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.)
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.)
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, 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.)
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.)
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?
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.
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.
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.
And an ordinance authorizing Whispering Leaves Herb and Sip Shop to construct, own and maintain an open-air sidewalk cafe at 4615 Woodland Avenue.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
And an ordinance approving the sixth amendment of the redevelopment proposal for the New Kensington - Fishtown Urban Renewal Area.
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.
And nine bills and one privileged resolution co-sponsored by Councilman Henon, Johnson, Tasco, Goode, Blackwell, O'Brien, Squilla and Oh.
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.
Yes, Mr. President. I should state for the record that that was co-sponsored by Council colleague Kenney. I move for the adoption.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Committee on Finance reports three bills with a favorable recommendation.
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.)
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.
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.)
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.
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.)
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.)
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.)