in North Philly. Even this past week, again my family is dealing with the trauma of gun violence again. It's just the same story over and over again. While I was at Temple University Hospital, I was there when they brought in the three victims who were shot yesterday morning. I mean, that was two days ago. I was there, I saw them. The cops -- shout-out to the police, they scoop them up, they bring them in. And again, it's just a Black body after a Black body after a Black body that's affected by gun violence. And so, I'm going to continue to keep speaking on that. And I don't know what these other speakers are speaking of. He must not look at data and statistics and see the things that's actually happening in the City of Philadelphia. And so, yes, that apple can help prevent someone from going out and shooting someone because that apple may give them that nutrition they need to fill their stomach up to keep them from having a bad day. Because that's what happened to my family the other day. Somebody was having a bad day and just decided to start shooting, which is crazy, crazy. So I'm going to continue to speak up and talk about the gun violence that plagues our community in North Philadelphia. And if you're not talking about gun violence, I don't know what you're talking about. On Sunday, we gathered to honor coach Kenneth Ham Hamilton, whose decades of dedication to Ben Franklin High School athletics helped shaped generations of young people. With over 30 years of teaching and 28 years of coaching at Ben Franklin, he accomplished 456 wins. And at the time, he had the most wins of any public league coach when he retired, which included four championships and countless professional basketball players that came from Ben Franklin High School during his era. These celebrations reflect something I deeply believe in, that our communities deserve to see their hometown heroes recognized, their contributions celebrated and their legacies preserved for future generations. I'm proud to help ensure that people who pour so much into North Philly receive the recognition and honor. And speaking of that, Mr. President, I want to thank you for allowing me and also the Honorable Judge Crystal Bryant- Powell for the opportunity to speak at the portrait unveiling ceremony for Judge Raymond Pace Alexander, the first African American Councilmember in the City of Philadelphia, the first African American judge on the Court of Common Pleas and also former 5th District Councilmember representing North Philadelphia. It was an honor and privilege to be there, to speak to his legacy and how his legacy is continued. For those who don't know, he was one of the first voices in the city to fight for the desegregation of Girard College, which allowed me all the privileges and advantages that I have today. Today we also introduced a resolution alongside Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson to authorize joint hearings to examine unsheltered homelessness in our public right-of-ways and more importantly, how effectively the city is connecting our vulnerable residents to housing, shelter and supportive services. Now, I'm just going off anecdotal information being the 5th District Councilmember going around my district.
But it seems like when we welcomed the world to our city during Fan Fest and all these other celebrations, that the issues that we see now, particularly in the Logan Square communities and others just weren't there, right. It seems like the amount of homelessness, street homelessness that we see was not seen during that time. The amount of violence that we're experiencing in the city right now, for 40 days it seemed like just disappeared, right. So I want to make sure we want to examine what is the root causes, what are the solutions to these causes, because it seemed like for 40 days we had a solution. And so, I want to make sure that we continue those solutions. I want to make sure that folks know that homelessness is not a crime. And experiencing homelessness does not make someone any less deserving of dignity, compassion or respect. Any one of us can be housing insecure at any moment. And I was one of them at one point in my life too. We lost our home to mortgage foreclosure at one point, right. So these are our neighbors, and every person deserves to be treated with humanity, regardless of their housing situation across Philadelphia. Individuals are living on sidewalks, under bridges and in other public spaces. That should concern us all, not simply because of how our public spaces are being used, but because no one should have to call a sidewalk home. The goal of these hearings is to not criminalize homelessness or to simply move people from one block to another block. We want to understand what resources are available, where the gaps exist, and whether our city departments and service providers are coordinating effectively to help people find stable housing and access to support that they need. We must examine whether our current investments and outreach strategies are producing meaningful results. And if someone is ready to accept help, are we making it easy for them to get it. And if they aren't, then are we doing enough to build that trust to address the barriers that are in their way? We cannot address homelessness through enforcement alone and we cannot solve it by shifting the problem from one neighborhood to the next. We need a coordinated, compassionate and accountable approach that addresses the underlying challenges and creates a real pathway to housing stability. I want to thank Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson for partnering with me on this important issue. I look forward to bringing together city agencies, service providers and community stakeholders, but most importantly, individuals with lived experiences of homelessness to identify solutions that work. And, Mr. President, over this past week I've been getting a lot of attention regarding a bill 11 we introduced last week regarding parking amnesty. And I've heard a lot of questions about why we are prioritizing people with outstanding parking violations. But most concerning to me is certain media outlets villainizing people, right. These comments feel very anti-Philadelphia, right. Equating laws to being ethical just because they're laws ignores the history that many people have to face, right. Just because it's a law doesn't mean it's not predatory on how it's enforced, right. It reminds me of folks who say, well, if you just comply with the government's overreach, you won't get hit over the head. We know how that works out for a lot of people, right, Mr. President, so I understand the importance of parking enforcement. It helps keep our streets safe, ensures accessibility and keeps traffic moving. And I'm not suggesting people shouldn't be held accountable. But there are certain members of the media who want you to believe that thousands of Philadelphians in a majority- minority city are criminals, right. Scofflaws, they're going to call them, right. And I wonder why, right. I wonder why the majority-minority city the media wants to paint these people as being not worthy, right.
When we live in the poorest big city in the country, right, these people aren't worthy of relief from their city government. It could be a mother rushing into a 15-minute doctor's appointment who can't afford to park in a $25 garage, a worker making a delivery, a caregiver checking on an elderly parent or someone who simply just couldn't read a faded or missing parking sign, right. These are everyday people navigating challenges. And literally, Mr. President, this past weekend just look at the approximately 40 Eagles fans whose vehicles were recently towed despite inadequate parking signage, right. They just towed them because they said to tow then. Anyone can find themselves in a position in this city with a ticket, sometimes even without realizing they violated a parking restriction. And we're not talking about a ticket someone received yesterday. This program addresses older debts dating back to 2021. A ticket that originally cost $40 to $50 may have grown into hundreds of dollars after years of accumulated penalties and fees. And maybe someone couldn't afford the original ticket. Maybe they never received a notice, which happens, right. Maybe they didn't know how to pay it, which also happens, right. You can't even have an appeal of a ticket in person anymore with the Parking Authority. It's all online. My mom doesn't know how to do that unfortunately, right. We have to do that for them. Whatever the circumstances, we should recognize the difference between holding someone accountable and allowing a financial burden to follow them for years. This program is not about rewarding violations. It's about giving people a reasonable opportunity to make things right. And it also allows the city to recover older debts that become increasingly difficult. And nine times out of ten, according to their own data, right, eight times out of ten, unlikely to collect. So with all the cost of living continuing to rise and Council has a responsibility to provide relief wherever we have authority to do so, and we can support responsible parking enforcement, recover outstanding revenue and give people a fresh start. Those things are not mutually exclusive, Mr. President. And last but not least, I want to announce our continuing Quality of Life Town Hall series, where we bring city government directly to our neighborhoods, hear residents' concerns and connect our communities with resources and city departments. Our next stop is October 27th at Celestial Word Ministries at 28th and Thompson from 6:00 to 7:30. Will we bring the conversation to neighbors to discuss those quality of life issues. Then on November 4th, we'll be at Midtown Parish United Methodist Church in the 20th Ward, 7th and Norris, to continue building on these conversations and ensuring residents have a direct line to their Council office. These town halls are more about listening. They're about connecting residents with the people, the resources and the follow-up, which is the most important, the follow-up needed to move concerns toward solutions. I also want to give a shout-out to Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson for hosting an event in the 29th Ward at Celestial Word Ministries as well, talking about wills and making sure that we can protect our generational wealth in our communities. So with that, Mr. President, I thank you so much.
Thank you. Chair recognizes Councilmember Rue Landau.
Thank you, Council President. Today I was honored to celebrate 60 years of Community Legal Services who fight tirelessly every day for Philadelphians living in poverty and ensuring that they have a right to legal counsel and justice. They serve more than 14,000 residents every year. And I know firsthand, as a former lawyer, where they work, they do the work they do is essential and all consuming. So I'm glad we had the opportunity to celebrate CLS here today in Council and the dedicated staff that does this work every single day. We got to uplift their work and see even more great things for them in the future. And let me be clear, CLS doesn't just solve the problems of the individual cases that come to them. They try to solve the systemic problems just as what we're doing here in Council today. So the real solutions here in Philadelphia is we have to eradicate poverty, eradicate racism and all other forms of oppression. And when we do that, Philadelphia is going to be in a much better place. I also introduced on your behalf a resolution supporting the workers of UNITE HERE Local 274, and calling on the management of the Hilton Garden Inn to reach a deal as the only unionized hotel in Center City without a new contract. Thank you, Council President, for speaking up in solidarity with the workers of UNITE HERE, who are fighting for a fair contract and fair wages as the cost of living continues to rise in our city. This resolution will be up for a vote next week and I urge my colleagues to support it. Additionally, I want to commend my colleague Councilmember Jones, not only on his looking at the PGW costs and the shut-offs, but also for his decision to include more outdoor dining options in his district, spanning from City Avenue to Overbrook Avenue, making it easier for small businesses to expand their dining rooms with sidewalk cafes and something I'm glad we are supporting here in City Council. I'm looking forward to dining out in the 4th district very soon. It's a date. Lastly, I want to end my speech by reminding the public that we are only a few weeks away from the November 3, 2026 general election. If you haven't yet made a plan to vote, visit vote.gov to find your polling place. See what's on your ballot. Make sure that you make a plan to vote on or before November 3rd. Thank you.
Thank you very much. Chair recognizes Councilmember Dr. Nina Ahmad.
Thank you, Council President. Good afternoon, everyone. I wanted to echo my colleague's comments about Community Legal Services. I was proud to join her and everybody else in congratulating them for having served faithfully for six decades. CLS is a trusted referral service for so many of us here in Council because of their attention to detail, the fact that they meet people where they are, where they're at and because they center accessibility in everything they do. So here's to another 60 years. I also wanted to introduce another young talent who's joining our team as an intern, Kennedy Brooks from the Community College of Philadelphia. I just want to underscore why it is essential to have young people as part of my team for two reasons. It is a way for me to support the next generation of leaders. And secondly, it keeps my team and me aware of what our youth think and feel about what City Council does and what is happening in our city. And speaking about youth, tomorrow I am attending the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture's induction ceremony at Lankenau High School. I have not forgotten about Lankenau and continue to call on the district to evaluate the decision to close this school and all the schools on their closure list. So save Lankenau. Lastly, I wanted to share some items on my agenda for next week. Monday, October 26th from 2:00 to 5:00 the hearing on the Academy of Natural Sciences is finally happening. This is a heavily anticipated conversation, and I want to thank Committee Chair Isaiah Thomas and fellow Councilmember Jeffrey Young for their partnership in getting this off the ground. I look forward to getting to hear all of the immense amount of testimony that we are getting ready to hear about and to see how we can save the Academy and put all of this on the public record. I'm also proud of hosting an inperson community forum about my bill, No. 250849, regarding workplace accommodations and protections for those suffering from symptoms of menstruation, perimenopause and menopause. The forum is next week, Wednesday, October 28th from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Vare Recreation Center, 2601 Moore Street. We will have panelists to educate residents on my bill and resource tables for attendees. I want to thank, Council President, for your support of this initiative. Lastly, I wanted to remind my colleagues of today's briefing right after this to changes from Medicaid as well as the City's One Medicaid Access project in response to these changes. The briefing will be held in Room 576 at 1:00 p.m., and it's being done by the Managing Director's Office and the Administration. So I hope to see you all there. And thank you, Council President.
Thank you very much. And the Chair recognizes Councilmember Dr. Anthony Phillips.
Thank you, Council President. And greetings to my colleagues again, and most importantly, to neighbors across Philadelphia. I want to address two issues that directly impact the health and well-being of our families. It's the growing rodent infestation in our neighborhoods and the quality of meals being served to our children in schools. While these issues may seem separate, they speak to a fundamental responsibility we have as public officials, ensuring that every Philadelphian across Philadelphia has a clean home, a safe, safe neighborhood, a clean neighborhood, nutritious food that supports their health and success. Earlier this month I introduced a resolution declaring the growing rodent infestation in Lower Northeast, a public health and quality-of-life emergency. S. cities for rodent problems, behind only Los Angeles and New York, New York. But our neighbors did not need a national ranking to tell them what they had been experiencing firsthand. Far too many families in our city are experiencing this nuisance. It's not an occasional nuisance. It has become a daily concern that threatens their quality of life and their ability to feel safe in their homes. I've been on record for the past couple of years calling out the Philadelphia Public Health Department saying, please address this and resolve this issue. However, instead of that being an issue being addressed, we continue to approach this issue with the same strategies and expect different results. This resolution 18 came at my wit's end because at this point, I don't believe I should be the person to have to work to solve this particular problem. This should be something that should be an urgency. And so, that means I'm asking the severity of this problem demands a more coordinated, proactive and sustainable response. That means strengthening prevention efforts, improving sanitation practices and addressing the conditions that attract rodents, ensuring responsible treatment, holding property owners accountable when necessary. I'm urging the Philadelphia Department of Public Health to work with the Department of Sanitation and the Department of Licenses and Inspections to identify immediate interventions and long-term solutions. Our goal is not to simply do what has been happening, responding to complaints as they arise, but to address the underlying conditions that allow for these infestations to persist and spread. I've both publicly and privately asked for this to happen. Our neighbors deserve more than temporary fixes. They deserve a city response that is coordinated, consistent and capable of delivering meaningful results. I encourage our neighbors to continue documenting what they are experiencing, submitting reports 311 and the Department of Public Health's Vector Control Program and sharing their block information and case numbers with our office. If you live in our district, we also want to hear directly from those living with this problem. Your reports help us understand the extent of these infestations, identify areas requiring media attention and hold the appropriate city agencies accountable. The same commitment to listening to our neighbors and addressing their concerns is guiding our work on school meals. Let me begin by making one thing clear. I have tremendous respect for the food service employees working in our schools. These individuals show up every day, often under difficult circumstances, to ensure our children are fed. Our efforts are not intended to diminish their work or place blame on the very people responsible for serving our children. However, many of our staff, through no fault of their own, need better food resources to deliver quality meals to our children. I also want to acknowledge and thank Gabrielle McLoughlin of Temple University's College of Public Health for sharing her research with us here today at Philadelphia City Council.
And I really appreciate her research, as Professor McLoughlin seeks to inform those individuals most directly impacted by this situation. I also want to emphasize that our concerns are not based on a single visit to Olney High School nor are they limited to one school. We are hearing directly from students across Philadelphia, and their experiences deserve our attention. One student told me, if there is a way our food can be fixed, I would do whatever it takes to make it happen. Another student said, Students have reported sandwiches that leave their stomachs upset, breakfast foods that start their mornings off poorly. One student said, Some of the food is so dry that it feels like a choking hazard. Others have reported spoiled fruit cups, spoiled milk and rotten fruit. This is unacceptable. This statement should resonate with every one of us. Our students are not simply complaining. They are asking to be heard and they want to be a part of the solution. So lastly, I just want to say our children deserve meals that are nutritious, appealing and safe, and our food service employees deserve the staffing, equipment, ingredients, training and support necessary to help them achieve that milestone. Supporting our workers and advocating for better meals are not competing priorities. They go hand in hand. That is why my office continues to engage students, parents, caregivers, educators, food service employees and other members of our school communities. We want to hear what is working, what is not and where improvements can be made. Something is wrong with our food services and to our children, and we have to figure out how to make it better. So as I close, I want our neighbors to understand one thing: Your voice matters and your concerns deserve action. So please contact our office regarding these issues, whether you're a neighbor dealing with rodent infestations on your block, a parent concerned about meals, your child is a student asking for better food or a school employee seeking resources to do your job more effectively. You deserve to be heard. Our neighbors deserve better. Our children deserve better. And together we can do better, because no family should have to accept rats as a normal part of living in Philadelphia. And no child should be expected to sit in a classroom hungry, because the meal that they wish to eat is not there. Thank you, Council President.
Thank you very much. As there are no more speeches, the Chair recognizes the Councilmember Isaiah Thomas for a motion to adjourn.
Thank you, Council President. Thank you to the Tech team and everybody for making today a success. I move that Council stands adjourned until Thursday, October 29, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that Council session is adjourned until Thursday, October 29, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. All those in favor signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the motion carries. Thank you all very much. Great job today. - - - (Stated Meeting adjourned at 12:42 p.m.) - - - C E R T I F I C A T I O N I, hereby certify that the proceedings and evidence noted are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me in the foregoing matter, and that this is a correct transcript of the same. ________________________________ TANEHA CARROLL