Stated Meeting COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA STATED MEETING Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Thursday, January 29, 2025 10:00 a.m. PRESENT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT KENYATTA JOHNSON COUNCILWOMAN NINA AHMAD COUNCILWOMAN CINDY BASS COUNCILWOMAN KENDRA BROOKS COUNCILMAN MICHAEL DRISCOLL COUNCILWOMAN JAMIE GAUTHIER COUNCILMAN JIM HARRITY COUNCILWOMAN RUE LANDAU COUNCILWOMAN QUETCY M. LOZADA COUNCILMAN BRIAN J. O'NEILL COUNCILMAN NICOLAS O'ROURKE COUNCILMAN ANTHONY PHILLIPS COUNCILMAN ISAIAH THOMAS COUNCILMAN JEFFREY YOUNG, JR. ELIZABETH McCOLLUM NAZARIO, CHIEF CLERK Stated Meeting
I note that the hour has come and that a quorum of this Council is present. Asking all members, please take your seats. All visitors, please retire outside the Council chambers. Please take all sidebar conversations out of the Council chambers. Before proceeding, I'm going to ask for everyone to please put your cell phones on vibrate and or silent. Thank you. To give our invocation this morning, the Chair recognizes Bishop Derric J. Wright, Senior Pastor of Infinite Wonders Stated Meeting Ministries, Inc. He is here today as a guest of our Majority Leader Councilwoman Katherine Gilmore Richardson. I will ask all members and guests to please rise. (Councilmembers, guests and visitors rise.)
Good morning. It is my distinct pleasure, privilege and honor to be with you today, Mr. President and City Councilwoman Katherine Gilmore Richardson. Thank you for the invitation. Let's bow our hearts and pray. Gracious and eternal God, we pause at the beginning of this gathering to acknowledge your presence and to honor you as the source of wisdom, justice and peace. We thank you for the gift of this day and for the opportunity to come together with purpose and Stated Meeting for the City of Philadelphia, its rich history, its diverse people, its enduring spirit. Thank you for every neighborhood, every family and every individual who calls this great city home. We are grateful for the privilege of living, working and serving in a place that continues to strive toward liberty, fairness and opportunity for all. Today we lift before you the men and women entrusted with the leadership in this chamber. Grant them, Lord, the wisdom that rises above personal interest, discernment that is clear and steady, and the courage that is guided by humility. May every decision made here be marked by integrity, fairness and a sincere commitment to the common good. Stated Meeting that is compassionate and equitable, for policies that protect the vulnerable and for leadership that listens carefully and acts thoughtfully where there are difficult choices. Grant clarity where there is disagreement. Grant respect where there is weariness. Grant renewed strength. We ask your covering over the people of this city, our children, our elders, our workers, our caregivers, our communities that are facing challenges and uncertainty. May your peace prevail in our streets, unity grow across our differences and hope be strengthened in our heart. Remind us that leadership is a sacred trust and service is its highest calling. May all who serve this city do so Stated Meeting wisdom, humility and a deep sense of accountability. Father, we offer this invocation and this prayer with gratitude and hope, trusting you to guide this day and the work that is set before us. Your precious name, Amen. (Amen.)
The Chair thanks the Bishop for the invocation. Council will now be at ease. (Council at ease.)
The next order of business is the approval of the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, January 22, 2026. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Cindy Bass.
Thank you, Mr. President. Stated Meeting Journal of the meeting of Thursday, January 22, 2026 be approved.
It has been moved and properly seconded that the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, January 22, 2026 stand approved. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the Journal is approved. The next order of business is request for leaves of absence. And the Chair recognizes Councilmember Isaiah Thomas.
Good morning, Council President. Good Stated Meeting morning, colleagues. Good morning to the listening public. On behalf of the Majority, a leave of absence is requested for Councilmember Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson as well as Councilmember Mark Squilla. Thank you, Council President.
Thank you. The Chair thanks the Councilmember. Leave will be granted. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Brooks.
Thank you so much, Council President. On the behalf of the Minority, there are no requests for leaves of absence today. COUNCIL PRESIDENT Stated Meeting JOHNSON: Thank you very much. The Chair thanks the Councilmember. The Chair now recognizes Councilmember Isaiah Thomas for a motion concerning certain legislative matters that may arise during the course of today's session of Council and that were not listed on the Calendar circulated prior to today's session.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that any of the following matters, if considered today, may be added to the agenda for this session of Council and, as required by law, subsequently published on an amended agenda after the consideration of those matters: resolutions authorizing hearings, amendments to bills on first reading, the reconsideration Stated Meeting bill vetoed by or re-called from the Mayor, amendments to the bills re-called from the Mayor, resolutions taking substantive action to be voted on in this session, a motion to withdraw a bill or resolution that is not on the Calendar, and a motion placing a bill in a resolution on or returning a bill or resolution from the Suspension Calendar that is not enlisted on today's Calendar. The purpose of this motion is to provide the public with notice concerning possible actions by Council that arose too late to be included in a Calendar that was published prior to today's session.
It has been moved and properly seconded that the legislative matters stated by Stated Meeting be added to the agenda for today should those matters arise during the course of this session of Council. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the motion carries. The Chair will dispense with the regular order of business to recognize the guests and visitors joining us in chambers this morning. On behalf of all members of City Council, I welcome you to our Council session. We appreciate your taking the time to join us as we attend to the Stated Meeting great city. We certainly invite you to come again at this time. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Dr. Anthony Phillips, who will present a resolution honoring La Salle College High School on winning the 2025 PIAA Class 6A State Football Championship. Would Head Coach Brett Gordon and those accompanying him please join the Councilmember at the podium. Joining Councilmember Dr. Anthony Phillips are the following members: Councilmember Mike Driscoll, Councilmember Kendra Brooks, Councilmember Nicolas O'Rourke, Councilmember Quetcy Lozada.
Thank you so much, Council President. Stated Meeting all of those who are here today. On behalf of La Salle College High School, if I can invite all the alums as well, if they're here as well, Mr. David Ford, Chris Dezzi, if you all can join the podium as well that are here today as well. Today we have here standing with us the head coach of La Salle Football Explorers, Mr. Brett Gordon. And then we have five incredible students who are here from the La Salle football team who are seniors. We have Adam Christie, Lucas Johnson, Danny Lauer, Jacob Jackson, Chris Hack, the President of the La Salle College High School Alumni Association Bob Long, the Director of Communications who also I worked for while I was at La Salle, Mr. Chris Carabello, and also we Stated Meeting Zanneo, Athletic Director. So we're so excited to be here honoring for the first time ever in the history of Philadelphia City Council La Salle College High School. Now, to the chagrin of Councilman O'Neill, who's not here today -
I wonder why. I'm truly exercising councilmanic prerogative. Because as you know, La Salle College High School is a school in Montgomery County, but has been tearing up a lot of Philadelphia schools and contributing to the Philadelphia region, including the great alumni that we have up here, Mr. David Ford and Mr. Chris Dezzi and so many alums who have contributed and Stated Meeting of Philadelphia. So La Salle not only has students there on a daily basis helping Philadelphia grow, but they're also finding ways to be excellent every single avenue, including today and the reason why we're celebrating them in athletics. What does the score 34 to 20 mean? That was the final score that my school, La Salle, secured their second state football title in school history. My school, La Salle College High School, not Councilman O'Neill's school that I still have love for, was able to champion the state in football. I think La Salle still holds the lead in head-to-head matchups, but no one is counting. Like in politics, this isn't about yesteryear. It's Stated Meeting for me lately. And lately, La Salle has been crowned champions. So with that being said, I just want to briefly just say a couple of things. Boys will be boys, but La Salle boys will be gentlemen. That is a line that we walked into every single day at La Salle College High School. We also walked into a slogan that said, Enter to learn, lead to serve. And every single day, all of us, we had to say the same prayer at the beginning of the school day and at the end of the school day. And it started with St. John the Baptist de La Salle. Pray for us. Live Jesus in our hearts forever. La Salle played a huge role in shaping who I am. I carry that with me every single day in my work on Philadelphia City Council. Stated Meeting Now, when I walk through the doors of La Salle and come through City Council, I understand what public service truly means. But I learned that during my time at La Salle. La Salle didn't just give me a strong academic foundation. It gave me a deeper understanding of leadership, service and faith. It challenged me not just to be smart, but to be good. It challenged me to use my voice and my gifts for something bigger than myself. From teachers like Mr. Dennis Bloh to viceprincipals and Vice-presidents like Mr. Michael O'Toole, to Mr. Joe Perese to countless other mentors and teachers at that school, they really helped me understand the importance of leading in service. Whether it was through Stated Meeting trips, class debates or just the brotherhood of being in a community with other young men striving for greatness, this school taught me how to lead, how to serve and how to show up with integrity. Those lessons followed me to Morehouse, my work with youth development, eventually a seat on City Council as well as representing the neighborhoods I came from and fighting every day for young people who deserve the same opportunities that I had. And let me tell you one last thing. La Salle didn't just prepare me. It helped me. When I stepped into the arena of public service and decided to run for Council, it was a La Salle connection who helped first open that door. The first time I ever learned about government was Stated Meeting is here today, where I interned in his office under Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, and that was the first time I understood what City Council was all about. And it was La Salle alumni who picked up the phone and said, Anthony, I know you're running for City Council, how can I support you. That's the power of the La Salle network, and that's the power of how we understand the importance of helping La Salleans across the city of Philadelphia and beyond achieve success.
I'm so grateful of La Salle College High School, because when I was trying to choose a high school, it was challenging. And I was bullied and La Salle was the school that was the best school for me that found me so I could find Stated Meeting have today. Thanks to all the support that La Salle has given me. So with that being said, I would like to thank all of the young people who are here today, who are seniors who are going to go off to great colleges that are doing great achievement, who are here today to be presented in front of Philadelphia City Council for the first time in history, me being the first alum of La Salle College High School to be on Philadelphia City Council, I'm proud and I'm humbled and excited to present to you the La Salle College High School football team for its great accomplishments. Thank you so much. )
All right. Honoring La Salle College High School on winning the 2025 PIAA Class 6A State Football Championship, Whereas, La Salle College High School has a proud tradition of academic excellence, athletic achievement and character development and continues to exemplify leadership on and off the field; and Whereas, on December 6, 2025, the La Salle College High School Explorers defeated the Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings by a score of 34-20 at Chapman Field to win the 2025 PIAA Class 6A State Championship, securing the second state title in the program's Stated Meeting history; and whereas,
Whereas, La Salle completed an extraordinary 13-1 season, demonstrating discipline, teamwork and resilience throughout District 12 play, the Philadelphia Catholic League and the state playoffs; and Whereas, the championship game showcased a historic standout performance by senior athlete Joey O'Brien, who recorded three interceptions in the fourth quarter, returning one for a 95-yard touchdown to seal the victory, while also catching 10 passes for 98 yards, and even throwing a touchdown pass during the game;
And whereas, Running back Ahzir Nelson delivered a powerful offensive performance, rushing for Stated Meeting 127 yards and scoring a key fourthquarter touchdown following O'Brien's first interception, helping to put the game out of reach; and Whereas, Sophomore receiver Owen Johnson scored three receiving touchdowns, including two from quarterback Gavin Sidwar and one thrown by O'Brien, providing essential offensive momentum and contributing to La Salle's halftime lead of 14-7; and
Whereas, La Salle dominated the tempo of the championship, opening the second half with a remarkable 17-play, 80-yard drive that consumed 12 minutes of game time and extended the team's lead to two possessions; and Whereas, the Explorers' defense forced three critical Stated Meeting turnovers, all by O'Brien, shutting down Central Catholic's comeback hopes and demonstrating extraordinary athleticism, preparation and execution; and
Whereas, the entire roster including standout Seniors Grayson McKeogh, Gavin Sidwar, JP Oates, and others - contributed to the championship season that reflects the strength of La Salle's football program and developmental approach; and Whereas, the 2025 state title represents a milestone for La Salle College High School, its students, coaches, alumni, community and supportive families, bringing pride to the Montgomery County and the Greater Philadelphia region; now, therefore, be it Stated Meeting
Therefore, be it, Resolved that the Council of the City of Philadelphia Hereby honors and congratulates La Salle College High School on winning the 2025 PIAA Class 6A State Football Championship and celebrate student athletes, coaches, staff and family supporters who contributed to this historic victory. And Further Resolved, that an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to La Salle College High School as evidence of the sincere respect and admiration of this legislative body. Congratulations, La Salle College High School. (Applause.)
And I want to acknowledge that my colleague from St. Joe's Prep alum Stated Meeting here, Councilman Brian O'Neill, has decided to join us today. And we're so happy to have you, sir. Just so you know, I used to play football a little bit just for a year until I realized I wasn't that good. So here's my faded jersey.
The Chair recognizes Coach Brett Gordon for remarks.
Thank you, everybody. Good morning. My name is Brett Gordon. I'm the head coach of La Salle on behalf of our entire alumni base, La Salle High School and the 2025 State Champion La Salle High School Explorers were very humbled and honored to be honored by the City here today. The word brotherhood is what stands out to me for La Salle. Stated Meeting to see one of my brothers, Joe Meade, here who was a former classmate and teammate of mine from way back when, when I was a student. So very exciting year. Very proud of our seniors. We appreciate you squeezing us in today. I know there's a pretty stocked docket for you all in here today, so appreciate you taking some time to honor La Salle. We're super proud of this group. And thank you very much for having us all here today. Thank you. (Applause.)
The next order of business is communications. The Chair requests that the Sergeantat-Arms deliver the messages from Stated Meeting Chief Clerk. Will the Chief Clerk please read the messages from the Mayor and any other communications in her possession.
To the President and members of the Council of City of Philadelphia, I am pleased to advise you that on January 22, 2026 I signed the following bill, which was passed by Council at its session on January 22, 2026: Bill No. 251065. And that on January 27th, I signed the following bill which was passed by Council at its session on January 22, 2026: Bill No. 251027. Council President, there are no further communications in my possession.
Thank you very much. The Stated Meeting messages will be printed in the Journal. The next order of business is the introduction of bills and resolutions. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Dr. Anthony Phillips.
Thank you, Council President. Thank you all, colleagues, for joining me today with La Salle. I have no bills or resolutions for today.
Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Jamie Gauthier -Chair recognizes Councilmember Isaiah Thomas.
Good morning, Council President. Good morning, colleagues. On behalf of Stated Meeting Councilmember Gauthier, I have one bill.
Thank you very much. Would the Chief Clerk please read the title of the bill. Thank you, Member Thomas.
An ordinance amending Title 14 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Zoning and Planning" by revising and clarifying certain provisions and making technical changes to text that has expired, all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee. Chair recognizes Councilmember Isaiah Thomas.
Good morning again, Council President. Stated Meeting Good morning again to the listening public. On behalf of Majority Leader Gilmore Richardson, I have one resolution.
Thank you very much. Will the Chief Clerk please read the title of the resolution.
A privileged resolution authorizing the Committee on Education to hold hearings on the decrease in Black student enrollment at the School District of Philadelphia special admission schools.
This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. Chair recognizes Councilmember Curtis Jones. Stated Meeting
Good morning, Mr. President, colleagues and viewing audience. Today I offer one privileged resolution on your behalf.
Thank you very much. Would the Chief Clerk please read the title of the privileged resolution.
A privileged resolution recognizing the life and legacy of Joseph R. Syrnick for his distinguished career of public service to the City of Philadelphia and his visionary leadership in transforming the Schuylkill River Corridor, Trail and Waterfront.
This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Stated Meeting Calendar. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Rue Landau. (Applause.)
Good morning, Council President. Good morning, colleagues. And good morning to the people of Philadelphia. (Applause.)
Today I have three bills and one non-privileged resolution. Thank you.
Thank you very much. Will the Chief Clerk please read the title of the Ice Out of Philly resolution.
Amending Title 21 of The Philadelphia Code by adding a new Chapter 21-3600, entitled "Non-Intervention with Stated Meeting Respect to Immigration Enforcement," to place certain restrictions on the collection and use of information related to citizenship and immigration status, prohibit certain forms of discrimination in City services, and provide for remedies for violations, all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And an ordinance amending Title 21 of The Philadelphia Code, by adding a new Chapter 21-3600, entitled "NonIntervention with respect to Immigration Enforcement," to establish certain limits on how personal information may be handled by the City with regard to Stated Meeting immigration enforcement, create reporting requirements and provide for remedies for violations, all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And an ordinance amending Chapter 9-1100 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Fair Practices Ordinance Protections Against Unlawful Discrimination," to add protections against discrimination on the basis of citizenship and immigration status, all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And a Stated Meeting non-privileged resolution urging U.S. Senators John Fetterman and Dave McCormick as well as all United States Senators committed to upholding the Constitution of the United -(Applause.)
-- of the United States and the Rule of Law, to vote "No" on H.R. 7147, and to reject increased funding for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. (Applause.)
This resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at the next session of Council. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Quetcy Lozada.
Thank you, Council President. Good Stated Meeting morning, everyone. I have nothing today.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Jeffrey Jay Young.
Good morning, Mr. President. Today I have one resolution.
Thank you very much. Will the Chief Clerk please read the title of the resolution.
A privileged resolution recognizing January 20 - 23, 2026 as "Social Justice Week" in the City of Philadelphia, and further honoring Friends Select School for its contributions and dedication to being an anti-racist school with a culture and a curriculum that Stated Meeting encourage and empower awareness and response to issues and events in the City of Philadelphia. (Applause.)
This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair recognizes Minority Councilmember Kendra Brooks for the introduction of the Ice Out of Philly resolution. (Applause.)
Thank you, Council President. I have one privileged resolution and four bills to introduce today.
Thank you very much. Would the Chief Clerk please read the titles of the bills and resolutions please. Stated Meeting
An ordinance amending Title 17 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Procurement Contracts" and Title 21 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Miscellaneous" to prohibit the acceptance of bids on City contracts from, or the execution of contracts with entities that do business with Immigration enforcement authorities; bar City participation in, resource expenditures to, and involvement in any agreements or activities in furtherance of immigration enforcement, including through the conduct of its employees, contractors and funding recipients; require annual reporting of City immigrationrelated activities and provide for civil enforcement of violations, all under certain terms and Stated Meeting conditions.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And an ordinance amending Title 10 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Regulation of Individual Conduct and Activity" to prohibit law enforcement officers from concealing their identity, require officers to visibly display their badge and other official identifying information, prohibit the impersonation of law enforcement officers, and provide for civil and criminal enforcement violations, all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate Stated Meeting committee.
And an ordinance amending Title 10 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Regulation of Individual Conduct Activity" and amending Title 11 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Streets," to prohibit immigration enforcement on City and Cityrelated property and facilities, to prohibit immigration enforcement in the right-of-way and provide for civil enforcement of violations, all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And an ordinance amending Title 10 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Regulation of Individual Conduct Stated Meeting and Activity" to restrict the use of community spaces for government purposes not expressly authorized by the City or the courts and provide for civil enforcement of violations, all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And a privileged resolution recognizing the lives and legacies and expressing condolences for the deaths of Keith Porter, Jr., Renee Nicole Good, Alex Pretti, Chaofeng Ge, Fouad Saeed Abdulkadir, Parady La and the countless individuals who have been killed, disappeared or tortured in this past year.
This resolution will be Stated Meeting placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Jim Harrity.
Good afternoon, Council President. I have one privileged resolution today.
Thank you very much. Will the Chief Clerk please read the title of the privileged resolution.
Recognizing January as National Substance Use Disorder Month and honoring the resilience of individuals, families and communities impacted by substance abuse disorder in Philadelphia and nationwide.
This resolution will be Stated Meeting placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. Chair recognizes Councilmember Nicolas O'Rourke.
Thank you, Mr. President. I have one privileged resolution today.
Will the Chief Clerk please read the title of the privileged resolution.
A privileged resolution honoring WURD Radio for being nationally recognized as a nominee for the NAACP Image Award for its limited podcast series "Exonerated: The Cost of Wrongful Conviction," which explores life after wrongful conviction in Philadelphia, exemplifying local journalism's mission to explain, clarify and Stated Meeting nuance the diverse experience of Philadelphians.
This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. Chair recognizes Councilmember Mike Driscoll.
Morning, Mr. President. No bills or resolutions this morning.
Thank you very much. Chair recognizes Councilmember Brian O'Neill.
Thank you, Mr. President. I offer one non-privileged resolution.
Will the Chief Clerk please read the title of the Stated Meeting non-privileged resolution.
A non-privileged resolution authorizing Councilmember Brian O'Neill's appeal, on behalf of and as representative of City Council, of the decision of the Departments of Licenses and Inspections with respect to 451 Rhawn Street.
This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Brian O'Neill for a motion concerning the resolution just introduced.
Yes, Mr. President. Thank you. I move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit the consideration of this non-privileged resolution that was Stated Meeting just read into the record by the Chief Clerk at today's session of Council. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that all those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that all those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. The motion carries. The resolution will be placed on today's Final Stated Meeting Passage Calendar so that will be voted on today. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Cindy Bass.
Thank you very much. Will the Chief Clerk please read the title of the bill.
An ordinance renaming and designating the property, commonly referred to as Panati Playground, located at 3100 North 22nd Street to the "Allegheny West Recreation Center," in recognition of the community and neighborhood that it serves.
Good job. This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee. Stated Meeting The next order of business being that there are no reports from committees -- the Chair recognizes Councilmember Dr. Nina Ahmad.
Sorry. Dr. Ahmad, do you have any bills and resolutions for today?
Thank you very much, Councilmember Dr. Nina Ahmad. I'm sorry. Must have been all that snow. Being that there are no reports from the committees today, the next order of business is the consideration of the Calendar. The Chair recognizes Stated Meeting 2ND READING that Majority Whip Councilmember Isaiah Thomas for a motion concerning the bills and resolutions on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar.
Thank you, Mr. President. The following bills and resolutions are being called up for Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar today: Bill Nos. 260033, 260034, 260036, 260037, 260039, 260040, 260041, 260042, 260045, 260046. Resolutions 241070 and 260044. Bills 241056, 250768, 250807, 250843 and 251052.
Are being held. The following resolutions and bills are being held. Do I need to read them again for the Clerk? Stated Meeting
No, we're good for the record. Thank you very much, Member Thomas.
Thank you very much. Before considering these bills and resolutions, we will consider public comment as follows: Your public comment must concern matters on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendars for possible action at today's Council session. All speakers must sign up in order to testify. If you have not already signed up for today's session, please do so now by giving your name to Ms. Hasson at the table outside the rails to my left. Once you have signed up, you will be Stated Meeting called in the order in which your name appears on the sign-up sheet. Under ideal circumstances, public commenters each will have three minutes to speak. However, this time limit may vary from session-to-session. Today's time limit will be two minutes. In order to be fair to all those wishing to speak, I intend to hold faithfully to the two-minute limit. When you begin speaking, you will see a green light on the podium. When there are 30 seconds remaining to your time, the light will turn yellow, which is your reminder to conclude your remarks. Once two minutes have passed, the light will turn red and the Sergeant-at-Arms will disconnect the microphone. Please don't get mad at him. He's just doing his Stated Meeting job. At that point, please yield the podium to the next speaker if you have not already done so. I also reserve the right, pursuant to our rules of City Council, to limit repetitious comments on the same subject matter. I will now ask the Chief Clerk to please read the name of our first speaker.
We have Lynn Landes. May David Jenkins, Cesar Ruiz De Castilla, Lydia O., Erica M., Curtis Walker, Michael McGettigan, Isaac Shane and Kauveri Shah also make their way to the podium. Lynn Landes, David Jenkins, Cesar Ruiz De Castilla, Lydia O., Eric M., Curtis Walker, Michael McGettigan, Isaac Shane and Kauveri Shah. Stated Meeting (Witnesses approached podium.)
I'm Lynn Landes of Safestreetsphilly.org and the parent of two naturalized citizens. We strongly support our federal immigration laws and believe that sanctuary cities and states are an attack on our nation's sovereignty and security -(Background interruption.)
Excuse me, everyone. All we ask for is respect for anyone, Stated Meeting irregardless of their opinion and/or their testimony. Please proceed.
Under the Biden Administration, Democrats engineered an illegal invasion of our country -(Background interruption.)
I'm going to ask y'all one more time, please be respectful of the individual giving public comment irregardless of your personal opinion regarding their position.
Under the Biden Administration, Democrats engineered an illegal invasion of our country by inviting in millions of illegal immigrants from all over the world, plus supporting them with taxpayers money. Why -Stated Meeting (Background interruption.)
The longer y'all take and don't let her speak is the longer she will be standing at the podium. Please proceed.
Why? Because Democratic leaders clearly want illegal aliens to vote for them in our elections. Ultimately, it appears that Democrats want America under a one-world globalist government, much like what happened with the COVID lockdown, which was encouraged by the World Health Organization. There are words for what Democratic leaders are up to. Insurrection is one. But to many Americans, it sounds an awful lot like treason. Thank you. (Background Stated Meeting interruption.)
Will the Clerk please call the next speaker. Respect, everyone.
Mr. President, members and guests. David Alexander Jenkins and I rise in solemn remembrance and in moral responsibility to support this privileged resolution honoring the lives taken in acts of ICE violence. This resolution is a declaration. Philadelphia will not be silent when state violence erodes the sacred value of human life. I don't know what government was thinking when it sent the secret police into the streets in the form of ICE to occupy Washington, D.C. or to terrorize Minnesota, leaving a wake of death and chaos in its Stated Meeting path. But I'm profoundly aware that it made a terrible miscalculation in entering the City of Brotherly Love. Please know that in this Semiquincentennial America that we stand as I am reminded in the words of Councilmember Kendra Brooks, in a Philadelphia that is still in a state of becoming, we have not become. Hear me, this revolutionary city holds the DNA of descendants of British traders to the Crown who led a revolt against the tyrannical government and won. The streets of Philadelphia taught the world how to set fire to an idea that did not uphold that all men are created equal and that they enjoy the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I want to remind you that in Philadelphia, Stated Meeting aptly named for love, that we should not misconstrue that with cuddles, with kisses and with hugs. No, here in Philadelphia we mean love for our neighbor and for our country and for our Constitution that is willing to bring smoke to protect our brethren, smoke in the form of law, smoke in the form of streets, smoke in the form of revolution. (Applause.)
Cesar Ruiz De Castilla, Lydia O., Eric M., Curtis Walker, Michael McGettigan, Isaac Shane and Kauveri Shah. (Witnesses approached podium.)
My name is Cesar Ruiz De Castilla. I speak in support of the resolution and I'm a child of immigrants and a student here at Penn. I'm also a Stated Meeting member of the YCL and the WMS Bell Club. So there are a number of stories of the 5500 immigrant children who have been affected by Trump's family separation policy. And according to the ACLU's best estimates to date, around 1300 of those are still unaccounted for. We are currently living in a moment where we see kids like 5-year-old Liam Ramos being detained by ICE and sent to detention facilities. We can hear children yelling and screaming let us out. Minnesota lawyers have described this whole strategy as a conveyor belt, how ICE is detaining families en masse and then sending them out of state so they can't get legal counsel. The architect of that family separation policy is Tom Homan, who is Trump's border Stated Meeting czar, and the person who he has appointed and directed to now be in charge of the operation in Minneapolis. This shows that this administration, full of racist Nazis and nationalists, is not interested in slowing anything down. While justified outrage rightly follows the deaths of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, they were not the first people ICE killed this year. Keith Porter was shot dead in Los Angeles, leaving behind two daughters. Last year, 32 people died in ICE custody, including Chaofeng Ge, ruled a suicide who was found with his hands and feet tied behind his back, and Fouad Abdulkadir, both in Moshannon. Just 20 days ago, Parady La died in the Federal Detention Center here Stated Meeting in Philadelphia when he was suffering from severe withdrawal symptoms for which agents gave him Narcan. For drug withdrawal, they gave him several doses of Narcan. And he is one of six people that have died in ICE facilities this year alone. This legislation is long overdue. Philadelphia is a city full of diverse, Black and Brown and immigrant communities and has been repeatedly targeted by ICE already. We cannot cede any ground or give any quarter to these masked fascists who operate without any legislative oversight to pursue a white supremacist project. Anything less than this legislation, anything less than resisting ICE at every arena and area of struggle is a betrayal to every single working-class Stated Meeting individual of this city. We cannot let these neo-confederates keep on doing this racist nationalist project they seek out to do. Thank you. (Applause.)
(Spanish translation). INTERPRETER: My name is Lydia, and I am a member leader of the National Domestic Workers Alliance of Philadelphia. I have lived in Philadelphia for 23 years and have worked in cleaning for 18 years. I'm a mother of three and a wife who fights every day to have a dignified life. Today, I'm here to speak about the resolution by Councilwoman Brooks and Landau and to support the stronger protections against ICE. I deeply regret the loss of life in Minnesota at the Stated Meeting hands of ICE of Renee Good, a mother like me, and Parady La, a Philadelphia neighbor. This violence could come to Philadelphia. There are already many raids in different parts of the city and abductions of people who have lived in Philadelphia for many years. There is great deal of abuse of power in these encounters, and we cannot allow ICE to use city resources to continue doing whatever it wants without consequences. This fear affects us mentally, economically and impacts our children's education. Our city must say that this is not right. We all have the right to live with dignity and respect without fear because we are human beings and part of this community. That is why I request you to support the stronger Stated Meeting protections against ICE. With these protections, we will feel safer going to our city-run places like libraries and recreation centers, ICE agents will no longer be able to cover their faces without consequences, and it will no longer be possible to discriminate against someone simply for being an immigrant. So we are here because we know that you have the power to make change and protect the immigrant community so that Philadelphia continues to be a City of Brotherly Love. Thank you. (Applause.)
(Spanish translation). INTERPRETER: My name is Erica. I am a worker/leader with the Restaurant Workers Committee. Today I'm here in fear and standing Stated Meeting up for my immigrant community who are also afraid, afraid to go to work, afraid to take their children to school, afraid to go shopping, afraid to go to the doctor's appointment. This is not life. Can you imagine leaving home without knowing if you are going to see your family again or hugging your children or if you will take them again to the soccer game? These simple, basic liberties we do not have the privilege of experiencing anymore. This fear becomes even worse when we see mask agents in unmarked cards kidnapping our people. What do you make of that? They do not identify themselves, they do not have a warrant, but they detain people anyways. Is that constitutional? Can Councilmembers of Philadelphia Stated Meeting let them operate completely outside the law right under their noses? I want to tell you that I fully support Councilwoman Brooks and Landau's resolution. This package of bills is a way of saying you are not alone, this city sees you and we're going to do everything in our power so that you do not live in fear. Thank you for supporting the ICE Out legislation and for standing in unity with your neighbors, the workers that make this city run and the principles you defend with bravery in a democratic society. (Applause.)
We have Curtis Walker, Michael McGettigan, Isaac Shane, Kauveri Shah. May Jonny Rashid, Van Sam, Jeremy Blatstein, Vivian Chang and Steven Morley also make their way to the Stated Meeting podium. Thank you. (Witnesses approached podium.)
Hi. My name is Curtis Walker. I'm a proud Steering committee member of ICE Watch at Juntos, a local immigrants rights organization. My third shift of Watch, a scared teen was tackled outside of our courthouse. His neck was sat on by ICE for a couple of minutes. A week later, I watched a person -- I watched in person as another man was tackled inside the courthouse, which was supposed to be illegal even then. Both times people were violently grabbed. The Sheriff's Department helped. Sheriffs waved tasers at peaceful witnesses. My colleagues have seen ICE stalk community members into courtrooms. ICE Stated Meeting collects private data to do so. Activists locally, including me, have been hit. Some have been knocked down to the ground by ICE wearing plain clothes, no badges, and many covering their faces. Recent months here in Pennsylvania, Parady La, Fouad Abdulkadir died while in ICE custody. Chaofeng Ge allegedly committed suicide, but was hog-tied. How do you commit suicide when you're hog-tied? Our immigrant friends are being treated as nonhuman and thrown away under your watch. As the Juntos Erika Guadalupe said, Our national government is putting people in danger. It is the responsibility of local government to protect them. ICE needs to be stopped. This resolution will protect them Stated Meeting from having access to places that should be safe havens for our people, stop them from collecting private data against the law, make their identities more visible and stop the collusion between local police and ICE. Once you pass this resolution, please make sure it's enforced. If you don't act, more people will be torn away from their families, tortured, and many more will die. Thank you for hearing me and thank you for your support. (Applause.)
Hello, everyone. My name is Isaac Shane and I am a junior at Friends Select School. As a Friends Select student, it means a lot to stand here in City Council as we recognize Social Justice Week and the work we do together in our Stated Meeting community just up the Parkway. Since 2019, Social Justice Week has been our chance to pause and really look at the issues shaping our city; issues like gun violence, the opioid crisis and the rights of indigenous people and more. We don't just learn about them from textbooks. We learn by engaging with the people and organizations working on the ground in Philadelphia. Students are given the unique opportunity to make and teach lessons planned on these topics to their classmates throughout the week. That is just one of the things that makes our school special. Being in the city and of the city isn't just a slogan. It's how we learn every day. We are fortunate to have Stated Meeting teachers and leaders at Friends Select who trust us to take on big topics and who support us as we try to understand how equity and justice show up in the real world. Their work and the work of programs like the City Curriculum help us see ourselves as part of something larger. So thank you to Councilmember Jeffrey Young and the Philadelphia City Council for recognizing this week. And thank you to my classmates for showing up with curiosity, passion and care. Social Justice Week is powerful because of all of us, and I am grateful to be part of a school that educates us for, as our motto says, the whole of life. Thank you. (Applause.)
Good morning. Stated Meeting My name is Kauveri Shah. I'm a junior at Friends Select. On behalf of the Upper School students of Friends Select School, I want to thank Philadelphia City Council and Councilmember Jeffrey Young for recognizing January 20th through the 23rd of this year as Social Justice Week and for honoring our school's commitment to equity and anti-racism. It means a lot to know that the work we do as students matters to the city we call our classroom. Every year since 2019, Social Justice Week has pushed us to examine the issues affecting Philadelphia. I am thankful to have been this year's student leader in coordinating the student body's selection of and reflection on these issues this year. Those topics include Stated Meeting immigration reform, misogyny in media, social justice in film, discrimination in sports, women's empowerment, sustainable energy and more. These are not just areas of study for us. They are realities we see and feel in our lives. Our teachers and staff empower us to create opportunities and learn directly from community voices, activists and organizations working to make positive change. The ways of moving in and thinking about the world with tolerance, integrity and equity are woven into the virtues that led to the foundation of Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection. Being one of the oldest and most historic learning institutions in Philadelphia gives us a unique responsibility. We are surrounded by Stated Meeting universities, cultural institutions and community groups, and we are privileged to engage with all of them. That access helps us grow as thinkers and, more importantly, as citizens who care about justice. Social Justice Week reminds us that we are not just students. We are part of Philadelphia's future, and we are grateful that City Council sees and supports the work we are doing. Thank you for this recognition, and thank you to everyone in the FSS community who makes this week meaningful every year. The City's recognition of the importance of this work is just another example of what makes me proud to be a Philadelphian. (Applause.)
I'm Jonny Rashid, Pastor for West Stated Meeting Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship, a congregation member of New Sanctuary Movement. (Applause.)
I'm here to give testimony in support of Councilmembers Brooks and Landau's condolences resolution. And even though I'm a pastor, I won't make a long sermon right now. I'm a child of Egyptian immigrants. My family migrated here in hopes of freedom from religious persecution and opportunity. My lived experience as an immigrant makes all immigrants family, and I move to use my voice and body to advocate with them. Aside from my lived experience, the biblical value of loving one's neighbor animates my politics and my life. And among all of our religious traditions, we are Stated Meeting exhorted to love our neighbor. And I have no doubt in my mind that everyone in this chamber seeks to uphold those values. All of you do that. In fact, we know they are central to our City of Brotherly Love. Philadelphia schools, houses of worship and communities should be safe for migrants. And though I am sure you hold to this ethic, our values and our words are not enough. Jesus says, If we believe the right thing but don't do the right thing, we are like white-washed tombs, clean on the outside and full of bones on the inside. And so, I'm compelled to support the ICE Out package of bills that was introduced today. It is the most practical way we can love our neighbor, who fear for Stated Meeting their lives and are illegally under attack. Philadelphia should not and cannot be complicit in ICE's terror. This package of bills fulfills Philadelphia's mission to love its neighbors, welcome the stranger. It holds law enforcement officers accountable and it ensures the protection of our community from the growing fascism and authoritarianism in our country. It guards against Trump's bullying and power-grabbing. It protects migrants from fear and assault, and it makes Philadelphia the city it purports to be. Dear members of Council, these bills put our neighborly love that I know you hold into action. I implore you to support it and keep our city safe. (Applause.) Stated Meeting
Good morning, everyone. My name is Van. I am a member of VietLead and a member organizer at 18 Million Rising. I'm here to share on behalf of an impacted community member who's afraid to stand here today to share his support for the ICE Out of Philly legislation. My name is PF, a Cambodian refugee, a business owner and a man who was given a second chance, though I haven't always felt that this country truly honored that second chance. I grew up in South Philly in a community that survived war, poverty and violence. I made a mistake when I was young, and I paid for them. Today I dedicate my life for making sure our kids don't repeat those mistakes. I mentor youth, help build small businesses Stated Meeting and work every day to keep our Southeast Asian Market community safe, united and thriving. As the former President of the Southeast Asian Market, I helped bring in new resources and economic growth that supported local vendors, small business owners and the city as a whole. But it's hard to talk about second chances when our families still live in fear, fear of ICE, fear of walking into city building, fear that one knock on the door could tear a parent away from their children, including mine. That's why the ICE Out of Philly legislation matters. This isn't about breaking law. It's about protecting family, honoring rehabilitation and recognizing the value that immigrants and refugees bring to Philadelphia. Stated Meeting I stand here as someone who got a second chance, who turned his life around and who now gives back to the city that raised me. I'm asking you to pass ICE, the ICE Out of Philly legislation, so that those second chances, mine and so many others, are real, not just words on paper. Thank you. (Applause.)
We have Jeremy Blatstein, Vivian Chang, Steven Morley. May Jasmine Rivera, Jeannine Cicco Barker, Lauren Loe and Joanna Severino also make their way to the podium. Thank you. (Witnesses approached podium.)
Hello, City Council. First off, if you have a translation device, it alternates between 17 and 18. So if you can't hear it, you have to Stated Meeting hit the button up to go to 18. And then when the other person goes back, it goes to 17, if you're having issues with the listening device. But my name is Jeremy Blatstein. I am here today in support of the resolution by Councilwoman Brooks and by Councilwoman Landau. It is very important that Philadelphia is a city for everybody, right. Philadelphia is a city that everybody should be able to come to and feel safe. And thank you for putting forth legislation today that fights for the people that can't have a voice. That goes right along with growing Philly to 2 milli, right. We need to grow the City of Philadelphia. We need to create more jobs. We need to build more Stated Meeting housing, and these types of protections help do that. So thank you. And I will want to acknowledge -- and he's not here right now -- but Councilmember Young is playing 4D chess. He put in an overlay to try to stop housing, but that's not what he was really trying to do, I think. He wanted more housing to be built around Hahnemann, so he's gotten 829 units permitted in the last month. That's crazy, 829. Good job, Councilmember Young. Give him a round of applause. 4D chess, 4D chess, from the gimbi(ph). And last but not least, we're talking about SEPTA. SEPTA is crucial to the city of Philadelphia. Obviously, the snow removal process has been a little bit drawn out, but overall I think Stated Meeting that the city has done a good job. Give her some grace. And ride the ride, grow Philly to 2 millie. Thank you.
Good morning. My name is Vivian Chang. I'm with Asian Americans United and with all these beautiful people inside, outside, supporting the ICE Out bill package. Let's give it up. (Applause.)
And I know we get to be a little happier today than we were expecting because so many Councilmembers have recognized just how important this legislation is. So we say thank you. And we say we're excited to have you committed through the whole thing, right. We're just here at the beginning. But this is going to Stated Meeting take a lot of work to get it through, through the votes, through committee and everything, right. And this is not something we can afford to break apart. These are nonnegotiable pieces to protect our city. And this is only the first start. I know that's a lot. I know we have seven different bills and everything, but what we're facing is literal fascism, ICE murdering people in the streets, in closed doors, right. There's literal people from our community who have been killed. And ICE is something that is younger than a lot of people in this room. Not everybody, if you're a high school or a student. But most of us, we were born before ICE existed. It does not have to continue this way. So, yeah, we don't need any of it. Stated Meeting So we're excited. We thank folks, and this is only the beginning, right. We restrict what ICE is doing. But ultimately, we need them gone. We need to make sure that Philly does not accept this. So thank you.
Good morning. My name is Steven Morley. I have been engaged with immigration law for over 40 years as a practitioner. And then from 2010 until 2022 I served as an immigration judge here in Philadelphia. I'm also the son of parents who fled and escaped from Nazi Germany. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak in support of this resolution. I have watched aghast as the current administration has sidelined the immigration courts across the Stated Meeting country by firing judges who are committed to the rule of law. This has a chilling effect on those judges who remain to rule in a manner that the current administration deems proper, rather than evaluating law and evidence fairly. I have watched equally horrified as the Board of Immigration Appeals and the Attorney General have rewritten immigration law through presidential decisions that deeply infringe on the rights of foreign nationals. For instance, interpreting law in a manner to warrant mandatory detention for any foreign national who entered the United States without inspection, regardless of whether that entry was five days ago, five weeks ago, five months ago, five years ago or Stated Meeting 50 years ago. Another tactic to eviscerate the immigration courts is to dismiss asylum cases because a third country such as Ecuador or Ghana have assured the Trump administration that they will give asylum application a full and fair hearing to remain in that country. This process not only violates our international commitments, but also violates our long history of a nation that provides refuge and safe haven to the persecuted because of the sidelining of the immigration court system as an institution where foreign nationals had a chance to be fully and fairly heard. It is imperative that other institutions step up and provide foreign nationals protection. These proposals in Stated Meeting this resolution do exactly that. They provide institutional protection where the current administration has eroded what used to be a place for the rule of law and to fairly litigate claims of foreign nationals. Thank you. (Applause.)
Hi, everyone. I'm Jasmine Rivera. I'm with the Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition. For folks in the room who know about PIC, you know that we love our reports and our data and our research. And I can go on and on and on about all the ways in which immigrants have a positive impact on the city and the state, about the deadly impacts of detention on our communities, and of course, how legislation like ISO increases public safety, boosts local economy and builds trust Stated Meeting between immigrant communities and local government. But I actually want to ask the members of Council and everyone in this room a couple questions. I want folks to raise your hand if you have a loved one who's an immigrant. (Spanish translation). (Raised hands.)
Oh, that's a lot of hands. Y'all, that's a lot of hands. Now, my second question -- no, keep up. My second question is, keep your hand up if you're okay with never seeing them ever again. Yeah, I didn't think so. And that is the reality we're facing right now. And I just want to make it abundantly clear this is so much more than policy. This is about our people specifically. This is Stated Meeting about my people. These are my neighbors. These are my friends. This is my family. We are talking about my mother and my husband. You don't think I don't worry about them being taken away from me, the last time I'll ever see them again. So I want to applaud this Council for the resolution honoring those who have died in our state at the hands of ICE and elsewhere. And I want to celebrate this Council for introducing the ICE Out package. Thank you. (Applause.)
Hi. My name is Dr. Jeannine Cicco Barker. I'm a licensed clinical psychologist in my own practice here in Philadelphia. I'm here to give testimony in support of Councilmembers Brooks and Landau condolences resolution. And I want Stated Meeting to thank them for their work. I am here as a clinical psychologist and a trauma expert, but more importantly, as a proud Chicana, a Mexican American, the daughter of a Mexican immigrant and a native South Philadelphian, born and raised. I have worked with the immigrant and migrant communities for many years. I could spend hours talking to you all about the psychological and traumatic impact that ICE raids are having on our most vulnerable communities right now, but I don't have that time. Every day I hear about how the ICE terror that we are witnessing is causing psychological distress, fear and trauma for people. Please trust me when I say that the traumatic effects of these raids on our children and our Stated Meeting families and our communities will last for years and generations to come. We cannot let this continue to happen, not to our neighbors, not to our communities, our families and not in Philly. But of course, this is not new terror and it's worse than ever. And these times call for bold, brave new measures to protect our community. And you have a chance to do some of that here. Philly urgently needs these protections. Everyone deserves to belong and to feel safe here. Our immigrant and migrant communities are the heart of our city and we owe it to them to protect them in any way that we can. And it is really important to say that many of the people that are being targeted by this administration are indigenous to Stated Meeting this land and to Turtle Island. Everything about this violence is evil. I hope that you will recognize that this is a moment where you can do what is right, to take a stand for justice and love and to do what you can do to protect our city's most vulnerable as well as protect them for generations to come. Please help our beloved city take a stand against fascism, hatred and white supremacy. (Spanish translation.) Thank you. (Applause.)
We have Lauren Loe, Joanna Severino. May Ethan Win, Maria Serna, Tsehaitu Abye, Miguel Amdrade and Turner Halle, please make your way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.) Stated Meeting
My name is Lauren Loe. I'm here with Asian Americans United. I'm going to be reading testimony for my coworker and friend Lisa who couldn't be here with us today. These are her words: My coworker, my comrade, my friend will be reading the testimony for me. But this doesn't mean I can't speak with my own voice. We share this voice as an immigrant community through our intertwined struggles and movements. I'm proud to be an immigrant. We're resilient enough to reroute and grow communities. Wherever we go, we leave our homes to seek new ones. We pick up language and practice it every day, reshaping our tongues, our thoughts and our sense of self. We learn Stated Meeting how to survive in spaces that are built by us, but not for us. I moved to the U.S. alone, trying to leave behind censorship that silenced me. And now, I'm fighting against the xenophobic system that threatens to make me vanish. It would be dishonest to say I don't feel despair. I feel unsafe and attached to gatherings, feeling closer to people in Minnesota than to what's happening right in front of me. I feel like I'm in survival mode all the time. I work with immigrant youth. I see young people carrying adult-sized worries. I see youth having to stay alert and understand what ICE has been doing from the moment they've set foot in this country. I see parents living Stated Meeting with constant fear of detention and deportation. I see how policy shows up in people's bodies as anxiety, exhaustion and grief. These harms are not accidents. They are the result of choices, choices to invest in cages instead of care, choices to collaborate with ICE, with systems that tear families apart instead of protecting them. But we also know what care looks like so the system can't fool us. Care looks like my friend testifying for and with me when I don't feel safe to be here in person. It looks like community members checking in when somebody doesn't show up to school or work. Care looks like neighbors sharing rides, meals and court dates. Care should also look like housing stability, language access and Stated Meeting health care regardless of status. It should look like limiting local cooperation with ICE and policies that keep families together. I'm not here to argue how worthy we are to be here. I'm tired and it's cliche. I'm here to say to refuse immigrants is to refuse the foundation of this country. It is to refuse that movement. Adaptation and change are part of being human. And by denying our humanness, you deny your own. It is to refuse both the past and the future. We should be making the right choices together. Choose people over punishment. Choose care over cages. Choose a city where immigrant communities can live and grow without fear. Choose to protect families, to invest in justice and to build a Stated Meeting future that we can all share. Thank you. (Applause.)
Hello, everyone. My name is Joanna Severino and I am the daughter of Caribbean immigrants. I'm here to give my support to Councilmembers Brooks and Landau's ICE package, and I would like to urge everyone to do the same. Philadelphia is often called the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection, and this package of bills puts that action into law. When I reflect on the last several months, all I can think of are stories of people too afraid to go to work or the grocery store for fear of being kidnapped. I think of families being torn apart. I think of people being sent to unfamiliar lands when the Stated Meeting U.S. is all they know. And I think of ICE brutally attacking and murdering innocent people. I've spent many nights with tears in my eyes feeling helpless. Councilmembers Brooks and Landau, however, are showing us that we are not helpless. This is our opportunity to affirm the dignity and humanity of our immigrant neighbors, to tell them we see your hurt and we will stand with you. It's our opportunity to tell ICE you cannot act outside the law or hide behind anonymity. This city will hold you accountable for your actions. I know we've all heard the saying, One Philly, A United City. And this is our chance to say we are One Philly, A City United against intimidation, terror and dehumanization. Thank Stated Meeting you for your time. (Applause.)
Good morning. My name is Ethan Win. I'm a student at Thomas Jefferson University's East Falls campus. Today I'm here to express my support for the previous resolution put forward by Brooks and Landau. In 156 days, America will turn 250 years old. 250 years ago, our founders gathered 12 blocks from here in Independence Hall to write both the Declaration and the Constitution. The Founders knew what it meant to fight for freedom and oppose tyranny. Now, 250 years later, we face the same fight for freedom against an everincreasing tyrannical government. The City of Philadelphia, the Commonwealth and the Union have laws, and it is time Stated Meeting ICE adheres to those laws and the Constitution. ICE must be held accountable for its crimes. ICE must be brought to justice. ICE must be kept out of the city. How can we be called the City of Brotherly Love if we let our brothers and sisters be ripped apart and taken to detention camps. I implore you to do all you can to support and pass the condolences resolution and all future resolutions. The violence and terror, such as in our communities, in Minnesota, must end. The violence and terror against our immigrant communities must end in Philadelphia, the birthplace of American democracy. America will be looking for us for hope and inspiration in history, just as it did 250 years ago, and will be watching us. Stated Meeting Thank you. (Applause.)
(Spanish translation). INTERPRETER: Good morning. My name is Maria Serna and I'm here because we believe in the largest, most important truth, which is family is the basis of our community and that every child has the right to get up in the morning without worrying that his world will disappear. The laws here are failing us now. We're witnesses to a truth that is devastating, that families that have been here for decades have to leave and can no longer contribute to this country. I see this every day in the struggle of mothers like me who are looking to protect their children. And I see this every day Stated Meeting alongside mothers in the community. They're fighting for their families. So I ask all Councilmembers who haven't signed onto this legislation to please sign on. This is a question of humanity. This is a question of basic rights for everyone as humans. Please support this legislation. These drawings that I bring are from children who are citizens of this country who have been forced to (inaudible) to be able to stay with their parents. How is it possible that we are requiring citizens who are born in this country to have to leave because of the actions of the government? Thank you. (Applause.)
We have Tsehaitu Abye, Miguel Amdrade, Stated Meeting Turner Halle. May Ethan Tan, Peter Ahn, Orena Rogers, Stephanie, Dorenbosch and Whitney Rooch also make their way to the podium. Thank you. (Witnesses approached podium.)
I was not trying to cry, but as I think about this I'm getting a little emotional. So thanks, y'all. Serious faces, no laughs. Thank you for the opportunity to give public comment on the ICE Out legislative package introduced by Councilmembers Kendra Brooks and Rue Landau. My name is Tsehaitu Abye. Sorry. I'm a Black immigrant. I'm an Ethiopian American and a native Philadelphian. My mom is a Black American and my dad is Ethiopian. Stated Meeting I'm representing tens of thousands of Caribbean and African immigrants across the state. Sorry, I'm just thinking about my own personal experiences, making me get very sick. I'm not trying to just cry just to cry. This is embarrassing. Okay. I'm here representing tens of thousands of Caribbean and African immigrants across the state, Black immigrants -- we're asking you all as Black immigrants, we're asking City Council and all of Philadelphia to please be vocal and make a stance to protect us and all of the immigrants. We're Black first and then we're immigrant. Just remember that. But at the end of the day, we're all human. I know this is politics, but we're human. Stated Meeting I'm asking you to prioritize the rights of many over the comfort of few. I grew up in Philadelphia. I was born and raised in Philly, but then also grew up in Hawaii. That's where my parents met and my dad was a revolutionary. The Osage bombings radicalized him. He came. He was in Philadelphia in 1985. (Applause.)
Thank you. Those experiences shaped my understanding of belonging, displacement and power because of decisions made by this country. My father was deported and my family endured a 20-year separation. I talked to him on WhatsApp. He's an Ethiopian now. It took me a decade to unlearn the myth of the model minority and fully claim my identity as a second generation Stated Meeting Ethiopian American immigrant. Today I'm a community organizer of 20 years. I'm a sister, a creative, a homeowner, a business owner and a proud member of the Pennsylvania Immigrant coalition. I organize for communities that are too often invisible until they are targeted. I'm alarmed by what we are witnessing across the country, from Minnesota to right here at home, a violent and strategic expansion of ICE operations under Trump era policies. I am deeply concerned that Philly, a city that calls itself welcoming, is being positioned as the playground for ICE and for racist, anti-immigrant agendas. I'll cut it short. Please remember 15.7% of Philly residents are foreign-born. Our Stated Meeting African community represents people from Liberia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal, to name a few. Our Caribbeans are representing Jamaica, Haiti, Trinidad, Tobago, Bahamas, Barbados. We are a Black Muslim city. Our Black immigrants are small business owners. We're artists, we're musicians, we're creatives, we're Imams, we're religious leaders, we're service workers, we're caregivers, we're lawyers, we're doctors, we're professors. We're specifically at Lincoln University, my HBCU. We are building Africatown, the upcoming commercial district in Southwest where I live, 52nd. We braid your hair, we cook your food, we teach your children and we power Stated Meeting this city's culture. I am a Black immigrant. My sisters are Black immigrants. This affects the people I love. Philadelphia is where the country began, on stolen land built on exploited people. You are in a position to do better than the founders ever did. Serve us, protect us and pass the ICE Out legislation. A Black immigrant. My name is Tsehaitu. Thank you. Sorry for crying. (Applause.)
Good morning, Councilmembers. My name is Turner Halle and I am a graduate Stated Meeting of the University of Pennsylvania, speaking in support of Councilmember Brooks' ICE Out legislation on behalf of myself and my good friend Melissa Nong, whose statement I will read first: As a first-generation Vietnamese American college student, knowing how important college education is for me and my family, it is deeply troubling to hear current students question whether they can safely attend school in Philadelphia at all. And I'm sure Penn is not alone. When fear begins to shape who can learn, contribute and stay, this city loses talent and trust. I also lead Philly Tours, celebrating our rich immigrant history and communities. As more tourists come to Philly this year, I want to be able to Stated Meeting showcase Philly and say with pride that this city took every measure possible to protect the vibrancy they see before them. Immigrants make up 16% of this city. We share our food, our stories, our warmth with visitors, but immigrant communities are being destabilized by ICE activity. When harmed, it diminishes our local economy and our unique culture that draws people here. This legislation is about drawing a line to protect the people who make Philadelphia what it is and putting the entire immigrant community at ease. In America, we prefer our public spaces free of intimidation. We enshrine freedom. Laws like this matter because they signal what our city participates in, what it normalizes and what it refuses to Stated Meeting enable. The proposed resolution would establish a double-wall protection against the threat of ICE, by both deterring a large scale operation and significantly limiting its potential damages by restricting ICE's most aggressive and destructive actions. You have the chance today right now to protect us against this chaos. You have the power to prevent scenes of masked men dragging Philadelphians into unmarked cars, of heavily-armed forces assaulting people in your streets. We entrust you with this power. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
Good morning. My name is Ethan Tan. I am an immigrant originally from Malaysia and I'm an American citizen. I'm Stated Meeting here to ask city Council to support the ICE Out package. I did not have a choice about where I was born, but I did have a choice about becoming an American. I did have a choice when I had not one, but two children born in Philadelphia. I did have a choice to make Philadelphia home, and my choices have begun to scare me. As an immigrant, I am scared. I fear for myself, my family, my community. And to this administration, fear is the point. Alienation is the point. Isolation is the point. The ICE Out package says to me and immigrants that we may be afraid, but we can show solidarity and resolve anyway. And as an American, I'm scared. I fear for our country, our democracy. ICE is yet another expression of the Stated Meeting unaccountable abuse of power from this administration. And there is no shade of white that will save you. There is no kind of privilege that will keep you safe. There is no hole deep enough for you to bury your head to escape what is coming. At some level when you hurt, I hurt. And when my kids hurt, you hurt. We are bound together at the mercy of strangers. And the ICE Out bills say to me, an American citizen, that our democracy is only as good as our will to fight for it. And I'm asking you, City Council, to show us that we are going to fight for it. Thank you. (Applause.)
Good morning. My name is Peter Ahn, a resident of a Germantown. And I speak in support of ICE Out legislation Stated Meeting being introduced today by Councilmember Brooks and Councilmember Landau. I speak today as a part of APIPA Korea Peace Committee, also as a part of President's House, Slavery Memorial Alliance, but also as a Presbyterian clergy. First, can we stop the microaggressive term illegal? Being undocumented is not criminal. Refugees and asylum-seekers and those who are seeking safety from real, physical and economic violence and white-collar crime and the carceral industries, not criminal. And we just came out of Christmas tide in Christian calendar. No nativity of Jesus without fugitivity of Jesus. If you're not Christian, keep us accountable on that, that Jesus Stated Meeting himself was a fugitive in need of a sanctuary city. This is not the time to say this is not my fight. It's time for a solidarity resilience. We don't agree on everything, and that's okay. We need the city governance, both the City Council and the Mayor's Office, to be in lockstep in visible solidarity with the vulnerable and the oppressed. By solidarity, I recall the German theologian Martin Niemoller during Nazi Germany, who might have said something like this today. First, they came for the socialist and I didn't speak out because I was not a socialist. Then came for the DEI and I did not speak out because it wasn't my fight. Then came for the SNAP benefits. They came for the health care subsidies. They came for the Stated Meeting public schools and libraries, and I did not speak out because I had all these resources. They came for my LGBTQ+ communities, and I didn't speak out because I was a straight male. Then they came for our libraries. They came for the Jewish neighbors and Palestinian neighbors, and I did not speak out because I've long been disengaged. Then came for the President's House and Slavery Memorial, and I did not speak out because of my white fragility and white Christian nationalism. And I'd rather eulogize our ugly history. Lastly, please release the September letter. (Applause.)
We have Orena Rogers, Stephanie Dorenbosch, Whitney Rooch. May, Reverend Greg Holston, Ashanti Martin, Reverend Stated Meeting Farkas Herman and Ogbonna Hagins, please make their way to the podium. Thank you. (Witnesses approached podium.)
Okay. Good morning, City Council President Kenyatta and Council At-Large. I appreciate that you've given us this opportunity to speak. I am an immigrant that changed my dialect and I speak clear. And no one knows who I am unless they see my documents. And when I tell them, they can't believe it. But my family exiled here because of civil war. As other individuals that come to this country, we don't come here for food stamps. We don't come here for benefits. We come here to live in peace, unity, love, respect. That's all we come here Stated Meeting for. We don't come here to commit crimes. We come here so that our bloodline, our DNA, can live for generations to come. We come so that our children can have an education, that they're not walking down the side of the road trying to get to the next compound. I as a 9- or 10-year-old see dead bodies along the road, for my father to say, look ahead, don't look back. And you smell it. We come here for peace. We come here as all of the families that's here that no longer say they're immigrants, but claim to be true Americans. If they look inside of themselves and they look back, they'll see too that they are immigrants, as our President, who also is married to an immigrant, whose children are immigrants. Stated Meeting We all need to look -if he wants us in ICE, ICE needs to go to the White House first. I said what I said and I stand on what I said. Start with his wife, his children, his family. Then Elon Musk. They need to go inside the White House before they come out into our streets. I thank you, Brooks and Landau. Thank you. I, too was a child. I need to say this. They sent my father back while I was in school in 1963. And I just want to let this be known. Coming home from school, my father was nowhere to be found, to be taken in by the neighbors for months. Then they finally said, we need to help you. It took five years for the government to locate my family, for them to exile here. Thank God for Colin Powell, the late Colin Stated Meeting Powell. My father went to every government King Haile Selassie himself to get me back, and nobody should have to endure that. As a child, I was separated from my family for five years because they had the police then targeting immigrants. Now, they have ICE. They need to stop it. What happens to the children if ICE takes the parents? Now, the government is going to pay because they're going to be paying for them to feed them, house them, clothe them and provide medical care. Think about it.
Could you state your name? State your name for the record please. Just state your name for the record please.
Orena, O-r-e-n-a, Rogers, R-o-g-e-r-s, the Stated Meeting name the government gave me.
Good morning, everyone. My name is Stephanie Dorenbosch and I'm speaking today in support of Councilmembers Landau and Brooks' package, ICE Out package. I'm also the granddaughter of three immigrants, the great-granddaughter of two more, the friend of immigrants and neighbor of immigrants. And I am not safe unless everyone is safe. I am a lawyer. So the rest of this is going to be less exciting than a lot of the previous speakers, but I wanted to emphasize that it's not just the ICE part of this that is so important. And also, we need protections for immigrants in all parts of the Stated Meeting legal system. I spent six years representing immigrant workers in cases against bad employers, another four years helping tenants deal with bad landlords. And I want to stress that discrimination does not just mean refusing to hire, refusing to rent. It means different treatment or poor treatment of different groups. And without robust anti-discrimination laws and enforcement, the worst employers and landlords are emboldened to target immigrant employees and renters for exploitation. I've seen many cases of employers outright stating that they purposely hire immigrants because they think they're afraid to complain about stolen wages and dangerous conditions. And I've Stated Meeting also seen landlords whose business model seems to target renters who they perceive to be vulnerable, so they can take advantage of the reluctance to file complaints about refusing to make repairs and illegal self-help evictions. So we need to pass these laws to protect our immigrant neighbors, but also because they actually help protect everyone. If you have laws that require everyone to be treated fairly, it means everyone gets treated fairly. They help stop the race to the bottom, and they left us all up. When business owners get away with underpaying a class of people, they can undercut their competition on prices and depress wages across the board. When landlords get away with treating a class of people poorly, the Stated Meeting crumbling buildings they're renting out instead of fixing affect everyone on the block. I want my immigrant and U.S.-born neighbors to be safe and healthy, because their safety and health is also my safety and health. Councilmembers, the rest of Philadelphia, hope you agree to support these bills. Thank you. (Applause.)
Good morning, Councilmembers. My name is Whitney Rooch. I am a certified school nurse for the Philadelphia School District, yes, public school, and also a mother to a freshman at a high school in South Philly. Parents of all backgrounds should support the ICE Out legislation. And here's why: The past few weeks have necessitated Stated Meeting conversations that were unimaginable to me merely a month ago, conversations with my colleagues on how to respond if ICE shows up at school and attempts to enter the building by force, conversations with students asking me how to act if ICE shows up during school dismissal. And one of them even asked me, Nurse Whitney, what does tear gas feel like, and conversations with my son on what to do if he and his friends are stopped by ICE. I know what I'm supposed to say, Don't run, stay calm, take video if you can. But I also really wanted to tell him to run like hell and scream for help, blow a whistle because these ICE agents aren't guided by any code of ethics. They don't care about constitutional rights. Stated Meeting They are untrained and undisciplined men with guns inconsistent and unpredictable as they terrorize neighborhoods with no accountability. We can't prepare our children enough. We can't prepare them enough for safe encounters with ICE, because safe encounters with ICE don't exist. No, they don't exist even for my White U.S.-born sons. We must reduce the potential for encounters by restricting ICE access to our communities in every way we can. This is the way we protect the children of Philadelphia. Councilmembers, please pass this legislation to keep our children safe and keep ICE out of Philly. Thank you. (Applause.)
My Stated Meeting name is Reverend Gregory Holston. I'm Executive Director of Just Nation. And for 25 years I've been a United Methodist Pastor here in the city of Philadelphia. The Scripture reminds us to welcome the stranger. That Scripture does not say welcome only the documented strangers. It says, welcome the strangers. The Scripture says, Love your neighbor. It doesn't say, love only your documented neighbors. The reason this is important is because so many of my clergy friends right now went to Minneapolis. Some are down in D.C. right now knocking on doors to do something against ICE. It is because we have practiced for, in my sense 25 years of practicing, that scripture to welcome all people into our Stated Meeting churches. I have ministered to people from Jamaica, from Bahamas, from Barbados, from Haiti, from Eritrea, from Kenya, from Liberia, from Nigeria, from Ghana, from Ecuador, all over the world, from. Philippines, were not just my parishioners, they were my church family. This is about family. This is about family. This is about family. The law is clear, but it's also about a legacy of the Civil Rights Movement, because the Immigration Nationality law comes right out of the Civil Rights Movement. It was to eliminate racism and immigration, just like the Voting Rights Act was to eliminate racism and voting, just like this Civil Rights Act was to eliminate racism and housing and accommodations. It is part of the Stated Meeting structure of building really a multi-cultural, multi-racial democracy that we've been fighting for with everything we have over these last 60 years. And we're not turning around now. We're not going back now. We're not going to let ICE be able to stop us from being what we are declared to be, a nation for all people. We stand up against white racism. We stand up against white nationalism. We stand up against white supremacy. We stand up for each other. Thank you. (Applause.)
Hello. So we're here on a bit of a different topic, but I just want to thank everyone for being here today. It's important. So my name is Ashanti Martin. I'm General Manager of WURD Radio. Thank you. Stated Meeting Our podcast Exonerated: The Cost of Wrongful Conviction tells us stories of people who have had decades of their lives stolen from them by a justice system that we know does not work for everyone. Our team derived a great deal of meaning in producing this podcast, and this recognition from the National NAACP and City Council makes it even more meaningful. Thank you, Councilmember O'Rourke, for this incredible honor. When we entered the NAACP Image Awards, we did it as an independent Blackowned radio station very humbly. I could not have foreseen that we would be nominated for a prestigious national award in the category alongside Kerry Washington, Kevin Hart and Charlemagne, and alongside other podcasters like Don Lemon, Joy Reid Stated Meeting and even Michelle Obama. We are proud of our partnership with the Pennsylvania Innocence Project and grateful to Marrone Law for their support and sponsorship of Exonerated. I'm also grateful for our team WURD Radio and President CEO Sarah Lomax, who could not be here but wants to share her thanks. Producer Terri Tillman, Editor and narrator Tiffany Bacon, other team members, including Kwasa Mathis and Spencer Morris, and of course, our host James Peterson, who's here to say a few words.
Good morning, everybody. I'm James Peterson. I host Evening WURDs on WURD. I want to thank Councilman O'Rourke for this acknowledgement, this entire body for acknowledging our work. And I want to say this: Stated Meeting It is not a coincidence that Exonerated is being acknowledged on a day when the ICE Out legislation is being brought before this body. It's not a coincidence. Exonerated examines the misconduct of law enforcement. Exonerated holds accountable law enforcement that is unchecked, that goes rogue. And I promise you the ICE Out legislation is civil rights legislation. It is important. So thank you all. Thank you for the acknowledgement. If you guys want to hear any of these Councilpeople on the radio show, please just tune in to Evening WURDs from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Every single day we're on here talking with the people in this room about the issues that matter to the people in this room. Abolish ICE. Stated Meeting (Applause.)
Also, go vote for us. The Image Award is a People's Choice Award. So you can go to wurdradio.com/exonerated. You can vote there. You can also listen to the podcast. It's five parts on Spotify and Apple. Please do so. Thank you so much. I just want our producer Terri Tillman -(Applause.)
Hello, everyone. Thank you so much, Councilman O'Rourke. Thank you very much for this recognition. You know, when we were doing the work and meeting internally as a work staff and with our partner to Pennsylvania Innocence Project, I don't think any of us thought that we would be getting the recognition, both locally and nationally. Stated Meeting We just put our heads down and did the work. I just want to let everybody know that we will not be comfortable with this nomination. We will continue to do the work. Thank you very much. Thank you very much for this. (Applause.)
Good morning. I'm Father Markus Hermawan. I'm working for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia as Chaplain of the Indonesian Catholic community in South Philly. I'm from Indonesia. As a Chaplain and Priest, I see fear and hopelessness in the faces of our community. They are constantly fearful whenever they leave their homes. At work, they live in fear that ICE will raid their workplace. Whenever they see people dressed like police officers, they Stated Meeting immediately avoid them and run away. You know a lot of stories about us. The point is there is no sense of security. After seeing in the mass media how ICE treats the people they arrest in other states, even shooting their own citizens, their hopes are (inaudible). They often ask if this is the America that is supposed to be democratic and uphold human rights, but can you imagine what kind of life they are now living because of all this. City Councilmembers, aren't the immigrants in this city your people? So please I beg you, I implore you, defend your people, protect your people in this city. Please support ICE Out bill package. Thank you. (Applause.)
Good Stated Meeting morning. My name is Ogbonna Hagins, fourth generation chattel slavery survivor. I come to the chamber every week to speak out about the enforcement of the rights of the American Freedmen and the enforcement of the law. Yet in this very same body, I hear lawmakers telling citizens that it is acceptable to break the law if you don't agree with it. You tell our youth every day follow the law, be good, follow directions. But this body itself is not following the rule of law that already exists on the books. You lose your mind if a rule is broken in a basketball game or football game. You'll call the referee to be fired. For years, especially under the Obama Administration, federal statutes and so-called Blue Stated Meeting Lives Matter protections have protected the authority and legal difference given to all law enforcement officers, including ICE agents. Those laws and policies are the real reason ICE has the authority it does, not because the city condones it. The answer is not to tell citizens to circumvent or ignore the law. That is not leadership. That is not justice. Let me be very clear. This body is not repealing federal law. It is not changing federal law. It is attempting to work around it. And here's the contradiction I want to be on the record. If this Council can be as ambitious about getting rid of ICE in Philadelphia, it should be just as ambitious of eradicating the badges, vestiges and incidents of Stated Meeting slavery. The badges, vestiges and incidents of slavery that have the American Freedmen going to the worst schools, you should want to abolish that too. Gentrification, a badge of slavery. You should want to abolish that just like you want to abolish ICE. Ogbonna Hagins. Over and out.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Curtis Jones.
Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. Ogbonna, would you stick around for the speeches of the Majority because I have some comments on that and I want you to stick around please. Thank you.
Council President, there are no further names for public comment. COUNCIL PRESIDENT - STATED - 2ND READING JOHNSON: That concludes today's public comment period. We will now consider the bills and resolutions on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendars. Will the Clerk please read the title of Resolution No. 260033.
A resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority deeds conveying fee simple title to 2045 South 56th Street; 5123, 5125, 5127, 5129 Baltimore Avenue in the 3rd Councilmanic District of the City of Philadelphia and further authorizing the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority to transfer to the Philadelphia Land Bank fee simple title to such properties - STATED - 2ND READING pursuant to Section 16-405 of The Philadelphia Code.
The Chair recognizes Councilman Jamie Gauthier for a motion regarding Resolution No. 260033.
Thank you, Council President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that Resolution No. 260033 be adopted. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
Those opposed? (No response.) - STATED - 2ND READING
The ayes have it. The motion carries. The resolution is adopted. Will the Clerk please read the title of Resolution No. 260034.
A resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 134, 138 and 140 North 58th, Street, located in the 4th Councilmanic District in accordance with the terms of Chapter 16-700 of The Philadelphia Code.
Chair recognizes Councilmember Curtis Jones for a motion regarding Resolution No. 260034.
Thank you. Mr. President. I move for its adoption. - STATED - 2ND READING (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that Resolution No. 260034 be adopted. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. The motion carries. The resolution is adopted. If you're leaving the chambers, I just want to ask if you can keep it down. It's kind of hard to hear up here. Will the Clerk please read the title of Resolution No. 260036. - STATED - 2ND READING
A resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 2039 East Fletcher Street located in the 7th Councilmanic District in accordance with the terms of Chapter 16-700 of The Philadelphia Code.
Chair recognizes Councilmember Quetcy LOZADA for a motion regarding Resolution No. 260036. The Chair Councilmember Jim Harrity to make a motion on behalf of Councilmember Quetcy Lozada.
I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and - STATED - 2ND READING properly seconded that Resolution No. 260036 be adopted. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. The motion carries. The resolution is adopted. Will the Clerk please read the title of Resolution No. 260037.
A resolution approving the Third Amendment to Redevelopment Agreement of the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority for the redevelopment and urban renewal of a portion of the American Street - STATED - 2ND READING Industrial Corridor Urban Renewal Area, designated as Revised Parcel No. 8, Revised Parcel No. 9 and Parcel No. 10A, also sometimes identified by house numbers and street addresses for Revised Parcel No. 8 as 1700-34 North American Street, for Revised Parcel No. 9 as 1703-69 North Bodine Street (including 229-33 Cecil B. Moore Avenue), and for Parcel No. 10A as 1736-54 North American Street; and authorizing the Redevelopment Authority to execute the Third Amendment to Redevelopment Agreement with 1700 North American Street, LLC and to take such action as may be necessary to effectuate the Third Amendment to Redevelopment Agreement.
Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes - STATED - 2ND READING Councilmember Jim Harrity to make a motion on behalf of Councilmember Lozada regarding Resolution No. 260037. Can y'all keep it down while y'all leaving please. Member Harrity.
I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that Resolution No. 260037 be adopted. All those in favor of the motion by signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. The - STATED - 2ND READING motion carries. The resolution is adopted. Would the Clerk please read the title of Resolution No. 260039.