Aye. Stated Meeting 114 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING
Aye. The ayes are 15; the nays are zero. A majority of members present voting in the affirmative, the bill passes. Mr. Decker, 230576.
An ordinance renaming and designating the property commonly referred to as the Charles Baker Recreation Center, located at 5433 Lansdowne Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as the "Charles Baker and Carol Baker Rice Recreation Center".
This bill having been read on two different days, the question is shall the bill pass finally. Mr. Decker, call the roll.
Councilwoman Stated Meeting 115 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING Bass.
Councilwoman Lozada. Stated Meeting 116 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING
Aye. The ayes are 15; the nays are zero. A majority of members present voting in the affirmative, the bill passes. Stated Meeting 117 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING (Applause.)
Mr. Decker, please read the title of Bill No. 230510.
An ordinance amending Chapter 10-600 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Public Spaces - Prohibited Conduct," by prohibiting certain facial coverings from being worn in certain spaces.
Mr. President, Council colleagues, and citizens both here and those connected to this body by the miracles of modern technology, this is a good afternoon. It is a good afternoon because of the glimmer of hope that we see as we make our communities safer, more prosperous, and better places to live, learn, and work. This afternoon we will consider Stated Meeting 118 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING a critical piece of legislation that will return both power and safety to the people, many of them, hundreds, thousands who are not here today to really speak on how important this ski mask bill is to them. This ski mask ban legislation has been carefully considered by all of us. We all bring our idealogical lenses and experiences to this task. We cannot help but to bring who we are, what we believe, and what we have experienced and how we have walked through life to this moment. Now, we all come from all walks of life and from every possible corner of this city, North, South, Southwest, Northwest, Northeast. We hail from diverse enclaves, but not with us understanding our differences and variations. We all seek a safer, better city for every resident and visitor in the City of Philadelphia. What unites us today is more Stated Meeting 119 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING powerful than what divides us. I encourage us all to stand together as we head towards a better city, with the promise of more safety and decency. I encourage all of us to support this measure because of its unifying principles about who we are as a city. Heretofore, this legislation has been read in this Chamber, considered in committee, and it returns to us today with significant support from people from all corners of the City of Philadelphia and across idealogical spectrum. Similarly, many of you have expressed confidence in this bill, my colleagues, and it aims to create a safer, more transparent and loving community. Your co-sponsorship, your encouragement and determination to see this through is a great sign that we are focusing on moving to a post-COVID normalcy that has evaded us. I was overjoyed this morning when I saw hundreds of kids, and one Stated Meeting 120 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING individual came up to me and said, Phillips, I told the students that we're going to vote on this bill today to ban ski masks in their schools, among some other public spaces, and they were overjoyed overwhelmingly. We must make decisions that often sometimes people are afraid to say but in their households they're encouraged to say that they are wanting a brighter tomorrow for Philadelphia. Today is the day where we take a stand for what we know is right and proper. It won't solve all issues, because like my colleagues and many others, I do believe in prevention. I do believe in the idea of doing as much as we can to support preventive measures and interventions, but nevertheless, this bill is not without controversy. No legislation is perfect, Philadelphia, but this bill goes a long way with addressing a lingering quality of life and safety issues that plagues our city, unnecessary Stated Meeting 121 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING ski masks that are not worn for safety or warmth or religious reasons. We're fine with that. But oftentimes the ski masks are concealed for criminal conduct. We must do our duty and place the highest premium on restoring the public trust by having safer communities. This is what our neighbors have sent us to Council to do. We are faced in making hard choices at tough times for a city confronted by challenges on every front in places for public servants, like recreation centers' personnel, teachers, social workers, nurses, cleaning people, bus drivers, and other people go out to do their jobs every day. They should not be to allowed -- should not be allowed to do -- they should be allowed to do so in safety.
This legislation does just that. Senior citizens, our most vulnerable population, are crying for us to pass this measure. For too long and too many instances, they have lingered in Stated Meeting 122 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING the shadows of our inaction. Too many seniors have told me on their way to public spaces that they felt unsafe as folks hid their identities and created a sense of anxiety in the midst of historical crime levels. Our actions today and City enforcement of this policy begin the process of restoring order and decency to the parts of the City immediately. I am the youngest member of Philadelphia City Council. I'm also a Black man raised by a Black woman and a Black grandmother, and too often we understand the negative narratives about Black men, but I'm also soberly aware of this reality, and in fact, that is why I'm eager for the passage of this legislation today. We must send a message that masks serve no discernible public or private good when they just create fear and anxiety. We must act to show our children. Many of the folks in the City Stated Meeting 123 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING will not even allow their own children to wear these masks in our communities, that we are better than what we have been. This is a message that must be conveyed across the City of Philadelphia in a crystal clear manner. It must be conveyed directly to the elders as they seek the best results for their lives. This is why I've chosen to author this bill. And I know it's not popular, but we must make effective conclusions to the passage of this law that sends the right passage about safety in our city, because it's popular in communities that really care about us. There are too far committed crimes in the City, people who take advantage of the license to wear ski masks after we all donned to keep each other safe post-COVID. We are during an important moment when our people are looking to define anew what kind of city or society we'll be at this critical juncture in our Stated Meeting 124 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING history. We will either cosign lawlessness or demand decency and high quality of life in the City. " At an earlier time in our nation's history when African Americans were forced to wear masks, strutting their brilliance and their beauty, Dunbar's torture-writing soul text into how awful it is when we feel we have to hide who we are. Listen to Dunbar's words: We wear the mask that grins and lies. It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes. This debt we pay to human guile. With torn and bleeding hearts we smile, and mouth with myriad subtleties. But let the world dream otherwise. We wear the mask. In passing this legislation today, we are fighting for our city's youth. Many of them I've worked with, thousands of them that I've guided and Stated Meeting 125 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING supported, helping them understand why ski masks are important, why leadership is important -- ski masks are important to take off, why leadership is important, why careers, why college, and opportunities are important. Many of them I worked with, that they can shed every veil that stands between them and their greatness, that there's nothing for them to hide. They, like all of us, need to see their greatness unmasked and uncovered. They reassure Dunbar that we no longer wear the mask because our brilliance, our sense of hope, and our positivity are far too bright and beautiful and bold to be veiled behind ski masks or the negative connotations. We no longer need to wear the ski mask. , Maynard Jackson, the college that produced Spike Stated Meeting 126 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING Lee, Samuel L. Jackson, a school that shows and teaches young Black men that masks will never work when your real face is the face of naturally great and shines so-everly bright.
What this photo is showing is this young man from Olney as he lifts his face mask and helmet from his head is that the real game of life does not take place on football fields or street corners. No. We do not advance our lives wearing ski masks. We move forward and we make progress as a people and city when we remove our masks and show who we are, with all of our beautiful potential. That doesn't happen when we wear ski masks. Council President, I urge all of us who love this city and have listened to every person in this city to support this legislation and show our entire City of Philadelphia that we are prepared to do everything that we can to advance our city and its people. Stated Meeting 127 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING Thank you, Council President.
Thank you, Council President. Thank you, Councilmember Phillips, for your speech. I'm going to be voting no on the bill, but I just wanted to say -- I wanted to say some words about that. I came in actually leaning towards yes. I can understand objectively why we wouldn't want people to be wearing ski masks. I want to help PPD solve crimes. However, at the same time, I can't in good conscience vote for something that I feel would further criminalize and marginalize young Black men in our city, particularly when I Stated Meeting 128 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING don't feel like as a city we've done enough to engage them, listen to them, and support them. I was very moved by the testimony, particularly of the young people. Leem who testified, number one, looks like my son, and it's also very hard for me to vote for someone -- for something that would create a harsher city for the young Black men that I'm raising. But further I sat with Leem and with many of the young people from YEAH Philly as well as other youth-serving organizations to talk about what they need, right, to talk about their experiences and touch points with the criminal legal system and to get their perspective as impacted people in the City on what we can do to keep young people out of the path of violence. And not only do I think that we lose credibility if we do this without doing more of those conversations, if we Stated Meeting 129 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING increase the enforcement and the marginalization without increasing the support of young people, I also feel like that exercise of listening, hearing, and then following up, following up with the support, whether that be housing or mentorship or change in the conditions in PJJSC, whatever it is, I think it's incumbent upon us as a city to deliver that support, you know, and to prioritize that over making enforcement harsher on young Black men in our city in ways that might not even be constitutional. So I wanted to just take some time to explain that. I also wanted to commend Councilmember Phillips. I greatly respect your work. I think that Council has been made better with your addition. I particularly like the work that you've done around quality of life issues. You know, you did the bill on taking away all of the red tape around getting speed bumps around schools. I got like 50 schools that have like speed Stated Meeting 130 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING bumps now, right, in the 3rd District. And I also appreciate your legislation on nuisance businesses. So I just want you to know how much I value you, even though I'm going to be a no on this bill today, and thank you so much for your leadership and thanks to everyone for a thoughtful consideration on these issues. And I think that, you know, wherever we're coming from on these issues, we all have the same goal of making our city safer and more peaceful and helping to create neighborhoods where people can thrive. I believe that fully. Thank you, Council President. (Applause.)
Thank you, Councilwoman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Thomas.
Good Stated Meeting 131 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING afternoon, Council President. This is a tough vote. I listened to that young man talk earlier about how nervous he was. I'm nervous too, right? But let me provide some context as to where I am on this particular situation. On Friday, high school basketball season starts, and when basketball season starts, outside of my City Council, I myself, along with 100, maybe even 200 other coaches, will be responsible for the lives of young people for the next couple months to make sure that they can participate in an extracurricular activity in positive ways. Sometimes we get on vans to travel to games. Sometimes we use the Cheesebus, but we all know that there's a shortage in buses and sometimes we have to get on SEPTA to travel to and from games. Last year I remember playing a Stated Meeting 132 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING game at West Philly High School, and if you know anything about West Philly High School, the level of participation from the neighborhood and from the students is pretty active, especially because they're good right now. The lighting outside of West Philly High School is terrible, and I talked to the Superintendent and the Office of Athletics about that, and I remember leaving that game last year and it being pitch dark. And, you know, in that space I'm not Councilman Thomas. I'm a nut blank old head. So, you know, the nut old head with the baggy clothes on, you know, they had a lot of choice words for me and my team as we was leaving West Philly High School, and while I can hear everything that was said, I could see nothing and nobody. And as I left that building, I ended up calling the School District and I snapped on them, because I said if you're going to put me in a position to be in this Stated Meeting 133 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING type of danger, what are you doing to other schools? Two days later, another school played at West Philadelphia High School, and unfortunately a young man was jumped as they left the game, beat up pretty bad, and at the end of the day, we don't know who did that, because the people who jumped him had a ski mask on. Councilmember Phillips said he's the youngest member in City Council. I'm only a couple years older than him. Me and Councilmember Phillips, we fit the description. We do. That's the reality of it. And, look, I hate wearing a suit. I try to wear it as little as possible. If it was up to me, I'd be in a sweat suit and a hoodie as often as I could be, but the reality is is that that's not the job. The job says this is the decorum, this is what we have to wear, this is what we have to do. And at the end of the day, I Stated Meeting 134 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING listened to all the testimony. I heard the young man talk about wearing the ski mask with sports. You can still wear them on the football field if this bill gets passed. I heard the young man talk about wearing them when you're walking down the street when it's cold. You can still do that. I listened to some of the concerns as it relates to this being a tool to stop crime. I don't think any of us think this ban will stop crime, but Councilmember Jones, who chairs the Public Safety Committee, and Councilmember Johnson, who chairs the Committee on Gun Violence, I sit in those committees often. I listen to police, and I agree with the testimony that we have to push law enforcement to do a little bit more to solve crimes, but at end of the day, as a legislator every day I listen, I listen. That's our job, to listen, and one of the things that police have told us is that the number one way Stated Meeting 135 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING that they have to stop crime is cameras and technology. That's their best tool. It's not witness testimony. It's not forensic evidence. It's cameras.
It's technology. And so when I put out my gun report and when members of this legislative body decided multiple times to give the Administration more money for cameras than what they can purchase at the rate that they're moving right now, we did it because we wanted to do something about public safety. And at the end of the day, if we know in good faith that this bill doesn't prevent crime -- I want to be clear, no one feels like this bill prevents crime, but if we know as legislators in good faith that police have told us multiple times that the number one way they have to solve crimes in this city is with cameras, it's our job to try our best to equip them to be able to use technology to do so. When you're in rec centers, Stated Meeting 136 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING which I'm in often, I had 150 kids in it my camp last summer at Finley Rec Center, when you're in a library, when you're on a SEPTA bus, most importantly, when you're in a school, you should not be able to wear them. You shouldn't. I'm all for trends and things that's cool for young people, very supportive of that stuff, but what am I supposed to say to a parent when we leave a basketball game and harm is done to a child and there's no way to tell who did that harm or why that harm was done? At the end of the day, like I said, this is a tough bill. I agree we have to do more. We started City Council an hour late today, am I right, Mr. Chairman, because we're arguing over trying to do more. We want to put more money in arts and rec centers, and we don't want just, what, 7 million to be able to discuss. We want to get that number up to 15 million so we can have more money to be able to provide for Stated Meeting 137 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING resources and initiatives and activities for people in neighborhoods across the City of Philadelphia. So, again, this is a tough bill, and as someone who fits the description, I'mma close out with this, I'mma be honest with y'all. Young people, you gotta take them jawns off, seriously. Thank you, Council President.
Thank you. Thank you, Councilman. How much did you say? 15?
I just wanted to make sure I heard you. Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brooks.
Thank you, Council President. So I will be voting no on this bill, and me and the bill sponsor had a long conversation about this legislation Stated Meeting 138 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING and he's very clear on, you know, my feelings around it. And I do understand the perspective of many of my colleagues around this, but I in good faith cannot vote to support this. And I do have a long prepared statement, which I'm not getting ready to go through right now, but I just want to recognize the hard work of Councilmember Phillips and just, you know -- one of the things I take away from our conversation is a story that one of my young people came in the house with a mask and I made them take it off. Not because I thought they was going to commit a crime. My fear is that people would assume that that would happen to them, and that was my fear in my household. Realizing that, you know, it's a fashion trend and all the things that the young people said, but also I realize that the risks that we put young people under -- and I'm using this because I just -- I passed a piece of legislation during my first time in Stated Meeting 139 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING Council that I fought very hard for. It was the paid sick leave legislation that sunsets in December, and to this day, we have thousands of Philadelphians that don't even know that that exists. So my concern is when we pass legislation and it doesn't have the opportunity to reach the people that would be most affected by it. So we pass this ban and young folks don't even know that it's reality, because believe it or not, the folks that we're targeting with this bill, they ain't paying attention to us in City Council, you know, the same young folks that have to take off their hoods at school every day, and the teachers in the room know that that's an all-day process from class to class. So my fear is that we're putting legislation on the books for a certain population that don't even realize that this is going to victimize them until it does, which further tarnishes the relationships between the Stated Meeting 140 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING police officers and young people. So I will be voting no on this resolution, but those are my sticking points, and Councilmember Phillips and I had long conversations about my feelings on this, and I tried. I told him, I would try. I'mma sleep on it for a couple days. It's a couple of days and I still can't in good faith vote in support of this bill. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman. (Applause.)
Mr. President, colleagues, I respect legislation that makes us think, makes us question, makes us debate which way we should go on a situation, but at the end of the day, we got to make a decision. Stated Meeting 141 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING We don't get the luxury of kicking the can down the road. I went back and forth on this myself, struggled with this myself. Early on I had asked to co-sponsor this legislation, not because I don't respect what YASP Philly does. Some of my people are part of their organization at this point. But when I think about what the a/k/a name of pooh shiesties represent, I have to weigh that to say does the good outweigh the bad. One of the most compelling parts of the testimony was that if you have to wear this to feel safe in a neighborhood because others might attack you for who you are, we got a lot of work to do. We got a lot of work to do to make them feel safe. And I encourage and I would be a part of any dialogue, Member Gauthier, that you want to do to listen more. I'm all in. And we ain't always got to agree on everything, but we agree on loving our kids. Stated Meeting 142 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING So this is just a piece of cloth, but it represents to some a lot more, and if somebody came in here with a Klan hood on, I'd be concerned, and it represents to my ancestors a threat. It represents danger to my ancestors and so, therefore, I would be as concerned as I am about this. And God help whatever inspired you today, Martin Luther King, III. You helped push me in this direction to support this ban today, but I want to put on the record it did not come easy. It came with internal strife about what direction we should go in. And sometimes, every now and then, we got to protect our kids from themselves. Like that's real. I'm not the youngest member of Council, and I damn sure like my suits, but if I put this on, I'm the defendant suspect too. And so we have to -- we have to balance what our civil liberties are to our public safety, but we all Stated Meeting 143 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING always, always need to listen to our young people. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Vaughn.
Thank you, Council President. Anthony Phillips, you dropped the mic with that speech, you know. I got a couple dollars for your collection plate. But like my colleagues, I did struggle with my decision with this legislation. I don't want to do anything else to harm our young children, but I also don't want to keep giving criminals or people with criminal-like minds the permission to wear these masks to commit crimes. There's a time and place for everything, like Councilman Thomas said. You can still wear them for sporting events and things like that, if Stated Meeting 144 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING necessary, but we don't want you to wear them in the public so that you're hiding your face. I feel safer when I can see what you look like, and if a crime is committed, I can see you and I'm going to tell. I feel that cameras can't see behind masks, just like we cannot. So we can't help solve a crime if we can't see who is committing it. I'm hoping that this legislation will deter criminals from trying to commit crimes by wearing them and also that our community as a whole will feel safer because we will see less of them. Yes, I do think it's going to be a challenge, and I also said to my colleague Councilman Phillips why not just amend it to say that if someone commits a crime wearing a mask, we can give them a tougher penalty for wearing it to commit a crime. But as it states, it is what it is. And as far as Stated Meeting 145 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING respecting people's religions and things like that, we're not saying don't wear your garb. We're not saying don't cover your head if that's something that you believe in that needs to be done to show your faith, but at the same token, covering your face is not something that's normal and we have to stop trying to pretend that it is. Also, we will do our jobs in making sure that those that don't know about this legislation get informed, however that looks. If it means posting flyers at the doors of the schools, if it means putting flyers on the public transportation. I'm looking back at the representative from SEPTA here. Whatever it takes, we'll make sure that the public understands that wearing ski masks in public is no longer acceptable. Thank you.
Thank you, Councilwoman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Stated Meeting 146 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING Harrity.
Good afternoon, everyone. Good afternoon, Council President. You know, Council President, I co-sponsored this bill with Anthony because of an incident that happened when me and you were together. We went to celebrate what we thought was a good thing of putting cameras up on 11th Street in a rec center in North Philadelphia. We were happy because we thought, you know, maybe that would bring a little sense of, you know, safety. And what was it, two, three days later, a young man rode into the park wearing one of the pooh shiesties and shot another child and killed him. We're here to make some hard decisions, and this is hard. We don't want to point anybody out. Kids wear them. I mean, I have a 20-something-year-old kid. He wears Stated Meeting 147 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING those things every once in a while for different outfits or whatever they're doing. As they say, maybe they use it as a fashion statement, some people. But the harsh reality is, in my neighborhood where I live in Kensington, there's a reason for people to be scared of somebody wearing ski masks. That's the harsh reality. That's what the seniors in my neighborhood have to deal with every day, you know. And as I said, it may be a hard vote for some people, but I'm voting trying to save kids' lives, whatever it takes. If they want to be mad about it, that's okay. You know, we were put here to make tough decisions, and not everybody is going to like everything we do. That's why we have a voting process. But I stand with Councilman Phillips, and I appreciate that you had the courage to do this. Thank you.
Stated Meeting 148 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Bass.
Thank you, Mr. President. I just wanted to -- well, number one, I wanted to thank Councilmember Phillips for his speech and its delivery. You know, I love passion with a purpose, and I think that he really did, you know, send this as a -hit this as a home run in terms of really delivering the thought process behind this particular piece of legislation. I just wanted to add briefly that the day before Thanksgiving in my district there was a shooting in broad daylight. A young man was killed, and after he was shot several times, the person who shot him walked away. He didn't run. He walked away. And I believe he was wearing a ski mask, although I don't have that exact detail, but I will clarify, waiting for that Stated Meeting 149 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING information now. But there was no worry or concern about being identified or caught as he walked away from someone dead laying in the street. But the one thing I wanted to point out really is that, you know, as his friends were trying to get him -scoop him up and get him into a vehicle to get him to the hospital, the police arrived on the scene and, you know, saw what was going on, grabbed him up really quick, were able to get him in the car, because they weren't able to get him in the car. The police got him in the car, rushed him to the hospital. But one of the things that came back to me from some of the folks in the neighborhood was a sentiment from the guys -- and this happened in the neighborhood, in Germantown. The sentiment that came back was, we don't fool with the police. And that wasn't the F word that they used. We don't fool with the police, but they tried to save Stated Meeting 150 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING our friend's life. And that goes so much further in terms of police and community relationships than anything else that, you know, you can think of. When police and communities are working together in action, even under duress, it sends a signal that these are working relationships, these are relationships that are valuable, that are important, and that can be built on. And I think that we as members of Council, one of the things that we can do is really take instances like these unfortunate things that happen in our neighborhoods and really find ways to bind community with police so that we can work together and build relationships. So I just wanted to put that out there. There's too many of these cases in which we continue to hear no arrest and no suspects. And so if removing the ski mask is a way to help the police do their job and take people off of the street -- because if you shoot Stated Meeting 151 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING somebody in broad daylight and you walk away, there's a good chance that wasn't your first hit, that wasn't your first time, that wasn't your first homicide, that wasn't your first shooting. You know, this is somebody who is dangerous that we need to get out of our community. And so, you know, we hate that it's at the expense of people who are minding their own business and going about their own day and not causing any harm or any trouble to anyone, but at the same time, we have to protect all, and so that's why I'm going to be voting for this bill. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Johnson.
Thank you, Council President. About 20 years ago I had an opportunity to meet a young man who Stated Meeting 152 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING served as the President of an organization called Philadelphia Youth Action, and that's an organization that organizes young people all across the City of Philadelphia to get involved in their civic duty and become leaders here in the City of Philadelphia, and that young man is Anthony Phillips. And so I know that this legislation comes from a place of compassion and a place of caring for our young people. But also I remember about a year ago we were having the Special Committee on Gun Violence hearing addressing the significant homicides and shootings that were taking place here in the City of Philadelphia, and I remember going home and getting a phone call from one of the guys that I know inside the neighborhood who said, hey, Councilman, I know that now that you're an elected official, you're not as close to the streets as you used to be, but I just want to let you know that y'all are Stated Meeting 153 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING getting it all wrong. I'm like, what do you mean we're getting it all wrong? He said, it's the mask. It's the mask, Councilman. That's why they're getting away with so many homicides. In the streets they say, no face, no case. No face, no case. And so when I heard about this legislation being introduced, I thought about that conversation that someone pulled me aside from the neighborhood and talked to me about, because they are closer to the streets than I am. They know the shooters and they know about the homicides and shooters that are taking place. And he said, I know now that you're an elected official, but here's something that you need to understand that's going on day in and day out in our streets. And it's not a coincidence that the homicides and shootings that we seen start to increase were during the Stated Meeting 154 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING pandemic when we start seeing these masks being worn day in and day out. But then to take it further, since we want to talk about listening to our young people, we also had a Special Committee on Gun Violence hearing in the Caucus Room with young people and talked about the issue of public safety and gun violence. And so the conversation came up about ski masks, and the young people responded when we asked why are you wearing a ski mask when it's 90 degrees, 95 degrees, 100 degrees outside, and the response was, because I got to make sure my opps don't identify me. Well, what are your opps? The opposition, the individuals that you are going back and forth to war with. These are young people, not experts from the University of Pennsylvania, right? These are young people who are telling their lived experiences as relates to what's going on Stated Meeting 155 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING that they see day in and day out when it comes to the actual wearing of ski masks. And so I have full confidence that our incoming Police Commissioner, Kevin Bethel, who is not an individual who is going to take a total approach strictly around law enforcement but will look at this issue comprehensively and make sure we're addressing the education standpoint in a public campaign to make sure that young people know that this is coming down the pipeline. But also Anthony Phillips talks about basically young people just having pride in just who they are, right, and not hiding behind a mask. You shouldn't have to wear a mask to hide yourself because you think somebody is going to actually kill you.
And the last but not least, we will continue, as this body that we have done, making historical significant investments and investing in our young people, because, yes, we have to make Stated Meeting 156 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING sure that they have necessary support that they need so you don't have to put on a mask in the first place because you're scared that somebody might identify you, right, who you're going to war with. So I just want to thank the young Anthony Phillips for his leadership around this issue. I know it's coming from a place of compassion and caring and probably more than just about anybody inside this body, with the exception of Councilman Isaiah Thomas. Y'all both come from organizing young people to become leaders here in the City of Philadelphia. So I know very well that this was a very thoughtful approach in addressing this issue. Thank you very much, Council President.
Thank you. Thank you, Councilman. (Audience member talking without microphone.) Stated Meeting 157 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING
Ma'am, just hold it down, please. (Audience member talking without microphone.)
Ma'am? Ma'am? (Audience member talking without microphone.)
Excuse me. You had an opportunity for public comment. Thank you. All right. We'll start all over. Mr. Decker, we will start over reading the title of 230510.
An ordinance amending Chapter 10-600 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Public Spaces - Prohibited Conduct," by prohibiting certain facial coverings from being worn in certain spaces.
Thank you. This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is Stated Meeting 158 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING shall the bill pass finally. Mr. Decker, please call the roll.
Aye. Stated Meeting 159 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING
Aye. The ayes are 13; the nays are Stated Meeting 160 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING two. A majority of all members voting in the affirmative, the bill passes. Mr. Decker, do you have any additional resolutions?
A resolution declaring each Friday in December 2023 as "Shop Black Business Friday" in the City of Philadelphia, introduced today by Councilwoman Gilmore Richardson.
The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Gilmore Richardson.
Thank you, Council President. I move the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
Those opposed? (No response.) Stated Meeting 161 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution honoring and congratulating the Champions of the Week, the student and faculty participants of The Philly Service Award of 2023, a high school community service project competition promoting civic involvement, community engagement, and public service, introduced today by Councilman Thomas.
Thank you, Council President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
Stated Meeting 162 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING Those opposed? (No response.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution recognizing the Philadelphia Housing Authority for their partnership with Zipcar to provide discounted car shares to increase economic mobility for residents of public housing within the city, introduced today by Councilman Jones and Councilwoman Gilmore Richardson.
I move for the adoption, along with Councilwoman Gilmore Richardson. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. Stated Meeting 163 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
There are no other resolutions on the Final Passage Calendar, Mr. President.
Thank you very much. That concludes most of our Calendar today. The Chair recognizes Councilman Jones for a motion to recess.
I'm sorry. Hold on one second, Councilman. Councilman Thomas.
Council President, before we make a motion, I just want to announce to the members of Stated Meeting 164 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING the Education Committee, immediately following this Council session we will be jumping on a quick hearing as it relates to the Education Committee. We're going to try to start that hearing at 1:45 p.m., and the hearing should not last too long. I will send a text message out with details to all of the members of the Education Committee. Thank you, Council President.
Thank you, Councilman. Thank you for that housekeeping issue. Councilwoman Vaughn.
Thank you, Council President. Just a quick comment or I will not be able to go home today. Today is my husband's, Kevin Vaughn's, birthday. If we can just wish Kevin happy birthday.
That's a heck of an incentive to make sure that we get this business done. Councilman Squilla. Stated Meeting 165 11/30/2023 11/30/23 - STATED - 2ND READING
Thank you, Mr. President. I know we'll be coming back after recess, but I'd just like to take the opportunity to highlight December as National Small Business Month and encourage everyone to shop at our small businesses throughout the month of December. Small businesses employ approximately 60 million people throughout the country, and 70 percent of every dollar spent in our local small businesses is recirculated within the surrounding communities. Now more than ever, it's important to recognize and encourage to support our local small businesses, especially during the holiday season. Thank you so much.
Thank you. Thank you, Councilman. Again, I'll recognize Councilman Jones for a motion to recess.
Thank you, Stated Meeting 166 11/30/2023 I move that we and Council stand at recess until the completion of the business of the Committee on Appropriations, which will convene at 3:00 p.m. today. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It's been moved and seconded that Council stand at recess until the completion of the public meeting of the Committee on Appropriations, which is scheduled to convene at 3:00 p.m. today. All those in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. The motion carries. Council will stand at recess until the completion of the public meeting of the Committee on Appropriations. Stated Meeting 167 11/30/2023 (Recess from 1:29 p.m. until 8:42 p.m.)
Okay. We will now reconvene today's Stated Meeting, and the Chair recognizes Councilman Jones.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit an additional set of committee reports. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It has been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit the receipt of an additional committee report and the first reading of bills at this time. All those in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
Stated Meeting 168 11/30/2023 opposed? (No response.)
The ayes have it. The motion carries. The Chair again recognizes Councilman Jones for a report from the Committee on Appropriations.
Thank you again, Mr. President. The Committee on Appropriations reports four bills with a favorable recommendation.
Thank you. Will the Chief Clerk please read the report.
The Committee on Appropriations, to which was referred Bill No. 230765, entitled "An ordinance amending Bill No. 230144, entitled 'An ordinance to adopt a Capital Program for the six Fiscal Years 2024 through 2029 inclusive,' by revising various appropriation amounts and totals to conform to amendments to the FY2024 Stated Meeting 169 11/30/2023 Ordinance"; and Bill No. 230766, entitled "An ordinance amending Bill No. 230145, entitled 'An ordinance to adopt a Fiscal 2024 Capital Budget,' by revising various appropriation amounts and totals"; and Bill No. 230767, entitled "An ordinance authorizing transfers in appropriations for Fiscal Year 2024 from the General Fund, certain or all City offices, departments, boards and commissions, the Grants Revenue Fund, certain or all City offices, departments, boards and commissions, to the General Fund, certain or all City offices, departments, boards and commissions"; and Bill No. 230768, entitled "An ordinance authorizing transfers in appropriations for Fiscal Year 2023 from the General Fund from certain or all City offices, departments, boards and commissions, the Water Fund, from certain or all City offices, departments, boards and commission, the Grants Revenue Fund, Stated Meeting 170 11/30/2023 all City offices, departments, boards and commissions, and the Aviation Fund, from certain or all City offices, departments, boards and commissions, to the General Fund, certain or all City offices, departments, boards and commissions," respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bills to Council with a favorable recommendation.
Thank you, Mr. Decker. The Chair again recognizes Councilman Jones.
Thank you again, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit first reading on this day of Bills No. 230765, 230766, 230767, and 230768. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It's been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading Stated Meeting 171 11/30/2023 Bills No. 230765, 230766, 230767, and 230768. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. These bills will be placed on our First Reading Calendar for today. I now note that the bills just reported from committee with a suspension of the rules have been deemed to have had a first reading. These bills will be placed on our Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar at our next session of Council. That completes our Calendar for today. Someone deleted the part about speeches, so we're going to skip over that. I don't know. Somebody must have taken the page out. The Chair recognizes Stated Meeting 172 11/30/2023 motion to adjourn.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, September 7th, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It has been moved and seconded that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, December 7, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. The motion carries. Thank you all very much. Job well done. ) Stated Meeting 174 11/30/2023 CERTIFICATE I HEREBY CERTIFY that the proceedings, evidence and objections are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me upon the foregoing matter, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. MICHELE L. m.