And Bill Number 050066, an ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development a deed located 1826 to 34 South 10th Street.
And Bill Number 050105, an ordinance approving a lease agreement between Philadelphia Gas Works by Stated - 4/7/05 Philadelphia Facilities Management Corporation and the Greater Germantown Housing Development Corporation for certain premises located 212 to 14 West Chelten Avenue.
And Bill Number 050106, an ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property, on behalf of the City of Philadelphia, to enter into a sublease agreement to lease from the Philadelphia Municipal Authority portions of the building located 701 Market Street.
And Bill Number 050132, an ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property, on behalf of the City of Philadelphia, to acquire by condemnation a certain underground easement through 3111 West Allegheny Avenue. The Chair agrees. That completes the first reading Stated - 4/7/05 calendar for today. The Chair now recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell for the purpose of calling up bills on the second reading and final passage calendar to be called for consideration.
Thank you, Madam President. Today Bill Numbers 050164, 050214 and 050065 are being called up for second reading and final passage. All other bills are being held.
The Chair thanks the Councilwoman. The Chief Clerk will please read the title of Bill Number 050164.
An ordinance approving the redevelopment proposal of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia for the redevelopment of the West Fairhill, East Tioga, Hunting Park Urban Renewal Area, being the area generally bounded by Wingohocking Street and Roosevelt Boulevard on the north, North 5th Street and Stated - 4/7/05 North 6th Street on the east, Lehigh Avenue on the south and Broad Street and Venango Street on the west.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is, shall the bill pass finally. The Chief Clerk will please call the roll. The Chief Clerk will please call the roll.
Aye. The ayes are 15. The nays are zero. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. The Chief clerk will please read the title of Bill Number 050214. Stated - 4/7/05
An ordinance constituting the Sixth Supplemental Ordinance to the Amended and Restated General Airport Revenue Bond Ordinance, and authorizing the Mayor, the City Controller, and the City Solicitor or a majority of them to issue airport revenue bonds of the City of Philadelphia in a maximum aggregate principal amount not to exceed $230 million.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I wish to speak on this bill prior to the vote. This particular bill involving our airport and a SWAP transaction and some additional new money for airport needs is the first bill that's come to us subsequent to the time that this Council has taken up the issue of contract reform. This is a financing transaction. A team has been assembled. I make no comment at all with regard to those professionals. My concern is with regard to the Stated - 4/7/05 process. Many members of this Council have raised issues about the contracting process. The 21st Century Review Forum has raised concerns about our contracting process. And given the nature of this transaction, the issues that have been raised here in this Council and in other places, I would only raise a concern that the administration has indicated that there is at the moment no interest in changing the process. There may not even be a need, from their perspective, to have any changes to the process. I feel somewhat differently about this particular issue. And while this transaction may or may not go forward, it involves primarily a SWAP that appears to be a fait accompli, executed already without this Council's prior approval because of technical issues in another bill. There is a bill still stuck in committee. This Council has raised concerns about the ability of the Finance Director, without Council approval, to engage in Stated - 4/7/05 subsequent SWAP transactions. That may be one of the reasons that bill is still stuck in committee. Having said all of that, I think the only way to give further indication to the commitment to try to change the contracting process is when bills of this type come to us, when they are on the calendar for a vote, if they make it through the committee process, that we express ourselves in voting against these particular measures, in an effort to change the process. The airport certainly has its needs. I don't know what will happen with this bill. I know what I'm going to do with my vote on this particular matter. But a very strong message needs to be sent, I think continuously from this Council, that the need to change is great. It is serious. It is important. And that the least we can do by our votes is to vote in the right fashion. So I'll be voting against this particular measure, for the reasons that I've Stated - 4/7/05 indicated. And I thank you, Madam President, for the time.
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilman O'Neill.
Yes, Madam Chair. I'd like to join in my colleague's comments. Just a few weeks ago the pay to play legislation failed, but it didn't fail for the reason that people were opposed to the bond fees being negotiated, being bid, being pushed down to their lowest possible number, as is being done in counties around Philadelphia and cities around this country, with millions of dollars in savings to the taxpayer. This City has to get on this track. And we don't have to wait for legislation to pass, if we insist that no issues, bond issues, come to us that haven't been bid and that haven't gotten the lowest cost factor. Stated - 4/7/05 So, I vote, one, to protest this practice; but, two, to ask others to join. And this bill could be reintroduced today, and we could be back here in a very short period of time to do it right. And if it passes over my protest and others, we do have other bills coming. And I think it's appropriate that we begin to take a stand on this. Thank you.
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilman Kelly.
Yes. Thank you, Madam President. I want to agree with Councilman O'Neill and Councilman Nutter. I would think I would be more comfortable with this bill and probably subsequent bills that we receive from this Council regarding bond issues had we had an ethics bill passed a few weeks ago. And I just think that somewhere Stated - 4/7/05 along the line we have a responsibility to make sure that all of these bills, such as the amount of these bills, is quite significant. And I think that what we would like to do is just hold up... at least bring more disclosure into these bills. So, therefore, I will be joining Councilman Nutter and Councilman O'Neill in voting no on this particular bill. Thank you.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke.
Thank you, Madam President. Madam President, as a Council member who voted not to move the prior contracts legislation because I was told that it was not ethics reform legislation, and in subsequent discussions with you and other members it's understood that we need to pass some sort of reform, as it relates to contracts, I would like to ask the sponsor to Stated - 4/7/05 hold this bill until we can get as best possible some information on this particular bill, some disclosure as it relates to the process associated with the selection. Obviously, we will not be in a position to pass an ordinance or have a Charter change to do that. But I think that it's appropriate, and I think that it's doable, for the administration to brief members or submit some information, as it related to both the process on this particular bill; additionally, the individuals or entities that are involved in this particular bond deal. So, I would like to ask the sponsor to hold the bill for the minimum of a week until we can get that pertinent information.
Thank you, Madam President. In lieu of the request, we are happy to do that. So, we will delay the bill at least for a week. Stated - 4/7/05
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, one, I appreciate the comments of many of my colleagues with regard to this piece of legislation. I would, in a somewhat unusual fashion, Madam Chair, I would like to put my vote at the moment on the record with regard to Bill 050214, such that whenever it would be called up, my vote would be no.
Very well. I was distracted. I didn't hear what the request was.
I was just Stated - 4/7/05 told that whenever the bill does come up for a vote, you will be voting no.
Yes, whenever that may occur, whether I'm in the chamber or not.
And they're the sentiments of Councilman O'Neill.
Madam President, they are my sentiments also. I would like to join Councilman Nutter and Councilman O'Neill in voting no on this bill.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman DiCicco. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Thank you, Madam President. I would join with my colleagues in requesting the no vote as well.
You could have just voted for it today. Stated - 4/7/05 The Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke.
Madam President, I just had a question about procedure. For future Council sessions, am I to understand that you can leave a vote in a Council session for some future -
But I think they're asking the record reflect that the next time it comes up for a vote they'll be voting no.
They certainly cannot be absent and have their vote as being recorded as a no.
Symbolic. Okay. All right. Any other comments or questions regarding this issue? (No response.) Stated - 4/7/05
I don't think I've ever said on a bill, if it comes up again I'm going to vote no, knowing that things could happen differently. But I don't see how this bill -
-- can be amended when the issue at hand is not in the bill. It's off. It's on another piece of paper. And that is, I assume that all these firms are qualified. I don't have a question about that. The administration has, I don't think, been lax at all in picking firms that are capable. There are many, many out there that are. It is a question of getting the lowest possible fee and joining a practice of Stated - 4/7/05 bidding these fees out and pushing these fees down on behalf of the taxpayers. And it is an area within the legislation that we've been dealing with, that I don't think there's been any difference on. I think the difference is with those that were opposed to Councilman Nutter's legislation and those that did not deal with this area. This is a clear area where I believe Council and the administration disagree. So, that's why I'm going to keep voting no. Thank you.
Thank you. Again, I will repeat. Bill Number 050214 will be held. The Chief Clerk will please read the title of Bill Number 050065.
An ordinance amending Chapter 9-300 of The Philadelphia Code entitled Communication, and amending Title 11 of The Philadelphia Code entitled Streets, and adding a new Chapter 11-700 to The Stated - 4/7/05 Philadelphia Code entitled, right of way management, all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is, shall the bill pass finally. The Chief Clerk will please call the roll. The Chief Clerk will please call the roll.
Aye. The ayes are 15. The nays are zero. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. The Chief Clerk will please read the title of Resolution Number 050183.
A resolution approving Stated - 4/7/05 the City of Philadelphia amended 9-1-1 plan, and authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property, on behalf of the City of Philadelphia, to submit the amended 9-1-1 plan to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency for review and approval, as required by the Pennsylvania Public Safety Emergency Telephone Act.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke.
Move the adoption. UNIDENTIFIED COUNCIL PERSON: Second.
It has been moved and properly seconded that Resolution Number 050183 be adopted. All in favor will indicate by saying aye. (Chorus of "ayes.")
The ayes have it, and Resolution Number 050183 has been adopted. That concludes our calendar for today. Are there speeches on the part of the minority? (No response.)
Are there speeches on the part of the majority? (No response.)
Seeing none, the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco for a motion to adjourn.
Madam President, I move Council stand adjourned until Thursday, April 14, 2005, at 10:00 a.m.
The ayes Stated - 4/7/05 have it. Council stands adjourned until Thursday, April 14th at 10:00 a.m. (Public hearing concluded at 11:11 a.m.) CERTIFICATE I HEREBY CERTIFY that the proceedings and evidence are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me upon the public hearing of The Philadelphia City Council, taken on April 7, 2005, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. _____________________________ DAVID A. DEIK, RPR and Commissioner of Deeds (The foregoing certification of this transcript does not apply to any reproduction of the same by any means, unless under the direct control and/or supervision of the certifying reporter.)