Aye. The ayes are 14. The nays are zero. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. The next bill to be called for consideration is Bill Number 050105.
An Ordinance, approving a lease agreement between Philadelphia Gas Works and the Greater Germantown Housing Development Corporation for certain premises located 212 to 14 West Chelten Avenue.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is, shall the bill pass finally. The Clerk will please call the roll. The Chief Clerk will please call the roll.
Aye. The ayes are 14. The nays are zero. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. The Chief Clerk will please read the title of Bill Number 050106.
An Ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property on behalf of the City of Philadelphia to enter into a sublease agreement to lease from the Philadelphia Municipal Authority portions of the building located 701 Market Street.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is, shall the bill pass finally. The Chief Clerk will please call the roll. The Chief Clerk will please call the Stated - 4/14/05 roll.
Aye. The ayes are 14. The nays are zero. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. Last bill to be called for consideration is Bill Number 050132.
An Ordinance, authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property on behalf of the City of Philadelphia to acquire by condemnation an easement through 3111 West Allegheny Avenue.
Madam President, on behalf of Councilman Nutter, Stated - 4/14/05 I'd offer an amendment which appears on . It's a technical amendment to this bill. The bottom of . It has been circulated, so I offer the amendment for adoption.
I move for the adoption of the amendment. UNIDENTIFIED COUNCIL PERSON: Second.
It has been moved and seconded that the amendments be adopted. All in favor will say aye. (Chorus of "ayes.")
The ayes have it, and the amendments have been adopted. That concludes our calendar for today. Are there speeches on the part of Stated - 4/14/05 the minority? The Chair recognizes Councilman Kelly.
Yes. Thank you, Madam President. I would just like to follow up on my presentation of yesterday regarding our libraries. I'd like to speak to you about a plan I've developed with Larry Weiss. He's a successful businessman and strong supporter of our libraries. I'm sure most of us know the financial crisis our library is in, mainly due to the cuts in revenue from the state, and of course the projected loss of revenue from the City of Philadelphia this year. The loss of revenue totals approximately four and a half million dollars which has forced our library to plan on laying off librarians, reducing their work force, and curtailing the hours of at least 20 library branches. If we're not successful in restoring the much needed revenue, we must look for Stated - 4/14/05 other ways to help our libraries. One way would be to increase the participation of our volunteers. They are a much under-used asset of our library system. And we have a plan which, if adopted, could save us as much as one and a half million dollars, eliminating much of the drastic action which has been proposed. Now, if you remember, in 1992 our present Governor, and then Mayor Rendell did the same thing in 1992. And if you also remember, in 1992 we were in much worse position than we are today. We were almost facing bankruptcy. And what he did was to use volunteers which enabled the libraries to open the way they should be open. And now, this is a business-like plan which, frankly, is using our present resources much more efficiently. Now, I know that according to the testimony and Mr. Shelkrot and his administrators, that they have mentioned that there was 450 emergency closings in our Stated - 4/14/05 library system. This to me is not acceptable. Now, what they said the present procedure was, if someone was called in or did not make it to the library that day, one of the staff, they would close it. This to me is very, very frustrating, especially to many of the people who use those libraries, the regional and the branch libraries. You may have senior citizens that may trudge blocks to get to a library, to find it closed. You may have mothers dressing their children, putting them in the car, running over to the library, to find it's closed. It's more of a pot luck type of thing whether they're opened or not. And this to me is not the way to run a library system. We have to be more business-like. In fact, if anyone in this building... Is there anyone here that ever heard or ever saw a Wa-Wa closing because one of their employees did not make it that day? Stated - 4/14/05 Or perhaps a manager went on vacation and they closed the store for a week? No, that never happened. Because they have a backup system. And that's what we want to do. We want to have a backup system for our libraries which enables them to open and open the times they're scheduled to open. Now, even if we're successful in restoring the additional revenue from the state and the City, the savings generated by our plan would be used -- would be used to open our libraries own longer hours or to employ additional staff or to reduce the rate of fines to their previous levels. And one other thing I would like to mention. And I would like to -- I would like to go back to what my colleague Frank DiCicco, Councilman DiCicco mentioned a week or so ago. And that is that I don't think we should entertain the thought of raising and spending or borrowing $30 million for the expansion of our main library at the expense Stated - 4/14/05 of our regional and branch libraries. This is something I don't think we should do. It's just not in a step in the right direction, in my opinion. Finally, I'll be sending you, Madam President, and all of my colleagues in Council a more detailed description of our plan. And I know I would like to work with Mr. Shelkrot and his administrators. I think I find them...
that they're very intelligent, dedicated and experienced professionals, that I think can work out and they can accept most, if not all, of this plan, which will enable them to run their system much more efficiently than what they have been. So, I look forward to working with them. And I hope that we can get our libraries back to where they were. Thank you, Madam President.
Thank you. Are there speeches on the part of the majority? The Chair recognizes Councilman Stated - 4/14/05 Ramos.
Thank you, Madam President. Madam President, I would like to welcome Sergeant First Class Carlos Riera and his wife Wanda who have joined us today in City Council. I would ask them to please stand up.
Mr. Riera has served in the United States Army for 15 years on active duty and 14 years in the National Guard. He is currently a platoon sergeant for the 131st Transportation Company of Philadelphia. The platoon was stationed in Kuwait and Iraq from February 2003 to March 2004. During that time he led a group of 40 soldiers who transported medical supplies, food, gas and ammunition to the front lines of the Iraq War. Sergeant, we are very proud of you. Stated - 4/14/05 (Applause.)
Thank you, councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Cohen.
Thank you, Madam President. I wanted to offer congratulations to the 24 brave families of Osage Street. I think that they have won a victory that's going to spark a national change in how people think about the rights of citizens against what are called City Halls. In Philadelphia it is a City Hall. In other places it may be called something else. But here are people who fought almost 20 years. Next month will be 20 years from the date that the City first committed wrong against them. 32 of their companions were unable to participate in the fight, for reasons that always affect individuals in the community, but 24 families held out for nearly 20 years. Stated - 4/14/05 Next month would make it exactly 20 years. And they fought. And they heard everybody say, you can't fight against City Hall; Mayor Street is all powerful. Maybe the other mayors were powerful, too, but he is invincible; nobody can do anything. Well, this jury talked. And this jury talked to the people of America and said, it's time to end the horrible bureaucracy which has pitted government against ordinary citizens. This jury did things that no jury, to my knowledge, has ever done before. Whether it will stand up in court or appeal, if an appeal follows, I have no way of knowing. But think of this: Imagine one count of an indictment saying, we think that the Mayor -- Mayor Street was named directly in this -- was guilty for arbitrary treatment of the rights of homeowners; and we value that loss to the homeowners at being one point two-thirds of a million dollars [sic]. That's talking plain language. People Stated - 4/14/05 understand money, if they don't understand rights. Or against Mayor Street by himself for malicious disregard of the right of homeowners. Every homeowner ought to rejoice. We've had Rosemary Cubas, the Latino community, come here many times and talk about how the City callously disregards the rights of homeowners: Suddenly sends them notices saying, we're going to take your property. That's what Mayor Street said to these people three years ago. He said, take my offer. I'll give you $150,000 for your homes. We're going to take your home away from you. You've got to move. These people have been subjected to all kinds of threats in the past. And they turned it down. The jury decided that the people should keep their homes; and in addition, each of them will get money damages of more than a half million. And that is money that was caused by the total arbitrary actions of Stated - 4/14/05 this City administration in denying humane treatment to the people. Now, I think you're going to see throughout the country a nationwide reaction to this, because governments have taken on too much the color and view of businesses which are known for disregarding the rights of ordinary people. It's time that the people spoke out. And this jury in the Philadelphia area spoke out clearly, convincingly, and did it in a way which produces results. Years ago when we used to fight police brutality, everybody oohed and ahhed at the terrible tales that people told about that question, but nothing ever happened, until the day came when juries began awarding damages to people who complained about police treatment. And suddenly things changed because it turns out that governments are like businesses. If you hit them in the pocketbook, they begin to react because the verdicts begin to cause budgetary problems. Stated - 4/14/05 And so, I see this as a great step forward in the rightful treatment of ordinary citizens. And I must say to the people who in my judgment have been so badly treated in the area around 20th and Olney, that you've gone 15 or 16 months. You may have a long way to go, but victory will be won as long as people continue to fight for what's right. So, once more, congratulations to Osage Avenue. Thank you. (Applause.)
Are there any other speeches on the part of the majority? (No response.)
Seeing none, the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco for a motion to adjourn.
Madam President, I move that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, April 21, 2005 at 10:00 a.m.
Do I hear Stated - 4/14/05 a second? UNIDENTIFIED COUNCIL PERSON: Second.
It has been moved and seconded that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, April 21st at 10:00 a.m. All in favor will say aye. (Chorus of "ayes.")
The ayes have it, and the motion carries. Thank you very much. (Hearing concluded at 11:15 p.m.) CERTIFICATE I HEREBY CERTIFY that the proceedings and evidence are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me upon the public hearing of The Philadelphia City Council, taken on April 14, 2005, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. _____________________________ DAVID A. DEIK, RPR and Commissioner of Deeds (The foregoing certification of this transcript does not apply to any reproduction of the same by any means, unless under the direct control and/or supervision of the certifying reporter.)