Stated Meeting, May 3, 2012

COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA STATED MEETING Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Thursday, May 3, 2012 10:35 a.m. PRESENT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT DARRELL L. CLARKE COUNCILWOMAN CINDY BASS COUNCILWOMAN JANNIE BLACKWELL COUNCILMAN W. WILSON GOODE, JR. COUNCILMAN BILL GREEN COUNCILMAN WILLIAM K. GREENLEE COUNCILMAN BOBBY HENON COUNCILMAN KENYATTA JOHNSON COUNCILMAN CURTIS JONES, JR. COUNCILMAN JAMES KENNEY COUNCILMAN DENNIS O'BRIEN COUNCILMAN DAVID OH COUNCILMAN BRIAN J. O'NEILL COUNCILWOMAN MARIA D. QUINONES-SANCHEZ COUNCILWOMAN BLONDELL REYNOLDS BROWN COUNCILMAN MARK SQUILLA COUNCILWOMAN MARIAN B. TASCO MICHAEL A. DECKER,

Good morning, everyone. A quorum of Council is present. We will come to order. I'll ask all the guests and visitors to please retire behind the rail. I ask for Councilmembers to please take their seats so we can get started. To give our invocation this morning, the Chair recognizes Father Jack Kolodziej of Father Judge High. He is here today as the guest of Councilman Henon. I would ask that all members and guests please rise. (Members and guests rise.)

Good morning. Thank you for the honor of being here, and as we begin this morning, we begin with prayer asking the Lord to be with us, and let's take a moment to remember that God is always with us wherever we may be. Gracious God, we give you thanks this day for all your many blessings, especially the blessings of freedom, justice and democracy, which are practiced each day in this very room. Help us to always recognize your spirit at work, helping us, helping our leaders to make the right decisions based on your wisdom and judgment. Be with our Mayor, our leaders in this very room and in this building and throughout the City. Bless them and give them the strength to carry on their duties. Bless all of your people, especially the least of our brothers and sisters. May they always be in the forefront of our decision-making. In a special way this morning as we recognize Hubert High School, we give thanks for the blessing of education, especially for our school in Northeast Philadelphia, for their teachers, their students, the parents and the alumnae. May they always be a presence on Torresdale Avenue. May they their goodness and their gifts as they recognize the quality and the exceptional education that they are given. Help us all to recognize the gift of education and to educate one another in our great democracy and in our great city. We ask this in the name of your son and our Lord. Amen. (Amen.)

Thank you, Father, for those inspiring words. Council will be at ease. (Council at ease.)

Thank you. The next order of business is the approval of the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, April 19th, 2012. The Chair recognizes Councilman Greenlee.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, April 19th, 2012 be approved. (Duly seconded.)

It's been moved and properly seconded that the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, April 19th stand approved. All in favor say aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. The Journal is approved. The next order of business is requests for leaves of absence. The Chair recognizes Councilman Jones.

Thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of the majority, there are no requests for leaves of absence.

The Chair thanks the Councilman. The Chair now recognizes Councilman O'Neill.

Mr. President, on behalf of the republicans, there are no requests for leave of absence.

The Chair thanks the Councilman. I will currently dispense with the regular order of business to welcome everyone here today. We hope your experience here today is a pleasurable one that will cause you to want to come back. We really appreciate you taking time out of your day to be here, and we promise that we will do our best to ensure that your tax dollars are well spent at least today. So thank you all for coming. At this time, the Chair recognizes Councilman Henon, who will present a resolution honoring Saint the occasion of their 70th Anniversary. Would Principal Regina Craig and those accompanying her please join the Councilman at the podium. I see we also have Councilman Johnson and Councilman Oh and Councilman O'Brien and Councilman Squilla and Councilwoman Bass.

Good morning. Today we are honoring Saint Hubert's High School on the occasion of their 70th Anniversary. But a point of personal privilege. I'd like to take a moment to recognize the fantastic Saint Hubert's alumnae, the outstanding dedication of their administrative staff and their students for the recognition that they deserve not only for their 70th anniversary -- it's a great year for them -- but the tenacity. They were slated as one of the schools to be closing in the Northeast from the Archdiocese, and it was due to their fundraising efforts, their hard work, their dedication and their passion that kept it open. So it's proud -- I'm proud to honor them for their 70th Anniversary, but proud for their passion and their dedication to keep the school open for quality education. (Applause.)

Whereas, Saint Hubert's High School officially opened September 8th, 1941 and was the fourth diocesan girls' high school in Philadelphia; and

Whereas, since opening its doors 70 years ago, Saint Hubert is still the largest Catholic girls' high school in Philadelphia, drawing students from over 50 elementary schools throughout Philadelphia, Bucks and Montgomery Counties and Southern New Jersey; and Whereas, in addition to being a neighborhood institution in Tacony, the school has over 30,000 alumnae, including educators and students, government officials, physicians, healthcare workers, lawyers and corporate professionals, just to name a few; and

Whereas, today Saint Hubert offers cutting edge academic education, with technology incorporated into every aspect of the curriculum. The school is a completely wireless campus, offering many amenities such as textbooks online and Internet access available in every room of the school; and Whereas, Saint Hubert still offers one of the only full symphonic orchestras in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. In addition, over 98 percent of their students pursue their education after graduating; and

Whereas, Saint Hubert's is also home to the largest women's athletic program in Philadelphia, with 14 varsity sports and six intramural sports. Each year, Saint Hubert's produces over 90 All Catholic to Division and Division colleges and universities because of their scholastic and athletic endeavors; and Whereas, the power and determination of Saint Hubert students and their alumnae was never more evident than earlier in 2012, when it was announced that Saint Hubert was scheduled for closure. During that period, the school managed to overcome insurmountable odds, raising over $1.3 million, much of it through small donations, staving off closure and ensuring its place as an elite learning institution for girls for years to come, epitomizing the true meaning of Bambi spirit; now therefore

Therefore, be it resolved, by the City Council of Philadelphia, that we hereby honor and commend Saint Hubert's High School on the occasion of their 70 anniversary. Resolved further, that an engrossed copy of this resolution be Smith, President, and the students and teachers of Saint Hubert's High School as further evidence of the sincere respect and admiration of this legislative body. Congratulations. (Applause.)

The Chair recognizes Principal Craig for remarks. PRINCIPAL CRAIG: Good morning. I'm Mrs. Craig and I'm fortunate enough to be the principal of Saint Hubert Catholic High School for Girls. You heard about all the outstanding academic achievements. You heard our wonderful athletic achievements, and that's what made us worth fighting for. Thank the dear Lord and all the people that stand with us for their tremendous efforts in saving our school. We're very appreciative. And thank you very much for this wonderful honor today. Thank you. (Applause.)

Good morning. My name is Catherine Ott Lovell. I am the Chair of the Advisory Board of Saint Hubert High School and I'm also a proud graduate of the Saint Hubert's class of 1992. I am the seventh woman in my family to go through Saint Hubert's. And on January 6th of 2012, that was an extremely dark day for us at Saint Hubert's when the Archdiocese slated our school to close, but what happened over the next 51 days was nothing short of miraculous, where we awoke a sleeping giant and, as mentioned, we raised over $1.3 million in 51 days. The $1.3 million came from over 6,000 individual gifts, children coming in opening their piggybanks with pennies, men coming in off the street giving us dollar donations, to hundred thousand dollar gifts given in memory of graduates who had passed away. Saint Hubert's is not a dying school, and we proved this over the 51 days of the appeal, and we will continue to prove this for many, many years to come. It is not just a school. It is a treasure. It is a landmark, and it is critical to the economic and community development of Northeast Philadelphia. So we thank you so much for your support. We thank everybody who stands with us here today. We thank certainly the other Board members who are represented here today, Mark Adelsberger and Bonnie Behm, certainly Ms. Craig and as well as Sister Mary Smith, our President. But the real heroes in all of this are our students. There is nothing like the Bambi spirit, and the girls who stand behind me here today are champions, not just cheerleading champions, they were champions for their school. They came out all hours of the morning and night to rally, to show that their school should remain open. And we congratulate the true Saint Hubert spirit. So thank you very much to Councilman Henon, to Chris Creelman, his family for their incredible support of our effort, and we look forward to serving the young women of Northeast Philadelphia and beyond for another 70 years. Thank you. (Applause.)

I understand we're going to have a little treat for you in a minute, but first we're going to do the second resolution because it involves pretty much the same individuals. So right now we're going to present a resolution honoring Father Judge Cheerleading Team on winning the National High School Cheerleading Championship. Would Lisa McNesby and those accompanying her please join Councilman Henon at the podium. And we are now joined by

Honoring the Father Judge Cheerleading Team on winning the National School Cheerleading Championship. So we're in the presence of national champions today, and it's my honor. Whereas, the National High School Cheerleading Championship is held at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida and it's televised on ESPN and ESPN 2 to more than 100 million homes and 32 countries annually; and

Whereas, in order to get to nationals, Judge had to overcome many obstacles, including the fact that they had lost 11 seniors from last year's team. Most of the current cheerleaders had never competed at the national championship before; and Whereas, to prepare for their routine, the team spends countless hours training and practicing year round. In addition to practicing, the team performs football and basketball games; and.

Whereas, during the competition, the squad performs a two and a half minute routine packed with stunts, pyramids, elite tumbling skills, cheers and dance. These routines take a tremendous amount of endurance, strength and stamina; and Whereas, Father Judge competed against 34 teams in the "Large Varsity" division, which means competing with 20 girls on their squad; and Whereas, this is the 8th year that Father Judge Cheerleading has been the NHSCC and their first ever national championship; and

Whereas, the head coach of the team is Lisa McNesby and she is assisted by Paul Ballentine, Siobhan Latta, Kelly Macartney, Terrie Casper, Kristen Bieringer; and Whereas, Father Judge Cheerleading is also named Best of 2009 by Philadelphia Magazine, scoring a picture on the cover; and Whereas, in addition to practice and schoolwork, the girls still find time to volunteer in various charitable organizations, including the March of Dimes, the Red Cross and the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure; now therefore

Resolved, by the Council of the City of Philadelphia, that we hereby honor and commend Father Judge High School Cheerleading Team on winning the National High School Cheerleading Championship. Resolved further, that an engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to the Father Judge Cheerleaders and their coaches, further evidencing the sincere appreciation and admiration of this legislative body. Congratulations, girls. (Applause.)

Ms. McNesby, please. MS. McNESBY: Thank you, Council President, Councilman Henon and members of City Council. It's such an honor to receive this resolution, and I can't express how grateful I am to have competitive cheerleading getting recognition like this. We had such a thrill winning nationals. It was such a fantastic moment for our cheerleaders, our coaches and our cheerleading parents, and it was even more of a thrill to come home from Florida and ten days later find out that Saint Hubert was staying open. Our girls are so happy to be able to continue at their school, and we feel privileged to have the opportunity to defend our national championship next year. We'd like to thank Father Judge and Saint Hubert for their support of our program over the years, and we feel blessed to be part of such a great you. (Applause.)

Council will be at ease. (Council at ease.)

Thank you so much. The Chair now recognizes Councilmembers Bass and Johnson, who will present citations recognizing Ms. Irma Hall and Rel Dowdell. Will Ms. Hall and Mr. Dowdell please join the Councilman and woman at the podium.

Good morning.

Good morning, Councilman. Please proceed. We ask for a little quiet, please.

Thank you, Mr. President. Good morning, everyone. Good morning, everyone. (Good morning.)

That's much better. A little spirit. This is a new Council regime under the leadership of Council President Darrell Clarke. So I'd like to always do everything with inspiration and enthusiasm. And so today I'm honored to and privileged to be up here with my colleague Councilwoman Cindy Bass to present two citations, one to Mr. Rel Dowdell, who was born and raised in the City of Philadelphia, particularly the 2nd Councilmanic District, recently just filmed a film here called Changing the Game, and so I'm honored to have him back in the City of Philadelphia to, more importantly, show that great things do come from the City of Philadelphia. Councilwoman Bass is also here supporting me as we acknowledge Ms. Irma Hall, who is someone I consider an icon in the movie industry. How many of you saw the movie Food? Raise your hand. Soul Food was a profound movie for myself that focused on art imitating life, even to the point that I wind up naming one of my nephews after the young man in the movie by the name of Ahmad. Ahmad served as the young man in the movie Soul Food whose sole purpose was to keep the family together. In Arabic his name means prince. So I'm honored to have Ms. Irma here, and to the late members of Delta Sigma Theta, she is definitely here representing you outstandingly. So I'm going to start off reading the citation for Mr. Rel Dowdell. The Council of the City of Philadelphia is pleased and proud to recognize American screenwriter, film director, film producer and screenwriting educator Rel Dowdell for his accomplishments and his contribution to the community, and we congratulate him on his new film Changing the Game. Whereas, Rel Dowdell was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He received his Bachelor's degree in English with magna cum laude honors from Fisk University and a Master's degree in film production with the highest distinction from Boston University; and Whereas, Rel's first feature film Train Ride received substantial critical acclaim. Produced with the independent financing, the film was acquired and distributed by Sony Pictures in 2005 and was a tremendous success. Train Ride was ranked as one of the best American films that year as cited by veteran film critic Gerry Peary of the Boston Phoenix. The film also garnered high praise in the film historian and writer Irv Slifkin's nationally best-selling book Filmadelphia: A Celebration of a City's Movies. Train Ride also won the honor of "Best Feature" at the American Theatre of Harlem Festival in 2005; and Whereas, Rel Dowdell has been compared to John Singleton and Spike Lee in the way that his filmmaking blends urban storytelling and suspense to tackle relevant and universal social issues that are ultimately intertwined with a powerful moral message; and Whereas, Rel's next feature film effort as writer and director is a trauma entitled "Changing the Game," which was shot in Philadelphia in the summer of 2010 and will be released in 2012, opening day tomorrow. The film stars Sean White, Suzzanne Douglas and Brandon Ruckdashel. Therefore, by virtue of this citation, the Council of the City of Philadelphia does hereby recognize American screenwriter, film director, film producer and screenwriting educator Rel Dowdell for his accomplishments and contributions to the community, and we congratulate him on his new film Changing the Game. wish him well in all future endeavors and extend to him the sincere respect and admiration of this legislative body. (Applause.)

Thank you so much. First I want to thank my colleague Councilman Johnson for offering me the opportunity to do this. No way in my wildest dreams did I ever think I'd have an opportunity to stand here with Ms. Hall and offer her greetings and a citation on behalf of City Council. When we talk about images and the relevance of important films in our community, particularly in the African American community, it's so important to have positive role models, and for those models to be displayed on screen, it matters. It counts. It's very important and it's very influential. And so it's just such an honor for me to recognize you, and so I just want to read the citation, and it reads: Recognizing Irma P. Hall. The Council of the City of Philadelphia is pleased and proud to recognize Irma P. Hall on her many accomplishments as an actress and her contributions to the community. Whereas, Irma Delores Player Hall was born in Beaumont, Texas on June 3rd, 1935 to Josephine Hall. She was raised on the south side of Chicago, Illinois. Her father was a saxophone player who performed jazz music. Irma attended Briar Cliff College in Sioux City, Iowa. Irma P. Hall is an African American actress who has appeared in numerous films and television shows since the 1970's. She is best known for playing matriarchal figures in the films A Family Thing, Soul Food and The Ladykillers; Whereas, Irma's first acting role was in an independent film called Book of Numbers at age 38. She had been for almost 20 years in Dallas, Texas when actor/director Raymond St. John saw her perform at a poetry reading. He liked her so much, he offered her a role in his film on the spot. Irma discovered a love for acting and soon founded a Repertoire Theatre in Dallas; and Whereas, Irma's personality and age made her a natural to be cast as middle-aged, strong authority figures. She worked steadily in films and TV throughout the 1980's, but it was not until her role as the loving Aunt T in 1996 A Family Thing when critics and audiences began to take notice of her talents. Irma won the Chicago Film Critics Association Award and the Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for best supporting actress. The success of the film helped launch Irma's career as a major supporting actress in the late 1990's and early 2000's. Sizable roles in major films such as Nothing to Lose then landed the role as Big Mama Joseph in the film Soul Food. The film was a hit at the box office, promoting a -- prompting a television spinoff Soul Food: The Series, in which Irma reprised her role; and Whereas, Irma landed another acclaimed role when she was cast in the 2004 remake of The Ladykillers. She won a special Jury Prize at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival and an Image Award for her performance. Irma also has a principal role in the upcoming Rel Dowdell film Changing the Game that was shot in Philadelphia in the spring of 2010. Therefore, by virtue of this citation, the Council of the City of Philadelphia does hereby recognize Irma P. Hall for her many accomplishments as an actress and for her contributions to the community. We wish her well in her budding career and extend the sincere respect and admiration of this (Applause.)

The Chair recognizes Ms. Hall for remarks.

I want to thank you all, thank the Council, thank you to the people of Philadelphia, and I thank God for giving me the particular gifts that he has given me that enable me to be a teacher always and to use the talents he's given me as an actor to teach things. And it is such an honor and wonder to be standing in this particular place that I studied about and read about so much, you know. It's wonderful, and you have such a history of being together all the time, and it's so wonderful to see what togetherness can bring, as I say in the film. You can have one finger pointing blame. That doesn't do any good. But if you are able to combine all those fingers and roll them up into a mighty fist, you can strike a mighty blow, and Philadelphia has the history of doing this. (Applause.)

And it's so wonderful to see that and to see an example of that here in this room. I thank you so much. I am honored. Thank you. (Applause.)

Thank you. The Chair now recognizes Mr. Dowdell.

How's everybody doing? I just want to thank the Council President, Mr. Clarke, and Councilman Johnson for giving me this honor and the privilege to talk to you all today. I'm going to be honest with you all in the room here. Filmmaking is probably the hardest profession to get into. It's extremely difficult, to the point now that if you're an independent filmmaker, trying to get your film out now is impossible, because a lot of the companies that used to champion films like mine back in the day like Miramax and New Line Cinema and October Films, all those companies have been dissipated. They've been bought out. So for Changing the Game to be a small independent film made for a minuscule budget to be able to not only get theatrical distribution -- the film comes out next week, Mother's Day weekend, across the country, playing at the AMC Loews Cherry Hill in Philly and Jersey, but we're having our premiere tomorrow at the Art Museum. But for this film to be shot in Philadelphia, the whole film was shot in Philadelphia. For that film to get distribution is a miracle in a lot of ways, because Hollywood is a big-budget industry. My film was made for a shoestring, and it's getting distribution in multiplexes and AMC theatres across the country. And also importantly, the film This is what I really want to say. It takes a village to raise a child, but also to make an independent film, well, it takes a village as well. Good friends of mine like Maurice Floyd and other people have really galvanized the community, and it includes you as well, because this film represents this city. It's a positive image about a young man that comes out of North Philadelphia in the worst of environments and he goes to Wall Street to be a great success. He overcomes every obstacle imaginable. He sees every type of evil growing up, and the spiritual rearing of his grandmother, played by the legendary Ms. Hall, is one of the sole reasons why his genius is able to shine and he uplifts his community everywhere he goes. And also importantly, I want to say one thing. Even when my main character becomes a great success -- it's another important message -- he never in Philadelphia. He goes back to North Philadelphia to see his friends, to see his family, to galvanize, to uplift, look at me, a young black man who has stayed out of trouble without violence to be a success. So I just want to thank all of you. Remember, Changing the Game comes out next week. It represents not just me and not just Ms. Hall; it represents everything good about Philadelphia and triumph, grassroots efforts that we can succeed no matter what environment we come from. That's not the black experience; that's the human experience. Thank you very much. (Applause.)

Thank you so much. Council will be at ease. (Council at ease.)

Thank you so much. business is communications. The Chair requests that the Sergeant-At-Arms deliver the messages from the Mayor to the Chief Clerk. I'm sorry. Before we do that, the Chair would like to recognize Councilwoman Blackwell.

Thank you, Mr. President. I would like to announce for those who have not yet heard that one of our most beloved centenarians passed last night. We honored him in this Council, and I would like to ask, Mr. President, if we could stand for a moment of prayer for Father Logan, who passed last night.

Yes, Councilwoman. Could we have a moment of silence for Reverend Logan. (Moment of silence.)

Thank you, Councilwoman.

To the President Council of the City of Philadelphia, pursuant to Sections 4-604 and 2-307 of the Home Rule Charter, I am today transmitting to the Council the recommendation of the City Planning Commission regarding the following bills: Bill Nos. 120168, 120178, 120211, 120214 and 120249; and I am today transmitting to the Council the attached correspondence of the City Planning Commission reflecting that the Commission intends to review the proposed amendments to Bill Nos. 120164 and 120165 at its next scheduled meeting on May 15, 2012; and I am pleased to advise you that on May 2, 2012, I signed all of the bills that were passed by Council at its session on April 19, 2012; and I am transmitting for the consideration of your honorable body a resolution approving the redevelopment contract and disposition supplement of the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority urban renewal of a portion of the South Central Urban Renewal Area, designated by house number and street address as 1728 South Hicks Street; and Also a resolution approving the redevelopment contract and disposition supplement of the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority for the redevelopment and urban renewal of a portion of the Model Cities Urban Renewal Area, identified by house number and street address as 1709 through 1711 Olive Street; and An ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 228 by placing on the City Plan Kingsley Court from Ridge Avenue, southeast of Walnut Lane, northeastwardly to a cul-de-sac turnaround; and An ordinance authorizing the paving of Cross Street from Gates Street to Hermitage Street and Gates Street from Street; and An ordinance authorizing and directing the revision of a portion of City Plan No. 231 by changing the grades of Cross Street from Gates Street to Hermitage Street and Gates Street from Silverwood Street to Cross Street; and An ordinance authorizing the paving of Kingsley Court from Ridge Avenue northeastwardly approximately three-hundred fifty-five feet to a cul-de-sac turnaround; and An ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No.

, Rochelle Davis, and Deborah Davis to construct, own and maintain an enclosed basement entrance at 5512 Woodland Avenue; and An ordinance authorizing Temple University to construct, own and maintain of 1837 through 55 North Broad Street; and An ordinance approving the fourth amendment of the redevelopment proposal for the 44th and Aspen Urban Renewal Area, being the area generally bounded by Lancaster Avenue, Belmont Avenue, Pennsgrove Street, 42nd Street, Westminster Avenue, Holly Street, Aspen Street, 40th Street, Haverford Avenue, 44th Street, Fairmount Avenue and 47th Street; and An ordinance amending an ordinance approved December 15, 1969, which approved the redevelopment proposal, the urban renewal plan and the relocation plan of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia for the redevelopment of Grays Ferry Urban Renewal Area, by approving the eleventh amendment of the redevelopment proposal and the urban renewal plan, which provide for certain changes; and An ordinance approving the redevelopment proposal for the New Kensington Fishtown Urban Renewal Area, being the area generally bounded by the rear property lines on the northerly side of Lehigh Avenue on the north, the centerline of Delaware Avenue and I-95 on the east, the southerly side of Laurel Street on the south and the rear property lines on the westerly side of Front Street and Kensington Avenue on the west; and An ordinance approving the Fiscal Year 2013 Capital Budget providing for expenditures for the capital purposes of the Philadelphia Gas Works; and An ordinance approving the eleventh amendment of the redevelopment proposal for the Whitman Urban Renewal Area, being the area beginning at a point of intersection of the northerly side of Snyder Avenue and the easterly side of Front Street; and An ordinance approving the fourteenth amendment of the redevelopment proposal for the Cecil B. Moore Avenue Urban Renewal Area, being the area generally bounded by Fifteenth Street on the east, Jefferson Street on the south, Nineteenth Street on the west and Montgomery Avenue on the north; and An ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 271 by striking from the City Plan and vacating Bodine Street from Spring Garden Street to Green Street, all under certain terms and conditions.

Thank you, Mr. Decker. Those messages will be printed in today's Journal. Are there any other communications?

I have none, Mr. President.

Thank you, Mr. Decker. The next order of business is the introduction of bills and resolutions. The Chair now recognizes Councilman Kenney.

Thank you, Mr. President. I have one resolution which I'd like to be heard today.

Thank you.

A privileged resolution recognizing and congratulating Brian Dawkins on the occasion of his retirement from the National Football League, where he played sixteen extraordinary seasons as a safety, thirteen of which were for the Philadelphia Eagles.

That resolution will be held at today's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.

Thank you, Mr. President. Today I introduce four bills and one resolution.

Thank you.

An ordinance approving the fourth amendment of the redevelopment proposal for the 44th and Aspen Urban Renewal Area.

That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And an ordinance authorizing Samuel Davis, Wilhelmina Davis, Jr., Rochelle Davis, and Deborah Davis to construct, own and maintain an enclosed basement entrance at 5512 Woodland Avenue.

That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And an ordinance authorizing the University of Pennsylvania to construct, own and maintain a pedestrian barrier within the right-of-way on the median that divides 33rd Street and 34th Street between Spruce Street and Convention Avenue.

That bill will be referred to committee.

And an ordinance authorizing Whispering Leaves Herb and Sip Shop to construct, own and maintain an open-air sidewalk cafe at 4615 Woodland Avenue.

That bill will also be referred to committee.

And a non-privileged resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, without consideration, deeds conveying conditional fee simple title to certain City-owned lots or pieces of ground with the buildings and improvements thereon, situate in the Sixth Ward of the City of Philadelphia.

That resolution will be placed on next week's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair recognizes Councilman Greenlee.

Thank you, Mr. President. I offer two bills, one on your behalf, the other co-sponsored by you and Councilman Squilla, and also I offer two resolutions on your behalf.

Thank you, Councilman.

An ordinance approving the fourteenth amendment of the redevelopment proposal for the Cecil B. Moore Avenue Urban Renewal Area.

That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And an ordinance amending Title 12 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Traffic Code," by providing a new Chapter, entitled "Bicycle Lanes," requiring that the designation of bicycle lanes upon streets be authorized by ordinance.

That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And a non-privileged resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, without consideration, deeds conveying conditional fee simple title to certain City-owned lots or pieces of ground with the buildings and improvements thereon, situate in the Sixteenth and Thirty-Second Wards of the City of Philadelphia.

That resolution will be placed on next week's Final Passage Calendar.

And a non-privileged resolution authorizing the redevelopment contract and disposition supplement of the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority for the redevelopment and urban renewal of a portion of the Model Cities Urban Renewal Area, identified by house number and street address as 1709 through 1711 Olive Street.

That resolution will also be placed on next week's Calendar. The Chair recognizes Councilman Henon.

Thank you, Mr. President. I have one bill, please.

Thank you.

An ordinance amending Title 9 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Regulation of Businesses, Trades and Professions" and related provisions of The Philadelphia Code pertinent to electric fences, to provide for the operation and regulation of electric fences.

That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco.

Mr. President, I offer one bill on behalf of the Administration, three privileged resolutions and one non-privileged resolution.

Thank you, Councilwoman.

An ordinance approving the Fiscal Year 2013 Capital Budget providing for expenditures for the capital purposes of the Philadelphia Gas Works.

That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And a non-privileged resolution urging the Pennsylvania General Assembly to oppose House Bill 2191 that will legalize payday lending in Pennsylvania and harm citizens of our Commonwealth.

That resolution will be placed on next week's Final Passage Calendar.

And a privileged resolution declaring May 26th through the 28th, 2012 as Cherokee Heritage Weekend in celebration of the Nineteenth Annual Cherokee Indian Festival.

That resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.

And a privileged resolution honoring Randall J. Gyory for his achievements and service to the City of Philadelphia and its citizens as Interim Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Philadelphia Gas Works.

That resolution will also be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.

And a privileged resolution honoring Joseph R. Bogdonavage for his achievements and service to the City of Philadelphia and its citizens as Interim Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Philadelphia Gas Works.

That resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair recognizes Councilman Johnson.

Mr. President, I offer one bill and one non-privileged resolution.

Thank you.

An ordinance amending an ordinance approved December 15, 1969, as amended, which approved the redevelopment proposal, the urban renewal plan and the relocation plan of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia for the redevelopment and urban renewal of the Grays Ferry Urban Renewal Area, by approving the eleventh amendment to the redevelopment proposal.

That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And a non-privileged resolution approving the redevelopment contract and disposition supplement of the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority for the redevelopment and urban renewal of a portion of the South Central Urban Renewal Area, identified by house number and street address as 728 South Hicks Street.

That resolution will be placed on next week's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair now recognizes Councilwoman Sanchez.

Thank you, Mr. President. I have one resolution and two bills.

Thank you.

An ordinance amending Section 9-213 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Farmers' Markets," by adding as permissible locations the southeast quadrant of Norris Square Park (the area of land bounded by West Susquehanna Avenue, North Howard Street, Diamond Street and North Hancock Street), and the sidewalk of the south side of Lehigh Avenue between North Lawrence Street and 4th Street.

That bill will be referred to committee.

And an ordinance approving the sixth amendment of the redevelopment proposal for the New Kensington - Fishtown Urban Renewal Area.

That bill will also be referred to committee.

And a non-privileged resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, without consideration, deeds conveying conditional fee simple title to certain City-owned lots or pieces of ground with the buildings and improvements thereon, situate in the Nineteenth Ward of the City of Philadelphia.

That resolution will be placed on next week's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair recognizes Councilman Green.

Thank you, Mr. President. I have no bills or resolutions.

Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilman O'Brien.

Good morning, Mr. President. I have no bills or resolutions today.

Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Goode.

Thank you, Mr. President. I offer no bills or resolutions.

Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Jones on behalf of Councilwoman Brown.

I have one resolution on her behalf.

Thank you.

And nine bills and one privileged resolution co-sponsored by Councilman Henon, Johnson, Tasco, Goode, Blackwell, O'Brien, Squilla and Oh.

Thank you.

A non-privileged resolution supporting the reduction of Greenhouse Gas Pollution under the Clean Air Act and urging the Environmental Protection Agency to move swiftly to fully employ and enforce the Clean Air Act.

Councilwoman, is that yours?

Yes, Mr. President. I should state for the record that that was co-sponsored by Council colleague Kenney. I move for the adoption.

Do you want to do that this week?

No, no, no.

For next week?

Please.

That will be placed on next week's Final Passage Calendar.

And an ordinance authorizing the paving of Cross Street from Gates Street to Hermitage Street and Gates Street from Silverwood Street to Cross Street.

That bill will be placed in the appropriate committee.

And an ordinance authorizing and directing the revision of a portion of City Plan No. 231 by changing the grades of Cross Street from Gates Street to Hermitage Street and Gates Street from Silverwood Street to Cross Street.

That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And an ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 228 by placing on the City Plan Kingsley Court from Ridge Avenue, southeast of Walnut Lane.

That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And an ordinance authorizing the paving of Kingsley Court from Ridge Avenue northeastwardly approximately three-hundred fifty-five feet to a cul-de-sac turnaround.

That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And an ordinance amending Chapter 9-600 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Service and Other Businesses," to provide for a requirement that convenience stores provide receipts to minors.

That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And an ordinance amending Section 19-1307 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Deferrals of Real Estate Tax," by further providing for certain deferrals of payment of certain portions of Real Estate Taxes due to the City of Philadelphia or the Philadelphia School District.

That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And an ordinance amending Title 19 of The Philadelphia Code by adding a new Chapter 19-2900A, entitled "Special Real Estate Tax Provisions for Low Income Taxpayers," providing for credits against real estate tax for certain low income taxpayers.

That bill will be referred to committee.

And an ordinance enacting a new Chapter 19-3800 of The Philadelphia Code authorizing the granting of tax exemptions to longtime owner-occupants of certain properties in the City of Philadelphia.

That bill will be referred to committee.

And an ordinance amending Chapter 19-1300 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Real Estate Taxes," by further providing for installment payments of real estate taxes.

That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And a privileged resolution recognizing and celebrating May 7th to the 11th, 2012 as National Correctional Employees Week in Philadelphia.

That resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair recognizes Councilman O'Neill.

Mr. President, I offer one bill co-sponsored by the Council President as well.

Thank you, Councilman.

An ordinance declaring it is desirable for the health, safety and welfare of the people of the areas served by Temple University Hospital, Jeanes Hospital, Temple Physicians, Inc., Temple Health System Transport Team, Inc., the American Oncologic Hospital, the Institute for Cancer Research and Fox Chase Network for The Hospitals and Higher Education Facilities Authority of Philadelphia to undertake certain projects for such entities.

That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee. The Chair recognizes Councilman Squilla.

Thank you, Mr. President. I offer one resolution and three bills, one co-sponsored by all members of Council.

Thank you, Councilman.

An ordinance approving the eleventh amendment to the redevelopment proposal for the Whitman Urban Renewal Area.

That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And an ordinance renaming and designating the Criminal Justice Center located at 13th and Filbert Streets as the "Justice Juanita Kidd Stout Center for Criminal Justice."

That bill will be referred to committee.

And an ordinance amending Section 9-407 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Tour Passenger Carriers," by providing for an additional Tour Passenger Loading Zone on the west side of 12th Street between Market Street and Filbert Street.

That bill will be referred to committee.

And a non-privileged resolution approving the redevelopment contract and disposition supplement of the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority for the redevelopment and urban renewal of a portion of the South Central Urban Renewal Area, designated as Parcel No. 312 and also sometimes identified by house number and street address as 1122 through 30 Hall Street.

That resolution will be placed on next week's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Bass.

Thank you, Mr. President. I offer one bill on behalf of the Administration. I also have one privileged resolution, which I'd like to be considered for final passage today.

Thank you, Councilwoman.

An ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 149 by striking from the City Plan Towanda Street from Willow Grove Avenue to Springfield Avenue.

That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And a privileged resolution proclaiming May 12th through May 19th, 2012 as "LOVE YOUR PARK WEEK" in Philadelphia.

That resolution will be on today's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Oh.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. I offer one privileged resolution and request a suspension of the rules so it may be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.

Thank you, Councilman.

A resolution declaring May 2012 to be Hepatitis B Awareness Month in Philadelphia to recognize and support the "Hep B United Philadelphia" campaign aimed at raising the profile of Hepatitis B and liver cancer as an urgent health priority.

Councilman, we actually don't need a suspension for that one, so that will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.

Thank you very much, Mr. President.

You're welcome. That concludes the introduction. I would now recognize reports from committee. The Chair recognizes Councilman Green for a report from the Committee on Finance.

Thank you, Mr. President.

You're welcome, sir.

The Committee on Finance reports three bills with a favorable recommendation.

Thank you.

To the President Council of the City of Philadelphia, the Committee on Finance, to which was referred Bill No. 120106, entitled "An ordinance amending Title 12 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled 'Traffic Code,' by providing for the adjudication of parking violations contested by alternative methods"; and Bill No. 120138, entitled "An ordinance authorizing the Department of Human Services, on behalf of the City, to enter into a grant agreement with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Public Welfare for a grant to provide funds for the Time-Limited Family Reunification initiative to the City"; and Bill No. 120298, entitled "An ordinance approving a Substantial Amendment to the Year 37 Consolidated Plan and application to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for approximately $1,260,836 in Emergency Solutions Grant funding," considered the same and returns the attached bills to Council with a favorable recommendation.

Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Green.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading this day of Bills No. 120138 and 120298. (Duly seconded.)

It's been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended to permit first reading this day of Bills No. 120138 and 120298. All those in favor say aye. (Aye.)

All those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. It will be placed on our First Reading Calendar for today. Bill No. 120106 will be placed on that Calendar at today's session. The Chair now recognizes Councilman Greenlee for a report on Law and Government.

Thank you, Mr. President. The Committee on Law and Government reports one bill and one resolution with a favorable recommendation.

Thank you, Councilman.

The Committee on Law and Government, to which was referred Bill No. 120177, entitled "An ordinance providing for the submission to the qualified electors of the City of Philadelphia of the proposal set forth in a resolution approved by Council proposing an amendment to the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter to allow an independent rate-making body for fixing and regulating water and sewer rates and charges"; and Resolution No. 120188, entitled "A resolution proposing an amendment to The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter to allow for the establishment of an independent rate-making body for fixing and regulating water and sewer rates and charges; to prescribe open and transparent processes and procedures for fixing and regulating said rates and charges; and providing for the submission of the amendment to the electors of Philadelphia," respectfully reports it has considered and amended the same and returns the attached bill and resolution to Council with a favorable recommendation.

Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Greenlee.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading this day of Bill No. 120177. (Duly seconded.)

It's been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading this day of Bill No. 120177. All those in favor say aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it, and Bill No. 120177 will be placed on our First Reading Calendar for today. Resolution No. 120188 will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for our next session of Council. The Chair now recognizes Councilwoman Sanchez for a report from and Inspection.

Thank you, Mr. President. The Committee on License and Inspection reports two bills with a favorable recommendation.

Thank you.

The Committee on Licenses and Inspections, to which was referred Bill No. 120137, entitled "An ordinance repealing an ordinance (Bill No. 070149-A), entitled 'An ordinance amending Title 4 of The Philadelphia Code by requiring that any advertisement or correspondence pertaining to the rental of residential property shall include the housing inspection license number for such property"; and Also Bill No. 120229, entitled "An ordinance amending Title 4 of The Philadelphia Code (The Philadelphia Building Construction and Occupancy Code), Subcode PM, by amending requirements applicable to vacant premises, all under certain terms and conditions," respectfully reports it has considered and amended the same and returns the attached bills to Council with a favorable recommendation.

Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Sanchez.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit first reading this day of Bills 120137 and 120229. (Duly seconded.)

It's been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended to permit first reading this day of Bills No. 120137 and 120229. All those in favor say aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. Bill No. 120137 and 120229 will be placed on our First Reading Calendar today. We will now have a special order of business. Under the special order of business, a motion to add an additional meeting to the schedule of Council sessions for the year 2012. At this time, the Chair recognizes Councilman Jones.

Thank you, Mr. President. On your behalf, I wish to add an additional meeting to the schedule of Council sessions for the year 2012 and, accordingly, I move that Council meet on Thursday, May 31st, 2012 to conduct a regular Council session. (Duly seconded.)

It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor? (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. Interesting, when you said that about adding an extra session of Council -- this is not in the script -how quiet it got in here. Council will meet on Thursday May 31st, 2012 to conduct a regular Council session. To be sure that we have a clear majority of this motion, we will vote by a show of hands. Those in favor of the motion will indicate by a show of hand and keep them raised until counted. We're kind of putting you guys out there. Kind of hard not to vote on that one. (All Councilmembers raising hands.)

Thank you. Those opposed will indicate 2ND READING by a show of hands. (No response.)

The ayes have it and the motion carries. Council will meet on Thursday, May 31st, 2012 to conduct a regular session of Council. The next order of business is consideration of the Calendar. I note the bills just reported from committee with suspension of rules have been deemed to have had a first reading. These bills will be placed on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar. There are no additional bills on the First Reading Calendar. The Chair now recognizes Councilman Jones for the purpose of calling up resolutions and bills on the Second Reading and Final Passage.

Thank you again, Mr. President. The following resolutions and bills are being called up for Second Reading and Final Passage 2ND READING Calendar today: Nos. 120118, 120303, 120305, 120308, 120309, 120310, 120311, 120312 and 120313 and 120251. All other resolutions and bills are being held.

Thank you, Councilman. Before considering the resolutions and bills -- Councilman Johnson, did you ask for 118 to be held? It's the first one.

Yes, hold.

Okay. 118 will be held.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you, sir. So before we consider today's Calendar, we will have our public comment. Public comment must concern matters on the First or Second Reading of Council. For those of you that are new, the purpose of this public comment rule, that we will ask that you limit your comments to three seconds -- I'm sorry; three minutes. Freudian slip. Sorry. Three minutes. Three minutes. The reason for this is that we want to ensure that everybody has an opportunity. There have been times that we have a significant amount of individuals who are interested in testifying, so we want to make sure that everybody has an opportunity. When you come to the podium, you'll see a device on the podium that has a light. A green light indicates that it's your time to speak. The yellow light alerts you that you have 30 seconds, and the red light means that your three minutes are up. So I just want to make sure that everybody is familiar with the rules. So we'll basically ask you to concur and conform to the rules that we have today on public comment. So with that, I would like to ask Mr. Decker to please read the name of the first individual who wishes to testify.

Eric Richardson. (No response.)

Eric Richardson, commenting on 120254. (Witness approached podium.)

Good morning, sir.

Good morning.

Please proceed.

I just wanted to speak on as far as what the Mayor is trying to stop us from feeding down at the park. I just wanted to ask words of compassion for man. As a follower of Christ, we believe that we are here to feed the hungry, the less fortunate. The Bible tells us that judge righteously, plead the cause for the poor and the needy. We are exercising our religious freedom, and by stopping us from feeding, you're taking away our religious rights. Not only do we feed the homeless, we clothe them, but, more importantly, we minister the word of God to them, something that we can all agree that this city needs more of. Not every person receiving meals on the Parkway is homeless. Some of them just can't afford a decent meal. So what happens to the mother that barely makes enough to pay for rent? Is she not entitled to a decent meal for her and her children? Last week we fed on the Parkway and there stood in line a man with two children. We didn't see if -- we didn't ask if they were hungry, but all we saw was a family that was hungry. Some people aren't homeless, but they may go for days without eating. We are told that the shelters are in deplorable conditions and the food is horrible. Mr. Mayor, you are fortunate to have a choice. Some people don't. I ask would you choose to live in these conditions? Would you eat food from out of the garbage? The bottom line, Mr. Mayor, is that you are not homeless, your family isn't living in shelters or hungry. I challenge you to put yourself in their shoes and remember that it could be you, Mr. Mayor, on any given day. We understand the Mayor's concerns for safe food handling, but there is not one recorded incident of sickness from outdoor feeding, according to Deputy Mayor Schwarz. When we feed, our food is hot. Our food is kept hot with sternos and our cold food is kept on ice so that it remains cold. We use rubber gloves and hand sanitizers. We don't receive funding from the City. Is the City going to provide a building for my organization and all the other organizations to feed indoors? We work hard at providing safe and nutritious meals, and we are dedicated to feeding the hungry. The Mayor stated that as a black man, it's painful, personally painful, for me to walk up and down the Parkway and see hundreds of people, many of whom are African American males, standing in 90-degree heat in long lines. Well, it pains me to see an African American Mayor not willing to allow the feeding of hundreds of African American males. And for the record, Mr. Mayor, hunger has no color, race or gender. As I stated before, this is called by God, and anything called by God, man can't overturn. (Applause.)

Thank you for your testimony.

Adam Bruckner, commenting on 120254. (Witness approached podium.)

Thanks for having me out today. I understand that this is a pinch for many of you and there's a great tension about whether to allow the feeding, as they say. We call it serving, but the feeding, as the proposition says, of the homeless outside. The four points that Mayor Nutter made about that were food and health safety, dignity of the men, social services and the appropriateness. Now, last meeting we spoke at length. I think we beat the horse to death and then some about these points, but just to briefly go over them again. The proposal is to move the meals outside of City Hall for the apron, with the dust coming in and it doesn't -it's a lateral move. It won't help the food get safer because the food is safer already. The men feel really awful that they would have to stand on display outside of City Hall while people are driving away. It does not address the dignity. It does not improve the dignity. One of the concerns was that these guys have to stand outside in the rain. They have to stand for the meals. But if you go to these shelters, they have to stand outside in lines to get into shelters. The concern was that they have to stand in bad conditions, but they have to walk a mile in these bad conditions to get from the library up to Broad Street Ministries. The social services part of it, we continue to offer social services to men, women and children on the spots where oftentimes they are most comfortable, which is outside. We believe that dignity comes from a choice and the social services can be a part of that also. The appropriateness issue is a tough one, is this an appropriate activity for the Parkway. All I can ask is that we don't sell out on the poor because of the tourism issue coming up. And it's difficult, but we really are trying to fight for that. I work with a rescue mission in Philadelphia and I work with the homeless on the streets. I see both sides of it. I can say without reservation that the overwhelming support from the men and from those advocates are to offer the choice and to work with the City as opposed to what has really happened is this divisiveness has come up where there's been a surprise news conference. I'm on the task force and I didn't even know that there was a meeting about the public comment for the rec center. It seems that things are just getting swept up. And so what is really happening is, the black and white is that you're trying to starve people off the Parkway. You're hoping that once you get them hungry enough, they will go into shelters where there will be social services available for them, and then you're asking the volunteers, who essentially you have said are just simple do-gooders who are doing more harm than good. You're asking them to then work with the City. So our point is that this is like if you ever had a leak in your house and water starts coming in the walls, it would just be like painting over that, and then when the water comes in, it does more damage than good. And so I'm asking not to paint over the problem, but just to see for what it is. It's a problem that we've got to deal with, and instead of just making it look nice, to really address the issue of why the water is coming in in the first place. Thank you very much.

Thank you. (Applause.)

Nyko Rayer. (No response.)

Nyko Rayer. (No response.)

Donald Cragg, commenting on 120254. (Witness approached podium.)

Good morning, crew. My name is Don Cragg and I'm here in behalf as to state why I am for serving food outdoors to those who need it and need to be nourished. At one point I was in a situation where I became homeless. I went through St. John's Hospice to find a shelter in the City of Philadelphia, bar none, and I was introduced to Adam Bruckner, who provided me a birth certificate at 19th and Vine, which is since 18th and Vine, and also to the second man, Pastor Jenkins, who served the finest chicken dinner in the City of Philadelphia, including above Steven Starr. I'm basically here to say that to push homeless people indoors, which the public has the right to eat outdoors in outdoor cafes and anywhere they want to eat, and also with the Barnes Foundation coming into town this month, but yet they are four blocks away from Pastor Jenkins, two blocks away from Adam Bruckner. And Albert C. Barnes, who founded the Foundation, was the most charitable man in the City, because he helped those underprivileged. It is a sin that what is so freely given to us cannot be freely given to others. I urge the Council to defeat this ban. We must do our God-given right to feed those who are in a bind, especially nowadays. Thank you to all. (Applause.)

Monica Wildes, commenting on 120254. (Witness approached podium.)

Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Monica Wildes. I'm speaking on behalf of Craig Stroman and We Feed the Homeless Philly. I will be reading a letter written by Mr. Stroman in response to the resolution. We Feed the Homeless Philly is staunchly against Mayor Nutter's ban on passing out food to the homeless on the streets through the Parks Department. In two years, we have passed out over 15,000 outdoor meals to the homeless without one homeless person receiving medical treatment from our meals. When we first began in Love Park in July of 2010 in 95-plus degree weather, we fed and hydrated over 200 persons that day that saved lives in the park, saved lives from heat strokes, heat exhaustion and hunger. Despite the good that we were doing and the lives we were attempting to serve, the Park Commission shut us down on that day. So we decided to move our feedings to 18th and Vine, where we started feeding over 300 persons every Saturday. I want to reiterate that We Feed the Homeless Philly has passed out over 15,000 meals to the homeless in the past two years and will continue to feed them. There is no statistical data or hospital records that supports the Mayor's contention that outdoor feeding is not as safe as feeding indoors. The Mayor talks about vans showing up at Love Park or 18th and Vine handing out sandwiches. If not for some of these vans, how will the homeless eat? Would Mayor Nutter or Deputy Mayor Schwarz rather they pick food out of a park trash can or eat something left on a park bench by a person who is allowed to eat in the parks? Well, what about the organizations who feed on the streets and are organized and take safety precautions when serving outside? We believe that the Mayor's ban infringes upon people's religious rights and excludes a certain set of people from eating and receiving food in public spaces. I don't have a number of how many blankets, hats, scarves, shoes, coats and other garments we handed out over the last two years, but it's significant enough to have that we have helped these people more than the City could ever imagine. Churches, non-profits, organizations and schools in this area have done this for years, and we are sure that it has saved the city, state and the country millions of dollars in city, state and federal budgets. We feed the homeless because it is the right thing to do. There are thousands of mentally disabled homeless persons roaming our streets from budgets being cut for mental health clinics and homeless shelters being shut down. We feed our fallen comrades and heroes who come home from wars fought abroad, only to be met with foreclosure signs on their doors. These are the stories we hear from these forgotten and disrespected Americans. Businesses that look at these people as an eyesore in downtown Philadelphia should be inconsequential in the decision to feed the homeless where they are. Mayor Nutter constantly talks about Philadelphia as the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection, but seems to forget the part about love, which is what we're trying to spread and show the homeless community that we care about our fellow Philadelphians. The Mayor talks about the homeless being fed in a dignified manner by feeding them inside. It's just flashing yellow. I'm sorry. It's not even flashing red.

Go ahead.

I apologize for going on. (Applause.)

Robert Ludzig. (No response.)

Robert Lidzig, Jr. (No response.)

Altressa Boatwright, commenting on 120254. (Witness approached podium.)

To President Clarke, Councilmembers and all that are in attendance, good morning.

Good morning.

Recently there was a letter dated April 23rd that was sent to Chosen 300 from Mayor Nutter addressing the issues of banning -- the banning of meals served in public places. A copy of this letter has been sent to all Councilmembers. However, if you have not had the opportunity to read the letter, let me summarize it quickly for you. The only issue addressed was a concern for health issues and the ability of the City to regulate the quality of food to eliminate any health hazards. Therefore, I would suggest to you today that there is no reason to ban meals from public parks, because this does not address any health issues. Regardless of where you feed, you can have a health issue in Love Park, the apron of City Hall or anywhere else that you may decide that you're going to serve meals. In addition, this ban is not a viable solution considering that Deputy Mayor Schwarz during many hearings has stated that there has been no reports of sickness or food-borne illnesses. In addition, recently Chosen 300 met with Deputy Mayor Michael DiBerardinis of the Park and Recreation Department and Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell. In this meeting, the Deputy Mayor stated that the reason that he supports the regulation for parks is that the outdoor meals to the homeless in the parks along the Parkway is not the best use of the public space. However, no matter where you go, it should be public space, and everyone is entitled to the same privileges, the same rights and the ability for them to receive a meal wherever you go. Recently I came down 15th Street and there are vending carts all along those particular streets, and there are lines and lines of people that come out at lunchtime to actually purchase their lunch. So what is the difference between a person that is standing in line at the vending carts and a person that's standing in a line at Love Park waiting for a meal? So today based on some of the information that has been presented, I am asking this Council to reject the resolution that the Parks and Recreation Department has presented, which is asking for the removal of individual people that do not meet certain criterias that congregate along the Parkway that they would not be able to receive a meal, which is the same privilege that all of us all have on any given day that we go out for lunch. Thank you. (Applause.)

Brian Jenkins.

Hold it, Mr. Decker. The Chair recognizes Councilman Kenney.

Thank you, Mr. President. I just want to make sure people understand the process, because I think part of what's happening is that there's a misunderstanding that somehow we've done something or we've imposed something or that we have the ability to tell the Mayor not to do this regulation. I think the sentiment of most of this Council -I'm not speaking for everybody, but I would think that most of us are probably against this regulation anyway, and I just want people to understand that it's not -- I would support Councilwoman Blackwell's resolution today if she ran it for hearings or to give the sense of Council that we don't agree with this particular resolution, but I think -- I don't want people to be misunderstood that we somehow oppose this ourselves. It was certainly the Mayor on his own, and he has every right to do what he wants to do as Mayor, but maybe we ought to move the podium down to the second floor so that people can express their views to him. (Applause.)

Again, I've been here a while and I've seen the issues come forward with Councilwoman Blackwell on this issue, and I understand her fervent way in protecting people who need to be protected, and I would be at her back to do that, but I just -- I want people to understand we didn't do this. Thank you.

Thank you, Councilman. Please proceed, Mr. Decker.

Brian Jenkins, commenting on 120254. (Witness approached podium.)

Thank you, Council President. I want to take a different approach today. You've heard me speak before. But I want to tell you about a story about a little boy who was born in Tasker Projects. His mother died when he was five years old and his father walked out even before he was born. He wound up under the care of the Department of Human Services of this city and wound up passed from home to home and wound up in a homeless shelter for children. Might you ask what happened to this little boy. He probably wound up in the Youth Study Center, probably wound up in prison, probably wound up being homeless and even eating at Chosen 300. But let me tell you, that didn't happen, because that little boy was me. There was a family from Mobile, Alabama that came to Philadelphia that was called to help people, and that family took me into their home and took me out of the streets of Philadelphia. I was able to go to some of the best schools in the country, graduate from Temple University. And my life could have went a whole different way hadn't somebody helped. This legislation that is being proposed, this regulation, both on the Health Department side and Parks and Recreation, are trying to prevent people from helping. There's a lot of people that have fallen into the pit of despair, and if we allow the regulation to occur, it's going to stop us from getting them up. We're simply asking for your help to oppose the Mayor with by any means necessary -(Applause.)

-- to stop these regulations from occurring. There's some people that don't have food. There's over 10,000 homeless people in Philadelphia and over a quarter million people that suffer in poverty and they don't have food, and they don't know how they're going to make the difference between paying the rent or feeding their children. We're not here to complain against you. We're just asking for your help to fight the regulation so that people can have food and the help that they need. And, lastly, there's people that need hope, and we believe that that hope is given through the gospel of Jesus Christ. And I know there's a lot of faiths here. (Applause.)

But we believe it's through the gospel. And these regulations are preventing us from being able to share the gospel on the streets of what we call the City of Brotherly Love. So we're not asking you. We're not coming against the Council today. We're just simply asking you for your help to fight the battle, because we cannot do it by ourselves, but if you help us, we can impact the people's lives that we serve. Thank you so much. (Applause.)

Nyko Rayer, commenting on 120254. (Witness approached podium.)

Good morning. My name is Nyko Rayer and I'm a member of North Philadelphia Food Not Bombs. You'll get to know me and my human rights organization very well, because we will not stop fighting in Board of Health meetings, Parks and Recs meetings, in City Council and on the street in our servings until the unjust Board of Health regulations and the Mayor all-out ban on serving free food to homeless Philadelphians enacted through the Department of Parks and Rec. Speaking of the Department of Parks and Rec, I was disgusted, but not at all surprised, when the City changed the public hearing on the ban to a week early with less than 24 hours notice. The number of people willing to drop whatever they were doing to make it to that hearing alone should tell you and the Mayor how serious we all are. Mayor Nutter's dirty tactics will not deter us. Now, to the point of appropriateness of serving free food to hungry Philadelphians in our parks, I can't think of a better use of our city's beautiful parks than sharing food with hungry Philadelphians. But this isn't about parks. This is about money. This is about tourism. This is about moving homeless people off the Parkway. Although Mayor Nutter loves to talk about brotherly love when it suits him, like in the Love Philadelphia tourism campaign, he is actually making brotherly love illegal, and it's disgusting. Philadelphia will not be known as the City of Brotherly Love. It will be known as the City of Death, a city where the Mayor starves its most vulnerable citizens and allows them to die in the streets. And don't worry, we know how to get the word out to the rest of the country. Don't ban sharing free food with homeless Philadelphians. Don't let Mayor Nutter irreparably damage our great city. You're City Council. You can stop this. Please, please stop this. (Applause.)

Robert Taylor, commenting on 120312. (Witness approached podium.)

Good morning, Mr. President.

Good morning, sir.

Members of Council, ladies and gentlemen. I am Robert Taylor, a citizen of Philadelphia and the President of Transport Workers Union Local 700, a sister local of Local 234. I am commenting on Resolution No. 120312, SEPTA operator assaults. I support this resolution, and I thank Councilwoman Bass for its introduction. SEPTA ridership is up. However, assaults have doubled against operators over the past year. The operators are not at fault. This resolution will take protective and proactive measures in order to prevent more assaults. TWU is committed to improving safety on public transportation and building coalitions with other organizations in order to protect our workers and the riding public. An injury to one is an injury to all. Reality may sometimes be ugly. However, the solution can sometimes be beautiful. Thank you for your attention. God bless Philadelphia, and long live the republic.

Thank you. (Applause.)

John Johnson, commenting on 120312. (Witness approached podium.)

Good afternoon, President Clarke and members of Council. Philadelphia is at risk right now. I've heard a lot from a lot of people today about the Commonwealth of Philadelphia, but as Robert said, last year there were double the amount of incidents that involved my members, and we can't continue to tolerate that. In addition to the members being assaulted, it was passengers. But when I think about this, all the Council, you're affected by my membership. We ride through every one of your councilmanic districts. So don't feel as if this is a North Philly issue or a South Philly issue. It's your issue. And we're here today to stand by Councilwoman Cindy Bass and ask that every Councilmember work with her in regards to passing Resolution No. 8, because, remember, we're the blood line that courses through the veins of the City of Philadelphia and we need you to help us to become the world-class city, a world-class transit authority, as well an international union that we are to make Philadelphia look as good as it can. We move the people that come to Philadelphia to take them down to Independence Mall. We're there. Whether you guys drive your City automobiles or not, we're the ones that operate the buses. Thank you, Councilwoman Blackwell. We want your help. We need your help. We're not going to demand it, because that's our emotion right now. I spoke to Brother Kenyatta as far as this issue. It's a world-class issue, not just Philadelphia. Next Thursday I will be in New York speaking at the first international transit assault about what's taking place in Philadelphia. I'm going to represent Philadelphia. I was born here. I was raised at 1835 North Patrona (ph) Street. Councilman, in your district. I may not live in the City now, but I will be returning, because I see a lot of things that needs to be done, and my union and my members and with your help, we can make those changes together and we all are in this together. Thank you. But I have a letter from Senator Tina Tartaglione. With your permission, President, I'd like to read it.

As long as you can do it before the red light goes on.

I don't know. I just got it. I'll do my best. Dear President Clarke and members of City Council, I apologize that I could not stand before you today.

Go ahead.

It is with great pleasure that I extend my gratitude and appreciation for offering and passing this resolution, which urges the state legislators to pass Senate Bill 236, my legislation providing an enhanced penalty for second-degree felony offenses of public transportation employees. I have introduced this legislation in the State Senate for the past six years, and each year my bill has failed to receive consideration. In the meantime, transportation employees in the City of Philadelphia and throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania have faced a daily threat of hostility and violence from passengers and members of the public while performing their job duties, and yet these courageous employees have returned to work every day, hoping and waiting for the legislators to offer them an added level of protection from these continued assaults. This year, with the number of incidents having escalated against public transportation employees, it is time to take action. Thank you, sir.

Thank you. (Applause.)

Erica Harris, commenting on 120254. (Witness approached podium.)

Good afternoon, President Clarke and members of the Council. My name is Erica Harris and I come before you today to ask you to vote down the Mayor's ban on serving the homeless. When I see those who are homeless and less fortunate, I am reminded that not for the grace of God, there go I or you. As a person who serves the homeless, I am upset that this city, being called the City of Brotherly Love, would turn its back on those who are less fortunate than others. I am ashamed of a Mayor who would rather spend money making our parks pretty for the rich instead of investing our money for programs to end homeless and hungry. This ban by our Mayor will place undue hardship on our homeless community, as well as a limited resource available to them. With less places to eat and less food available, this amounts to legalized starvation of the homeless. I believe that when we are blessed, we have an obligation to bless others who are in need. In this economy, homelessness is on the rise, and I am sure that most of us here today have been touched by it in some way through family and friends. If any of you had a loved one that was unfortunate enough to be homeless, wouldn't you want someone to extend a helping hand to you instead of kicking you in the groins? The homeless should not be mistreated because they are less fortunate. Instead, we should extend a helping hand as often as possible. I ask you, the members of City Council, to do what is right and the humane thing by voting down this ban on serving the homeless. I want to leave you with this: Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and the needy. That's Proverbs 31 and 9. God has called us to active duty. That's 1 John 3:18. Please don't ask me to silence the voice of God who told me to serve this community. Thank you. (Applause.)

Thank you. Mr. Decker, anyone else on the 5/3/12 - STATED - 2ND READING list?

There are no other speakers on the public comment list, Mr. President.

Thank you. That concludes our public comment session. We will now consider the resolutions and bills on the Second Reading and Final Passage. The Clerk will please read the title of Resolution No. 120303.

A resolution calling on community leaders to assist the Philadelphia Fire Department by speaking with their neighbors about the importance of having working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, as well as assisting their communities to become informed about fire safety.

The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell for a motion.

Thank 5/3/12 - STATED - 2ND READING you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)

Moved and properly seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. Resolution 120303 is adopted. Mr. Decker, please read the title of 120305.

A resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, without consideration, deeds conveying conditional fee simple title to certain City-owned lots or pieces of ground with the buildings and improvements thereon, situate in the Twenty-Fourth Ward of the 5/3/12 - STATED - 2ND READING City of Philadelphia.

The Chair again recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)

Moved and properly seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. Resolution 120305 is adopted. Mr. Decker, 120308.

A resolution authorizing City Council's Committee on Commerce and Economic Development to hold hearings to examine youth employment opportunities in Philadelphia. 5/3/12 - STATED - 2ND READING

The Chair recognizes Councilman Johnson.

Mr. President, I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)

Moved and properly seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. 120308 is adopted. Mr. Decker, 120309.

A resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, without consideration, deeds conveying conditional fee simple title to certain City-owned lots or pieces of ground with the buildings and improvements thereon, 5/3/12 - STATED - 2ND READING situate in the Nineteenth Ward of the City of Philadelphia.

The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Sanchez.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption. (Duly seconded.)

Moved and properly seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. 120309 is adopted. Mr. Decker, 120310.

A resolution amending Resolution No. 120001, which provides Rules for the Government of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, by revising the definition of "privileged resolutions" to include resolutions 5/3/12 - STATED - 2ND READING authorizing one or more committees of Council to hold hearings, so that such resolutions will be considered on the day of introduction following public comment; by requiring the circulation of certain resolutions to members of Council prior to the Council session at which they were introduced; and by making other conforming amendments.

The Chair recognizes Councilman Jones.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption. (Duly seconded.)

Moved and properly seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. 120310 is adopted. Mr. Decker, 120311. 5/3/12 - STATED - 2ND READING

A resolution approving the redevelopment contract and disposition supplement of the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority for the redevelopment and urban renewal of a portion of the New Kensington - Fishtown Urban Renewal Area, identified by house number and street address as 2219 Frankford Avenue.

The Chair recognizes Councilman Squilla.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)

Moved and properly seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

Resolution 120311 is adopted. 5/3/12 - STATED - 2ND READING Mr. Decker, 312.

A resolution urging the Pennsylvania State Legislature to pass Senate Bill 236 which would amend Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in assault, by adding Public Transportation Employees to the list of protected individuals.

Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Bass.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)

Moved and properly seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.) 5/3/12 - STATED - 2ND READING

The ayes have it. 120312 is adopted. We will now move on to our bills. I'm sorry. I omitted one. Mr. Decker, 313.

A resolution initiating action to continue the Mt. Airy Business Improvement District beyond its termination date in an area that generally includes both sides of Germantown Avenue from 6300 to 7631 and certain blocks of streets that intersect that portion of Germantown Avenue, for which Mt. Airy Improvement District, Inc., a Pennsylvania non-profit corporation, serves as the Neighborhood Improvement District Management Association.

The Chair again recognizes Councilwoman Bass.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. 5/3/12 - STATED - 2ND READING (Duly seconded.)

Moved and properly seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. Resolution 120313 is adopted. We will now move to 120251.

An ordinance authorizing the Procurement Commissioner on behalf of the City of Philadelphia, to enter into a concession agreement for the development, operation and maintenance of an airport advertising program at Philadelphia International Airport.

This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill finally pass. The Chief Clerk will please 5/3/12 - STATED - 2ND READING call the roll.

Councilwoman Bass.

Aye.

Councilwoman Blackwell.

Aye.

Councilman Goode.

Aye.

Councilman Green.

Aye.

Councilman Greenlee.

Aye.

Councilman Henon.

Aye.

Councilman Johnson.

Aye.

Councilman Jones.

Aye.

Councilman Kenney.

Aye. 5/3/12 - STATED - 2ND READING

Councilman O'Brien.

Aye.

Councilman O'Neill.

Aye.

Councilman Oh.

Aye.

Councilwoman Quinones-Sanchez.

Aye.

Councilwoman Reynolds Brown.

Aye.

Councilman Squilla.

Aye.

Councilwoman Tasco.

Aye.

Council President Clarke.

Aye. The ayes are 17; the nays are 5/3/12 - STATED - 2ND READING zero. A majority of all members having voted, the bill passes. The Clerk will please read any additional resolutions on today's Calendar.

A resolution recognizing and congratulating Brian Dawkins on the occasion of his retirement from the National Football League, where he played sixteen extraordinary seasons as a safety, thirteen of which were for the Philadelphia Eagles, introduced by Councilman Kenney.

The Chair recognizes Councilman Kenney.

I move the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)

Moved and seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)

Those opposed? 5/3/12 - STATED - 2ND READING (No response.)

The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted.

And a resolution declaring May 26th through 28th, 2012 as Cherokee Heritage Weekend in celebration of the Nineteenth Annual Cherokee Indian Festival, introduced by Councilwoman Tasco.

The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco.

Mr. President, I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)

Those in favor? (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted.

And a resolution 5/3/12 - STATED - 2ND READING honoring Randall J. Gyory for his achievements and service to the City of Philadelphia and its citizens as Interim Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Philadelphia Gas Works, introduced by Councilwoman Tasco.

The Chair again recognizes Councilwoman Tasco.

Mr. President, I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)

Moved and properly seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The resolution is adopted.

And a resolution honoring Joseph R. Bogdonavage for his 5/3/12 - STATED - 2ND READING achievements and service to the City of Philadelphia and its citizens as Interim Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Philadelphia Gas Works, introduced by Councilwoman Tasco.

The Chair again recognizes Councilwoman Tasco.

Mr. President, I move for the adoption of the resolution for Mr. Bogdonavage. (Duly seconded.)

Moved and properly seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted.

And a resolution recognizing and celebrating May 7th to 11th, 2012 as National Correctional 5/3/12 - STATED - 2ND READING Employees Week in Philadelphia, introduced by Councilman Jones.

The Chair recognizes Councilman Jones.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption. (Duly seconded.)

Been moved and properly seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted.

And a resolution proclaiming May 12th through the 19th, 2012 as "LOVE YOUR PARK WEEK" in Philadelphia, introduced by Councilwoman Bass.

The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Bass.

Thank you, 5/3/12 - STATED - 2ND READING Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)

Moved and properly seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted.

And a resolution declaring May 2012 to be Hepatitis B Awareness Month in Philadelphia to recognize and support the "Hep B United Philadelphia" campaign aimed at raising the profile of Hepatitis B and liver cancer as an urgent health priority, introduced by Councilman Oh.

The Chair recognizes Councilman Oh.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption (Duly seconded.)

Moved and properly seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted.

There are no other resolutions on the Calendar, Mr. President.

Thank you so much. That completes our Calendar for today. Are there any speeches on behalf of the majority? The Chair recognizes Councilman Green.

Thank you, Mr. President. Reserving final judgment in being provided to this body, yesterday the Administration scared me straight. They testified for hours about revenue proposals for AVI. They told us the data they are providing us is not correct. They don't know the aggregate value of real estate in the City of Philadelphia at actual value. They can't provide us with accurate data without knowing the aggregate value of real estate in the City of Philadelphia. They won't provide the aggregate value of real estate and the relative values of residential versus industrial and commercial values until we have passed the budget. They don't know if the homestead exemption will pass the state. They don't think Brendan Boyle's legislation that would require revenue neutrality will pass the state; that the smoothing will cause some people to pay more than without smoothing, hurting some of the very people that they're trying to help; that we will not have a fair tax if we pass the proposal they send. They are opposed to fully implementing a fair tax system next year with Council having full information. The Administration's proposal could shift hundreds of millions of dollars of taxes paid away from businesses to homeowners. Only with a large homestead exemption can we make sure businesses don't get a windfall at the expense of homeowners. They can't tell us what the size of the homestead exemption needs to be to correct for this business windfall or if we will have a homestead exemption from the state at all. They tell us a formulaic approach to setting millage is legal, despite the fact that caselaw requires a millage be set. They tell us that they have a savings clause in the bills they send us just in case it is not legal. The savings clause assumes a homestead 1 billion they intend. Even if they are legal, they can't tell us what the savings clause would collect without knowing the aggregate value of all real estate in the City of Philadelphia. They, once again, don't know the aggregate value of all real estate in the City until after we pass the budget; that the Office of Information Technology and the Office of Property Assessment's technology people have specific milestones for achieving the mailing before October 1st, some of which have already been missed or just adjusted; that the data is only 50 percent entered into the existing BRT system; that the data won't be in the new system until late July at the earliest; that nothing will go wrong with the algorithms and to occur from August to mid September and they will have accurate results they can mail on time because they have been told that there is a deadline and they have no choice; that they are, quote, not likely to miss the deadline. I note multiple departments this budget season have testified to their failure to accomplish tasks promised to City Council because of failed or delayed Office of Technology implementations, that they don't want the savings clause to be the status quo. There are a lot of variables and uncertainties, and everything will have to go exactly right and on schedule. That has not been my experience in government the last four years and has not been my experience with this Administration. This lack of certainty and lack of knowledge of key relevant data is not the responsibility of Council. After planning, the Administration chose a schedule to not have this information be available until the month after we pass the budget. If anything goes wrong, the public will ask, Who was foolish enough to pass legislation without full or substantial information that is necessary for a considered vote.

Council will rue the day it takes an uninformed vote in the most significant and important reform since at least I have been in City Council. This has the potential to be Council's midnight pay raise, but it's even more irresponsible because at least the Legislature knew what their vote meant, at least for them. We should be considered, careful and act with full information. The absence of such information is the Administration's responsibility based on their chosen timetable, and it feels purposeful. With full information, we value, look at homestead, look at all measures to develop a full and fair tax system next year, two years earlier than the Administration's proposal. I recently read about a flasher arrested for flashing in the Bucks County Home for the Blind. The Mayor's proposal is as effective as that flasher. He has sent us a tax package, but we and the public can't see it. Perhaps he has not been told that he is wearing no clothes. Even so, it is Council's professionalism and fiduciary duty that is exposed. No director of a private company would approve this without much more information. The shareholders would sue for breach of fiduciary duty, a duty that requires that directors be informed, and the shareholders would win. Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilman

Thank you, Mr. President. Roll call. Time to man up. I know that when it came down to critical mass and we were about to lose 750 jobs down at the refinery, that private sector, public sector put their heads together, found a buyer to save those jobs and put people to work in a meaningful way. That was the right thing to do. I know that the Catholic schools, many of them that were honored here today, when they heard roll call, they manned up and they found ways to bring private sector again, public sector again and little kids and their piggybanks together to save Saint Hubert School by raising $1.5 million. Why is it that when it comes to our public school children, that we cannot find that constitution within ourselves to reach deep for them? This We know, we know that if a child can't read to level by the time they're in the fourth grade how many cells to build by the time they are 18. They are not poker chips. They are not high-risk gambling of Wall Street. They are our future. (Applause.)

They are our future. And we going to have a roll call to see who is who and what's what when it comes time to do the heavy lifting on their behalf, because I'm so sick of explaining to parents why we have teddy bear memorials that we have to go to as elected officials. Man up. Our children deserve it. And we can speculate on who is at fault all we want. We could talk about accountability in the future all we want. Yeah, we got snookered last time. We will be more careful this time, but we will not abandon those kids, not on my you, Mr. President.

Thank you, Councilman. (Applause.)

The Chair recognizes Councilman Goode.

Thank you, Mr. President. On a positive and constructive note, due to your efforts, Mr. President, this week we launched the Philadelphia Jobs Commission. I was proud to co-sponsor your legislation and I'm proud to serve with my fellow commissioners from the public, private and non-profit sectors. This is what I had to say about jobs earlier this week: The issue of jobs is not just about job creation or business attraction. It's also about business and job retention. We create jobs every year. We just don't create more jobs than we lose. creation/retention is not just about business taxes and regulations. It's also about public education and public safety. It's about the quality of life in Philadelphia. And every job is not a good job. It almost doesn't pay for some people to go to work. If we are not concerned about job quality, we cannot attract or retain population. And also every investment in job development is not good investment. There must be public benefit criteria for how we invest taxpayer dollars in private enterprise. And every discussion about jobs does not have to be strictly about the business bottom line. It should be about helping more people live the American dream here in America's birth place. It's about how we help people better employ their talents and skills and Philadelphians developing more talent and skill. So I look forward to our next 14th while we plan to emphasize how we need to connect more people to jobs in the private sector, but let's start with the jobs that are subsidized with local taxpayer dollars. I will leave that meeting on the 14th and go to the first meeting of the Economic Opportunity Review Committee, where they will look at projects and contracts that have already received public subsidy and whether the diversity goals are being met. That meeting is open to the public and everyone is invited to testify. It's Monday, May 14th at 10:00 a.m. in City Council Caucus Room. If you wish to testify regarding diversity on City-funded projects and contracts or if you wish to snitch on the lack of diversity on those projects, contact the Office of Economic Opportunity or simply call my office. Thank you, Mr. President.