Well, we will say to you, we've had three hearings. We're having another hearing 189 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. on March 16th at 1:00. We had one scheduled on March 2nd and the Mayor asked that we delay that because there is some Cabinet retreat on that day, and we agreed to do that at his personal request. We do not support this housing reorganization. We have not been told what it is. We have never received one document, one sentence about it, any legitimate information. And we reiterate to the Administration that we will never support a plan that we have no 15 information about. And on the 16th, we will ask the same questions we ask every hearing, where's the plan, who authorized it, who put it together, what does it do, why, what about people who have jobs and on and on and on. So we will continue to make that issue clear. We will not support a housing agenda that expects us to go along with blindly. It's too irresponsible an approach for us and the 190 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. legislative branch to take. So certainly we know that you don't control that, but we want to make our position clear to every department. We will not support any plan that doesn't include Council in any way, and, frankly, we resent being continually told that there's housing reorganization all around and nobody will tell us who it is, what it is and why it is, only to tell us now to go around the offices saying that there is a plan to create a new OHNP, Office of Housing and Neighborhood Preservation, for whatever reason, and if that is true and if Mr. Hanna is to head it, he's not even here today and he isn't here most times, and we resent the implication that we're supposed to agree to some new process with no input. And where we have experienced people who already head our housing departments, we have a positive relationship, we know they know what they're doing, and to create a whole new operation effective 191 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. '07, which is the last year of the Mayor's administration and effective the year we run for reelection, just doesn't make sense. If it is so great for the City, then why won't somebody show it to us, tell us about it, spread the good news, as they say in the church. When it's good, you spread the good news. And certainly we will continue to speak out against it. We will continue to say we won't support a housing agenda. We will continue to fight about it, and certainly we want to make that clear for this record, and every time we get the chance, we will reiterate our same concerns and our same fears about what housing reorganization is. Councilman Clarke.
Good 192 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. afternoon. One quick follow-up on the housing reorganization. Understanding the need to streamline government in all aspects of categories of government, I do support some of the recommendations where we eliminate duplication of services, but my question centers around how much of this has to do with the contracts/compensation/pension programs of the various agencies as opposed to streamlining government. Say, for instance, if somehow the Redevelopment Authority contracts as it relates to all of the aforementioned issues were to be brought in line with OHCD -- and I'm assuming PHDC is comparable to OHCD -- would you then have the need to continue on this program of reorganization? Because what we're talking about now, based on what I understand -- I don't know everything, but I've heard various issues as it relates to the potential relocation. We're essentially 193 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. talking about moving employees around, and it kind of seems like the focus is on shifting most people over to some of the OHCD programs, that the OHCD would essentially have a certain level of contracts that are consistent with the City contracts, and I guess I'm saying, if the contracts as it relates to the Redevelopment Authority with its employees were the same as OHCD, therefore, the same as the City contracts, municipal contracts, would there still be a need to move those people around? MS. McCOLLOCH: Well, the goal of a housing reorganization would be to ensure effective delivery of program services, and the Mayor's plan, my understanding, is designed to do that, but the plan --
How would it do that beyond what it's currently doing? I'm saying if you're talking about -- and I don't want to grill you, 194 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. but if you're talking about moving individuals who are currently responsible for one thing in the Redevelopment Authority -- and I know you can't acknowledge that that's what in fact being proposed -- and putting them in another department, those same people are going to do the same level of services, and I don't understand why we would do that beyond this whole compensation issue as it relates to their union contracts. MS. McCOLLOCH: Well, part of it is to streamline what is called the back-office activities so that you could reduce costs through consolidating some activities, such as procurement and office services and that sort of thing. But I have to say, I have not been part of the team that has worked on the proposed housing reorganization, so I really can't speak to the details of it.
Okay. So it wouldn't be fair for me to continue this line of discussion. Okay. Let me 195 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. go to another issue. Housing Trust Fund. Who administers that program? MS. McCOLLOCH: The Housing Trust Fund, the funds are collected and held in an account, and there is an Oversight Board appointed by the Mayor that allocates how those funds will be spent. A proposed plan was included in the Consolidated Plan that we're operating under right now, and then the Oversight Board allocates by program how those funds will be spent, and then the actual expenditure of those funds goes through OHCD.
Is there any staff associated with the Oversight Board? MS. McCOLLOCH: Staff of the Oversight Board? No. The Oversight Board, as created under the Mayor's Executive Order, is composed of four City representatives, which by the Executive Order are the Secretary of Housing, that 196 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. would be Kevin Hanna; Director of Housing, that's me; Director of the Redevelopment Authority, that's Herb Wetzel; and the Chair of the Council Subcommittee on Homelessness and Neighborhoods, and that's Mrs. Blackwell. And then there are four neighborhood representatives that were appointed by the Mayor.
But there's no staff or would the assumption be that the City-appointed individuals -- MS. McCOLLOCH: Would serve as the staff.
-- would serve as staff? MS. McCOLLOCH: In terms of having to convene meetings and keep minutes or what-have-you, that would be a staff function that I or one of my colleagues would carry out.
So the recommendations of that Board is based on what? 197 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. MS. McCOLLOCH: Well, the Consolidated Plan that was passed by this Council last spring that we're operating under now has an allocation of funds based on the work that the Housing Trust Fund, I'll call it, Committee, for lack of a better term, put together last spring, and then when the Oversight Board meets, it will reaffirm those budget categories or could make changes to those budget categories.
I'm sorry. Reaffirm those what? MS. McCOLLOCH: Those budget categories that were part of the Consolidated Plan that was passed last spring. And then if there are revisions to that, we would amend the Consolidated Plan in the manner that we amend the Con Plan now, through public notice and so forth.
Will the deliberation on determining those expenditures to any degree be comparable 198 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. to the current OHCD process that has public forums where I think you guys have leading up to the finalization of the CDBG document? You have these public forums where people come in and testify as to the needs, in their estimation, for communities and projects and neighborhood preservation and the like. MS. McCOLLOCH: Yes.
Is there going to be a similar -- MS. McCOLLOCH: Well, last year as part of the Con Plan we had a budget established for the Housing Trust Fund. So that activity occurred as part of last year's Con Plan. And now as we move forward with this year's Con Plan, we will also have that same, if you will, preliminary budget allocation of the Housing Trust Fund. The Oversight Board has not yet met to put forth its preliminary recommendations for the year going forward. 199 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC.
Last year was essentially the formulation of the Trust Fund. So that was a little different. I guess as we move ahead, I guess my question is, what type of public process will be in place so that this Oversight Board can receive or solicit ideas and recommendations from the general public as it relates to -- MS. McCOLLOCH: The assumption is --
-- how this money should be spent? MS. McCOLLOCH: I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt you. The assumption was, it would be part of the Con Plan process. So those public hearings that we have surrounding the Con Plan could also take testimony on the Housing Trust Fund.
Is that what's going to happen or is that your recommendation? MS. McCOLLOCH: Yes. 200 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC.
In terms of the authorization of the Consolidated Plan, the Housing Trust Fund recommendations will be a part of that? MS. McCOLLOCH: Yes. So the budget that gets presented to this Council, we expect to transmit something to this Council the first week of April, and then you all schedule a hearing subsequent to that. So the proposal for the Trust Fund will be part of that budget that gets transmitted to City Council as part of the proposed Consolidated Plan.
So the Trust Fund will essentially, the way I'm envisioning it based on your testimony, it will essentially be supplementing both in terms of dollars and in terms of process the existing plan? MS. McCOLLOCH: Yes.
The existing process. So there's not a separate process out there where people 201 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. can access the Housing Trust Fund dollars solely? MS. McCOLLOCH: To access the Housing Trust Fund dollars or to make recommendations on the budget? I just want to understand the question.
Say there's some non-profit who wants to build affordable housing and they're like $500,000 short and they're not a part of the OHCD, quote/unquote, process and they need to access $500,000 of Trust Fund dollars to do this development and they're not in the current Consolidated Plan because they had not applied for any Block Grant dollars or any other City dollars. How can they participate? MS. McCOLLOCH: Well, the budget that gets presented to this Council will simply give an amount. In the example that you gave, if there's an organization that is looking for some funding to support a rehabilitation project, the budget will simply say 202 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. "neighborhood-based housing production" as a category and it will list a number that the Trust Fund Oversight Board is recommending be allocated to that budget category. It will not say -- let's, for sake of argument, say that that number was $2 million. It will not say, the Housing Trust Fund has $2 million in it and $500,000 is going to ABC Corporation and $500,000 is going to this development or that development. It will simply list the budget that's being allocated for that category.
So that ABC development corporation has to go to essentially OHCD to access that money; there's no external process that allows you to go directly to the Housing Trust Fund? MS. McCOLLOCH: Right. There's the possibility that we would be putting out a request for proposals, if the Housing Trust Fund Oversight Board wants to do that. That would be an option. 203 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC.
But that would go through OHCD? MS. McCOLLOCH: Correct.
And the contract would be with whom, or is that based on the reorganization how that ultimately will play out? MS. McCOLLOCH: The contract if ABC development corporation was going to get --
Or any development corporation. MS. McCOLLOCH: Yes; was going to get Housing Trust Fund monies?
Yes. Will that then be -- I mean, under the existing scenario, would that contract be with the Redevelopment Authority? MS. McCOLLOCH: Yes. Under the current structure, it would be through the Redevelopment Authority.
Okay. All right. I just wanted to get a little clarity on the Housing Trust Fund. 204 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. By the way, do you know how much we anticipate collecting this fiscal year? MS. McCOLLOCH: The current fiscal year, as of the end of January, we had collected almost $6 million. So we're hoping by the end of this fiscal year, we'll be at -- whatever the math would be. Ten. The expectation of the budget was that we would collect $10 million, if you will, of new funds, plus NTI funds were added at the beginning of the year to the Trust Fund of 1.5 million. So we put in our current year's Consolidated Plan 11.5 million for the Trust Fund, and we expect to hit that target.
Okay. One last line of questioning. Currently, does any of the housing agencies receive General Fund dollars? MS. McCOLLOCH: OHCD receives a small amount of General Funds dollars. OHCD receives approximately 1.4 million 205 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. in General Fund, a million dollars for greening activities and vacant land management and $400,000 in supporting Shelter Plus Care funds. So of our overall budget, the General Fund is a small amount, but, yes, we do get some General Fund money.
And that 1.4 figure is for administrative? MS. McCOLLOCH: No. It's for programs.
For programs? MS. McCOLLOCH: The $1 million is the greening program and the $400,000 --
So that's the total? MS. McCOLLOCH: Yes. The $400,000 is -- I'm sorry. I want to make sure I give you the correct answer. The 1.4 million, million is program dollars for greening, 400,000 is staff costs connected to Shelter Plus Care. 206 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC.
All right. So we already have a process that allows OHCD to receive General Fund dollars. Has there been any thought given to providing additional General Fund dollars to OHCD for housing production, given the consistent level of decline on our federal contributions? MS. McCOLLOCH: There's not any suggestion in this operating budget.
I'm sorry? MS. McCOLLOCH: In this operating budget, there is not a suggestion of additional General Fund dollars as it's presented today.
I asked has any thought been given. I mean, the reason I ask you this question, I'm extremely concerned that given the likelihood that the reduction in Block Grant dollars will continue, at a minimum, at least through this Administration, through the Bush Administration, and the level of decline 207 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. might increase -- and most Councilmembers don't have any more NTI dollars. I know some Councilmembers still have some dollars stashed, but I'm on zero. Councilwoman Blackwell, I don't know where you are, but I'm on zero.
So given that fact -- and I believe that the need for affordable housing will continue because of the direction of some of our social programs are increasingly creating a permanent underclass, unfortunately. At some point, don't you think that it might be prudent for us to think about putting General Fund dollars into OHCD for housing production purposes? I mean, like this year, as an example, although that 142 or 160 million -- I don't know where we are. The numbers keep moving. I understand that pie is pretty much already sliced up, but in this particular year, we 208 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. received, what, about a $4, $5 million cut from -- MS. McCOLLOCH: $6 million cut in CDBG funds.
So we will obviously not be able to produce as many units as last year, and I'm wondering if at some point we don't make the decision that we set a number and say this is what we need every year for housing production and then we may have to start supplementing, assuming we have some levels of surplus, supplementing our housing budget so we can continue to do affordable housing. Because given what we have now, we have no more NTI dollars. The budget is being slashed on a daily basis, and three, four years out, if this continues, we won't be able to build any more affordable housing. MS. McCOLLOCH: Well, that's why we have the Housing Trust Fund.
But you can't expect that the Housing Trust 209 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. Fund -- I mean, if anything, I believe that number is going to decline, because I can't believe that the level of transfer fees and deed recordings are going to continue at the level that it is. I mean, at some point, the housing boom is going to, at a minimum, plateau and probably drop somewhat. So I don't foresee an increase in revenue associated with that. I mean, I'm just throwing it out there. At some point, there should be some thought that we may have to supplement some of our opportunities with General Fund dollars. Do you agree or not agree? I know you won't make that final decision. MS. McCOLLOCH: Right. I'm not in a position to allocate General Fund dollars, but --
I understand. That's our job. But I'm asking you as a 20-plus-year veteran of government. We all grew up together in 210 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. government, and I'm concerned about our ability to continue to do affordable housing. MS. McCOLLOCH: I share that concern. I share that concern.
So you think it might be prudent to look at the possibilities of doing that? MS. McCOLLOCH: I think General Fund dollars are certainly eligible to be spent on affordable housing activities and...
It's okay. It's okay, Deb. You can say it. MS. McCOLLOCH: I'm not the one that allocates General Fund.
I understand that, but I'm just asking in your opinion. I mean, in all due respect to a lot of people in government, as it relates to housing, some of the folks that we've grown up with, I mean, Call Deborah, she'll know. So I guess I'm asking you in your capacity as a person 211 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. that's been involved in this for a long time, do you think that might make some sense, understanding that you're not committed? MS. McCOLLOCH: I think it would make some sense, yes.
Thank you. Thank you, Ms. McColloch. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll continue with the line of questioning of Councilman Clarke, and I understand some of your reluctance to answer that question. My original question is geared towards Housing Trust Fund and why the funds would be funneled through OHCD. MS. McCOLLOCH: Why the funds would be funneled through OHCD?
Yes. My 212 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. understanding is, the Housing Trust Fund Committee will set priorities, may issue RFPs, but you made a statement that the funds might generally be funneled through OHCD. MS. McCOLLOCH: I meant in terms of in the City where they rest and how contracts would be let and so forth that go through OHCD.
That is actually my concern in the form of a question and I guess statement. Housing Trust funds have no CDBG allocation; is that correct? MS. McCOLLOCH: I'm sorry. Housing Trust?
There's no 19 CDBG money in the Housing Trust Fund? MS. McCOLLOCH: I'm sorry. No. 21 There is no CDBG funding in the Housing Trust Fund.
But by having Housing Trust funds administered by people paid by CDBG funds, does that 213 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. not then put those funds subject to CDBG requirements? MS. McCOLLOCH: In terms of how they get expended? No. It's a separate -- it is a --
I'm not sure that's correct. To the extent that there are CDBG personnel working -- MS. McCOLLOCH: Staff associated with it.
-- administering funds, does it or does it not possibly make them subject to CDBG requirements? MS. McCOLLOCH: Yes, it could.
Which is, I think, also the answer to Councilman Clarke's question about why we just can't necessarily put General Fund dollars in OHCD. MS. McCOLLOCH: The Housing Trust Fund as established includes a budget for administration. So the administration of the Housing Trust Fund 214 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. funds gets paid for with Housing Trust Fund funds.
So dollars are claimed, but General Fund dollars might not necessarily be claimed unless you put administrative dollars to administer it administratively? MS. McCOLLOCH: Yes. Yes.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I just wanted to go back. I heard the tail end of an answer and I wanted to make sure that I understood correctly with regard to the Housing Trust Fund, and you may have been responding to Councilman Clarke. Again, I don't recall what the question was, but I heard the tail end of an answer. 215 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. The Housing Trust Fund dollars, first, how much money are we talking about now? MS. McCOLLOCH: The current amount budgeted is 11.5 million. That's in the current fiscal year, which is --
What are you anticipating for FY07? MS. McCOLLOCH: million. 13
What's the 14 source of the funds? MS. McCOLLOCH: In the current year, it's 1.5 million of NTI funds and $10 million of Housing Trust funds generated through sales and recording deeds and so forth.
This is all of those we increased a bunch of fees? MS. McCOLLOCH: Yes. So that for each transaction --
So technically General Fund dollars. These 216 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. are dollars that would go to the General Fund, right? MS. McCOLLOCH: Yes. Yes.
So they're General Fund dollars. And so how does it then go to 14? MS. McCOLLOCH: Our expectation is because of the increase in the number of sales and deed recordings, that it will earn more next year.
What's the breakout on the 14? MS. McCOLLOCH: It's all generated by sales and real estate transactions.
So it's all General Fund dollars? MS. McCOLLOCH: Correct.
And on the expenditure side, how much of the 11.5 million in the FY06 budget has been spent? MS. McCOLLOCH: None has been 217 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. spent as of today.
Any particular reason? MS. McCOLLOCH: Because the Oversight Board was just appointed by the Mayor recently and the Oversight Board has not yet met.
And so to some extent, by the time all that happens, you'll basically have $25 million in the Housing Trust Fund? MS. McCOLLOCH: I would expect some would be spent between now and the end of the current fiscal year, but not the total amount.
And so the tail end of what I thought I heard was now the Oversight Board decides how the dollars get spent? MS. McCOLLOCH: The Oversight Board will make a recommendation that will be a part of the Consolidated Plan budget that comes before this Council.
So will 218 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. there be a listing of proposed expenditures from the Housing Trust Fund -- MS. McCOLLOCH: Yes.
-- in the -- MS. McCOLLOCH: In the Con Plan budget, there will be a column -- as there was last year, there will be one this coming year -- that will say at the top HTF, Housing Trust Fund, and then it will list in each budget category a proposed budget for that category, such as neighborhood-based rental production, new construction, homeownership, what-have-you, whatever those categories are.
And so the Housing Trust Fund Oversight Board makes a recommendation for how those -- and, of course, if the Consolidated Plan is approved, that's how it gets done? MS. McCOLLOCH: Correct.
Okay. And 219 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. so is there a role for, I guess, non-Housing Trust Fund Oversight Board members like City Council to participate in that process? MS. McCOLLOCH: It will be part of the Con Plan hearing that is presented to Council. So insofar as --
All right. Great. When does the preliminary plan come out? MS. McCOLLOCH: The preliminary plan will be released this week. It will be released on Thursday. And then we have a hearing on the preliminary plan scheduled for March 16th, and then we expect to transmit the proposed Consolidated Plan to Council. We had made an agreement with you, as a matter of fact, to transmit it by April 1st. April 1st this year is on a Saturday, so 220 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. I would expect to transmit it during the following week.
Okay. I think a lot of us will probably be here that day. MS. McCOLLOCH: On Saturday, April 1st?
April fool. Okay. I look forward to that. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Councilman. Are there any other questions for Housing and Community Development? (No response.)
Thank you. MR. McPHERSON: The next department is the Managing Director's Office.
Good afternoon. Welcome, Mr. Managing Director. Please identify yourself for 221 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. the record and begin your testimony. Thank you.
Good afternoon. My name is Pedro Ramos. I'm the Managing Director. Thank you for this opportunity to provide testimony regarding the Fiscal Year 2007 operating budget for the Office of the Managing Director. The total proposed budget is $17,183,132, of which $12,753,638 is in the General Fund and $4,429,494 is in the Grants Fund. 2 percent, from the Fiscal 2006 Grants Fund. The decrease in Grants Funds is a result of a change in the way that the federal government distributes homeland security funds. In the past, the federal government provided grants for emergency preparedness directly to municipalities. Now, the emergency preparedness funds are 222 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. distributed through states. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania receives the funds and, in turn, purchases equipment for the region of which Philadelphia is a part. The proposed budget of each division within the Office of the Managing Director is listed in the appendix that has been submitted with this testimony. The mission of the Managing Director's Office is to ensure that City services and programs are delivered effectively and efficiently. MDO has traditionally accomplished this by providing oversight, support and assistance to the operating departments that it directly supervises. In the last few years, the Managing Director's Office has broadened its mission to assume responsibility for organizing, coordinating and supervising major interdepartmental programs and special events. We accomplish our mission by prioritizing and communicating 223 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. key administrative initiatives by monitoring and analyzing the departments' performances and progress and by serving as a catalyst to encourage cooperation and collaboration among City departments. Preparing for and coordinating the City's response to emergencies is a key MDO responsibility. The London transit bombings, Hurricane Katrina and Rita, and reports of an impending pandemic flu all highlight the importance of local government's role in preparing for and responding to a myriad of emergencies. In September 2005, Mayor John Street announced the formation of the Emergency Preparedness Review Committee to evaluate the City's existing emergency medical evacuation and business continuity plans, including conducting a thorough analysis of the potential catastrophic threats that the City faces, and recommending measures to deter as well as respond to those threats. 224 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. To ensure that the review is thorough, EPRC has a mix of City employees, including representatives from our lead emergency response agencies, the MDO Office of Emergency Management, Police, Fire, Health Department, and representatives from the public and private sectors, such as PEMA, FEMA, the Red Cross and area hospitals. City Council leadership selected two private citizens to serve of the committee. I co-chair the committee, along with Dr. Harvey Rubin, Director of the University of Pennsylvania's Institute for Strategic Threat Analysis and Response, ISTAR. In addition, a consulting firm with expertise in the field of emergency management and disaster preparedness supports the committee's work. EPRC's various subcommittees will examine continuity of government, emergency response, critical infrastructure, public communication and vulnerable special needs populations. 225 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. The EPRC expects to complete its report by the end of June. With about one month lead-time, the City was presented with the opportunity to add the international Live concert to its already jam-packed 8 Welcome America schedule. I am proud to report that the Managing Director's Office, virtually every City agency and others throughout City government, including this Council, came together to devise and execute a plan that provided for the comfort, health and safety of the nearly 1 million concert-goers and our citizens as well.
" We orchestrated remote parking and shuttles to move people to both the Live 8 concert on the Parkway and the Welcome America concert on Penns Landing. We hosted events at the libraries to raise awareness about problems in Africa. And thanks to our Streets Department, we left 226 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. no sign of the event the morning after. On Friday, September 2, 2005, Mayor John F. Street asked the City to prepare for the arrival of 1,000 families displaced by Hurricane Katrina. m. that same day, the City had identified a facility and developed a service plan. On Sunday, the facility was ready to welcome guests from the Gulf Coast. The initiative, which was known as Project Brotherly Love, served more than 1,400 individuals through the efforts of 27 on-site agencies and 600 volunteers. Participating agencies believe Project Brotherly Love to be a model for other relief efforts. Last fall, after over a year of failed labor contract negotiations, there was a public transit strike. The strike could have gridlocked the City and prevented thousands of City employees from getting to work and providing critical City services. Fortunately, under the leadership of the staff of the 227 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. MDO and our office, the City had planned for a strike. The plans included providing transportation information and assistance to municipal employees in the form of shuttles from remote parking sites, ride-sharing in private and City vehicles, and flexible work hours. The City also worked with the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia to encourage bicycle ridership and with the Philadelphia Parking Authority to provide for additional on-street parking. As a result of our preparation, we did not see an increase in employee absenteeism, nor was there a decrease in the service we provided to citizens during the week-long strike. MDO plays a critical role in implementing and supporting public safety initiatives, such as Operation Safer Streets, the violence prevention and reduction program the Mayor announced earlier this month. Operation Safer Streets has four main components: 228 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. Focused policing, engaged communities involved in crime prevention, coordinated delivery of social services, and the reduction of the availability of handguns. MDO supports each of the components by evaluating data and intelligence with the Police Department, facilitating community engagement efforts through the agencies such as Town Watch Integrated Services, working on legislative efforts to promote stronger gun laws and working with the City's social service agencies to develop coordinated programs. The Adolescent Violence Reduction Partnership is an example of one such coordinated program. AVRP takes some of the best elements of the YVRP model, discussed below, and incorporates them into a new initiative to intervene with higher risk young people. In addition, this year, using Grant funds, MDO institutionalized the coordination of the Youth Violence 229 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. Reduction Partnership in the Office of the Managing Director. YVRP is a multi-agency cooperative initiative to reduce youth homicides in the City of Philadelphia. The core feature of YVRP is the voluntary cooperation and collaboration of many partners, including law enforcement, youth-serving governmental agencies, and a number of private agencies. The coordinated efforts of these agencies provide intensive support, supervision and services to youth in the YVRP police districts, the 12th, 19th, 24th, 25th and our planned expansion to the 22nd, who are identified as most at risk of killing or being killed. Since the Mayor signed legislation changing the City's process for procuring non-competitively bid services, the Managing Director's Office has led the effort to operationalize the myriad of aspects of the new requirements across all City departments.
On February 230 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. 1, 2006, we successfully launched eContract Philly, a new website that provides information on the new requirements, up-to-date postings of contract opportunities, contract awards, contract renewals, amendments and online applications for contract opportunities. The information available on the external website is powered by enhancements to the City's internal contracting application, which was modified to guarantee compliance with the procedural requirements. Over 200 City staff attended general information sessions and specialized training on the system changes required by the launch of eContract Philly. In late January 2006, brochures were mailed to over 5,000 existing contractors to introduce eContract Philly and our new website. In March, information sessions will be held for all interested vendors. We will continue to manage the implementation of 231 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. the new process, while modifying the application as we learn what does and doesn't work for staff, vendors and the public. The recent drastic increase of energy prices has required the City to find ways to limit the impact of these costs on the budget. Through the Municipal Energy Office, the City is seeking to reduce its utility bills by operating facilities more efficiently, purchasing energy at reduced prices and investing in energy-efficient equipment and improved building design. 1 million. 18 million in Fiscal '05. And a new energy-efficient chiller plant was installed at the One Parkway Building, saving $240,000 in 2005. The Managing Director's Office continues its support of the Neighborhood 232 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. Transformation Initiative programs that improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods through management of the NTI targeted demolition program, aggressive anti-graffiti efforts, code enforcement quality of life improvement programs, and scheduled vacant lot maintenance. Thank you, Chairwoman Blackwell, for this opportunity to present testimony. I'm happy to answer any questions you or other Councilmembers may have.
Thank you very much. I only want to raise two issues, and one is, we look forward to meeting with you -- I've said this to Rob Hess, and I repeat that we are happy to meet with you with regard to the safety initiative and how people enter the northeast corner of City Hall, especially those who are in need. I know we have to make arrangements for the juries coming 233 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. in for court activity, but we also look forward to working with you on how we deal with people who may have mental illness issues, who are homeless who don't have ID and who may not have the wherewithal to understand what we do and how we do it. So we certainly look forward. We'd just like to keep that in your mind so we don't have a problem somewhere along the way.
Yes, ma'am. Not only will we brief, but I'd like to assure you that one of the things that I've asked for that we do and is happening is, we want to -- the physical improvements to the security have all been underway for some time, as you know. There was a lot of information reported in the media about how that would impact operations and just the accessibility of City Hall, and I have asked a group of people from various departments to revisit our plans to make sure that we're 234 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. not putting up any unneeded or artificial obstacles to access to City Hall and that we do it -- whatever operations plan we end up with, that it's one that's flexible to different circumstances. There may be a different operations plan if there's a heightened level of concern for security compared to a day when there is a low level, when there aren't any concerns. One of the things that physically was already taken into account in the City Hall planning was, if you think about the Municipal Services Building that has a turnstyle, you'd look closely on the northeast corner, that's not the type of system we'll have there. It will actually be arms that retract in and out so that they are capable of just staying in an "in" position where they're folded into the sides without the turnstyle. So it gives us a lot of flexibility, and we are looking at what the right protocols would be. We don't 235 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. want to be any more invasive than is reasonable.
Absolutely. Thank you. Because certainly without the right system, it could hold up so many people and we could have more problems than we need, because so many of the people we try to serve on a daily basis don't have ID and, in fact, come to us for ID and have many other issues. My other question is, could you give us an overview of the strategic marketing initiative, how much the City has spent on it and what legislation, if any, we may be required to deal with in Fiscal '07?
That's an initiative that's been led out of the Chief of Staff's office by -- the point on that has been Sean McNeeley and Joyce Wilkerson's office. We'd be happy to pass on -- he's probably the best person to brief on the overall initiative. 236 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. I can tell you that there's been good work with the operating departments in making sure that this isn't something just plopped down onto the departments or forced on the departments. There's been very good discussion about how we do this to benefit the entire City and the component departments. But Sean is probably the better person to brief you on it.
All right. And in conjunction with that, would you also ask them to let us know when in Fiscal '07 that you expect to begin receiving revenues, so maybe they can give us a full report on that?
Good afternoon, Councilman. 237 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC.
-- Mr. Managing Director. Just a couple items. Some are a follow-up. I know recently the Mayor made an announcement with regard to commercial corridors and curbs and sidewalks, and you and I have had -- or at least I've corresponded with you regarding that same issue, some old requests and more recent requests, but I've not received a response. Is there a definitive --
Well, Councilman, you brought to my attention by letter in the last -- (Cell phone ringing.)
That's a part of my new theme song. Whenever I ask a question --
I thought that was 238 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. an angel getting their wings. You did submit to my office two substantial packets, including past requests to which there had been no 6 reply, and I think that followed on the heels of another request that you had had and never received a reply. I think you got a written reply to the first and I've promised a written reply to the other two. And I don't have those with me today, but I do promise to -- and I think you dealt with me enough over the years to know that you may not like the answer, but I'll get you the answer. So I will correspond back to you with a researched answer.
Well, you are certainly right about that. In both of your government capacities, I've often not liked the answer, but you did get me an answer as both City Solicitor and now as Managing Director, but it's not your responsibility to keep me happy. But I do appreciate getting the response. 239 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. In light of the larger proposal about streetscape and curb and sidewalk revitalization, and I know that's for commercial corridors, is there any adjustment, softening, change possibly in position with regard to those same issues as they affect residential neighborhoods?
You're asking whether the proposed bond issue is accompanied by any new thinking and policy with respect to sidewalks and alleys?
Yes. I mean, separate and apart from the bond issue, just the issue in general. I mean, we continue to get these requests. I know you'll get me an answer. I'm not exactly sure what the answer will be at the moment, but if the bond issue has brought about possibly a new public policy in this particular area, my only question is, might it possibly extend to residential use as well?
I don't think 240 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. that -- well, the commercial corridors initiative that you're referring to will be driven by Eva Gladstein in the Mayor's Office. She and I have had a lot of informal discussions about how we can help implement. Our office would have a lot of the role in implementing of policy and operationalizing of policy. As far as any discussions that I've been a part of, I haven't been a part of any discussions in connection with this bond deal that take up this issue, but I'm not -- I don't think that that means that we've made any conscious policy choice either way. I think we just haven't talked about it yet.
Okay. And, again, just so we're clear, I'm not necessarily even suggesting that the bond proceeds might be used for solving a very serious residential problem.
Well, I'll 241 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. be glad to talk about the initiative when we get to that part of the process, but as you well know, we've accessed some dollars to help residents, for instance, with regard to retaining walls, very dangerous, very serious situations, and, of course, those were not proceeds from the proposed bond issue. I think mostly they've been NTI funds. Obviously NTI funds are running out, but nonetheless, we adjusted our policy to address a very serious situation that has been a serious situation for a long period of time. But the Administration did make an adjustment in policy with regard to that public infrastructure, and so this has been a part of an ongoing discussion for, at least with me, for about the last 15 years. So I'm going to continue to revisit that particular topic.
I guess I'll just kind of insert a footnote in there, at the risk of not getting to a major operation that we have on South Street 242 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. tonight --
-- but the reference to those as public infrastructure I think has sort of been at the hub of a lot of the policy debate about it, to the extent that what we're talking about in all instances are private properties.
I understand. So you're going to get me a response on the curb and sidewalk?
With no 18 particular locations at the moment in mind but just a general observation as you travel around the City, you get to many more places than I do, but it would appear that there may be, in some limited areas but growing, a possible return of a certain amount of graffiti in different parts of the City, as well as a general 243 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. lack of cleanliness, also known as litter. There was a great amount of discussion a bunch of years ago. There was a program. The acronym was CLIP. I can't remember what the L stood for, but I know it was --
Which operated, I think, officially in at least two districts. I know that the Chair had worked with the Administration to put something together, which may have been formal, informal, but was a West Philadelphia version of that program, primarily in the Third District. There was, I believe, a commitment made by your predecessor -- I know it's a term of art that you rather 244 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. enjoy -- that the CLIP program would expand City-wide. It never really happened. Has there been any further discussion given all of these other discussions about that program, how well it worked, what the measurements were, benchmarks, was it good, was it bad, did it do what we wanted it to do, and how we're going to deal with what appears to be a rise in graffiti and litter and general lack of regard for the many provisions of The Philadelphia Code?
Let me start with what you described as a commitment of my predecessor, which I'm not familiar with. I am familiar with the transcript of last year's hearings where the former Managing Director, I thought, and I may be recollecting incorrectly, but I believe where the Managing Director said at that point -- and it was involved in a pretty extensive exchange -- about the announced intention not to expand CLIP. I don't 245 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. think that that issue has been revisited since that exchange. With respect to observations --
Right, but at least it's the reversal that that discussion happened. I didn't know there was a perceived commitment. I only read one transcript, not two.
I understand. That's the great thing about positions, they can always be reversed.
As far as observations -- and I do get around all over the place often, maybe too often, at night instead of during the daytime, and I can't say --
I think you 246 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. generally know, because if it's a big enough fire, I would probably wake you up to tell you that. I haven't noticed a material change. I'll go back -- and I hadn't heard that concern in particular. I'll certainly take note of it and be alert for it. I had, as you know and other Councilmembers, I had a very strong immediate reaction to a graffiti marketing campaign launched by Sony PlayStation, which we, I think, may have been the City to squash that campaign the quickest, because we sort of launched everything we had at them.
And it's reflective, I think, of an attitude that continues in the Managing Director's Office and certainly the standards set by Clarena Tolson in the Streets Department. We're both somewhat obsessive compulsive 247 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. about things and --
I don't really want to get into a psychology situation.
Council is not shy about giving me locations, and I'd be happy also to take some locations of sites that are a particular concern and make sure that we're following up on them.
We kind of named and created the West Philadelphia Improvement Program, WIP, because we heard about the Community 248 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. Living Engagement Program, CLIP. However, much to my district's dismay, they think we have all of this whole City, and we don't. It's three-quarters or more volunteerism. We use Town Watch, committeemen, block captains, the drug groups, the whole cast of characters to try to create a program, and we use a lot of volunteers. And on Saturdays, we go out and do hamburgers and hot dogs and we give ourselves or beg, and it's more of that kind of a program than it really is a big City program. So I hope people from my district are not listening.
You've promoted it well, though. I give you credit for that.
I always say, Councilperson, that any district that has anything, my district will have it. So we try to come up with 249 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. it, whether it may not be to --
Two last items, and thank you for the extended time, Madam Chair.
Councilman Clarke is next, and after Councilman Clarke, Councilman Rizzo. Councilman Nutter, we're happy to give you additional time as long as your colleagues don't complain. However, when they complain, then we have to go by the rules.
I understand. I've been trying to get rid of that clock for a while, but they won't let me near it. The press release came out yesterday indicating Licenses and 250 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. Inspections Boards Administration announces new hours of operation. Are you familiar with that one? It seems to indicate that beginning March 1st, the Department of Licenses and Inspections Boards Administration Unit will change hours of operation. The new hours are 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Requests for files, copies, as well as phone inquiries will also be handled during this time. Is that a cut in hours?
I'm not familiar with it, Councilman. I'm getting Commissioner Bob Solvibile.
Okay. Lastly, I want to commend you and I think I've recognized Ms. Kretsge before, but I think the entire Administration has done a tremendous job dealing with the eContracts issue from last year into this year, setting up the website, making sure that information is available, the trainings that you're planning to do. It was, I think, very important work that 251 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. this Council spent a lot of time working on, but it only gets done if there's cooperation from the Administration. We get to have a lot of ideas. Some are good, some are bad and some are somewhere in between, but you have the responsibility, of course, for implementation, and it was a massive undertaking and I think deserves a lot of praise and credit to get it up and running in a relatively short period of time. So I wanted to thank you for that and all the people who worked on that initiative.
Well, I want to thank you very much, Councilman, for that recognition, and if you would indulge me, Susan Kretsge is -- we won't call her up. We won't punish her by calling her up, but if Susan could stand up for a minute, because some people may not know Susan.
At the risk 252 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. of further embarrassing her, that was not like a legitimate stand-up, but you've been recognized in the past. I've never seen anyone stand and sit so quickly, but it's fine.
It's part of her effectiveness in this project. She gets things done quickly.
The Commissioner was out of the room, if you could repeat the question, Councilman.
Sure. Commissioner, I'm sorry. A press release apparently came in yesterday from the City rep's office. The title is Licenses and Inspections Boards Administration announces new hours of operation. Apparently, tomorrow the 253 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. unit is going to an 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. It's a change of hours for, I guess, access by the public. What were the hours? COMMISSIONER SOLVIBILE: The hours were from 9:00 to 4:30 -- or 4 o'clock. I'm sorry. And presently the administrator for that Board is out on long-term sick leave and --
Which boards are covered? COMMISSIONER SOLVIBILE: It would be the Board of License and Inspections Review, the Zoning Board of Adjustment, the Board of Building Standards, the three boards that L&I is involved with. And people who have to file appeals to boards go to that board. And we felt that it would not be a great inconvenience to the public, because it's the same people constantly coming. It's not like a lot of different citizens that would come at different times. It's the same people who continuously are filing 254 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. appeals for people, like to the Zoning Board and to the various boards, and we felt we could better serve the public by having the hours condensed, and that's why we put the announcement. We also sent a letter using our database and all our users to everybody. I sent a letter telling them of the proposed change.
Well, Commissioner, I'm certainly generally familiar with the notion at times that less is more, and I know you're obviously having a personnel situation, but given the critical nature of what these departments do, whether it's for citizens or, as you kind of refer to them, kind of the regulars, fewer hours of operation I don't necessarily know is serving the public's interest or serving it somehow better, because we're going to condense it. What, they're all just going to show up at the same time? COMMISSIONER SOLVIBILE: By 255 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. having the hours when people can bring the work to the staff allows them processing time. Just to come and give somebody a document doesn't get that document processed, and that's what we needed, to give the staff time to be able to process the work, because there's a lot of requests for variances because of the boom in Philadelphia right now, and it's just condensing the time better let's the staff deal with the processing of the paperwork. Every Zoning appeal requires a file to be created, the notices --
I understand. You're saying that because the office would normally be open those hours that it's negatively impacting processing time? COMMISSIONER SOLVIBILE: Well, by the public continually coming with the work that's there to be processed, they have to stop doing what they're doing to serve the person in front of them, where 256 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. as if we condensed the time that we want the public to come -- we will not refuse anybody because of an overload. We just need the time to process the work the public brings us.
Councilman, I can probably help with this a little bit. One commitment we can make is that this change, as well as the underlying concern, is one that hadn't come to my attention yet. I will look at it. Obviously service out of our service departments is what we're all about. I hear the Commissioner talking about using some of those work hours to improve the service, but we'll take a look at that. I mean, when you look at -- and we'll talk to organizations like the Building Industry Association and other partners that we have. We've been doing a number of things to improve service from the City 257 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. in the area of L&I, whether it's online permits, which you can now get for things like decks, to streamlining some of the inspector operations through the LICA project to -- one of the things I'd like to have us do before our administration is done is to change the look and flow of the concourse. So service is a topic that we discuss often and in-depth. This is not an issue we had heard about. If this is hurting service and there's a reasonable way around it, the Commissioner and I will figure it out. Either way, we'll report back to the Chair.
You're welcome. Councilman Clarke, thank you 258 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. for your patience.
First, I'd like to concur with Councilman Nutter in what I believe to be the increase in debris, not only in the streets but on the sidewalks and actually some levels of increase in graffiti. I actually recently had a meeting with Commissioner Tolson about some areas in my district where I've seen a substantial increase in debris. Of course, I'm going to blame it on her taking away my trash day, my Thursday trash collection in my district. I'm probably going to blame everything on that for the next couple of years.
You, the Mayor and I all lost. 259 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC.
Absolutely. But it's clear that something needs to be done. The Commissioner actually indicated she's going to put together a proposal on the parts that I've identified, and hopefully we can come to some conclusion. Although we as a city are moving ahead and people are feeling good about the City, but you can't feel good about streets that are strewn with debris and house trash and all the other types of things. I guess that kind of, to some way, segues into my next question. Mr. Managing Director, how many departments in the City currently deal with public safety issues, code violations beyond the Police Department? Actually, I guess you could include the Police Department.
I can try to walk through them, and I may miss some. It's not a number I have off the top of my head, obviously. City code, there are 260 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. enforcement functions in Police, L&I, Health, Streets, Water Department, Fire Department. So more than half a dozen.
I'm assuming there are different levels of code enforcement that these various employees deal with. Some are like quality of life issues. As an example, I guess L&I does in terms of enforcing these stop-and-go's, the, quote/unquote, stop-and-go's that are in violation of various codes. I don't know. This might be in the Streets Department where you had people sweep to deal with debris on the sidewalks as we talked about earlier. Some people deal with grass too high. We actually have officers dealing with traffic, police officers.
Health inspectors, vector control, all types. As you said, all types. In fact, not to give any credit to the press, but the Daily News had done a pretty good insert --
You can 261 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. give credit to the press.
I don't remember when they did it, and I hope they do it again, where they had identified sort of -- it was a two-pager where they identified sort of problem areas and the right phone numbers to call. I mean, I'd like to see the day where we really have fewer phone numbers to call, but it's something I keep around my desk and something we're actually working on trying to get into something like that done in some other languages for some of the other non-English-speaking newspapers.
As we've been moving ahead on some consolidation of services -- you heard earlier. We were talking about OHCD. Has there ever been given any thought in terms of consolidating, I guess, employees in terms of doing code enforcement? I mean, as an example, and I always talk about this, we actually have police officers to 262 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. write trash tickets. I believe we had Streets Department members that write trash tickets, and we might have some other employees of the City that write violations for trash and debris. There seems to be this duplication of enforcement in these various departments. Have you ever given any thought of creating a category of employee or department who deals solely with code enforcement and quality of life issues and public safety issues?
I can't speak historically for whether it's been something that's been thought about before. We'd be happy to sort of -- it probably won't be too hard to do a sort of inventory of who does what. I do know that there is certainly at least local law, state law and collective bargaining issues that obviously are implicated, but I don't know in which way or the extent to which they would be implicated, but that would 263 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. be part of the analysis.
I will note, if I might, Councilman Clarke, that we get a lot of complaints about this Clean Sweep and people getting tickets because trash blows down the street or they go through trash and it belongs to somebody else. That's a big, big problem for us. We get a lot of complaints. So I certainly mention that as a problem with these trash tickets and this Clean Sweep program. And, also, we've been asking the Mayor for several years about a program with the Mural Arts. Mural Arts is one of the most important programs we have where we get rid of graffiti, we clean lots, we green them, we fence them, and we do a mural as well. I have been advocating for years for a comprehensive Mural Arts approach, because they are preventive, they're maintenance. They're many, many things. And if you could clean a lot, fence it, green it, do a 264 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. mural, get rid of graffiti, you do all those things in one fell swoop. And if we give Jane Golden, who is just one of the best stories our City has, if we give her the ability to do these things, if we fund her to do these things -- and she does them all, but she does them in pieces. But if we could also create a program and fund it to allow her to do these things, we could do it. And as we know, she deals with inmates, she deals with people from the community. She does all these things, and I certainly ask you to consider that as you deliberate on the budget.
You're welcome. I kind of lost my train of thought. No, not really.
You were talking about dirt. 265 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC.
You were talking about consolidation in enforcement. We'll look at what --
We'll do a table of the different types of code enforcement that happens, who does it, and whether who does it is dictated by state law, local law or by collective bargaining, if that's something that would be helpful.
All right. I'll give you an example. Traffic control. I hate to always bring up other cities, but when you get to travel around. In New York and I know in Baltimore and a couple other municipalities, they have these designated officers -- I think they're called public safety officers -- that deal solely with traffic control, and it seems to work. 266 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. I've never understood why we needed to use police officers for traffic control, given the need to have police officers out there fighting crime. I never understood why we had police officers writing trash tickets. Actually, this is not the first time I'm bringing this up, but we got a new Managing Director now.
I'm just wondering, like why are we not looking at that?
Well, I mean, I haven't looked at this set of issues. I'd be happy to look at it in the context of this consolidation of enforcement. I can tell you that just from my own experience, other than at the Stadium District or big events or the initiatives that we have that don't -- the various don't-block-the-box-type of enforcements, that we don't have in our downtown area 267 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. the type of -- the number of -- we don't depend as much, perhaps because of good traffic engineering and all that, as much on uniformed officers sort are conducting traffic during rush hours the way you see it in big hours.
If you're talking a stadium, you're talking in the case of Phillies, you got 81 games, the Eagles you got eight games. I mean, the Sixers. I mean, we're talking about quite a few times during the course of the year where we have police officers out there directing traffic.
I mean, I've seen traffic police directing traffic and I've seen non-traffic police directing traffic in areas like the Stadium District, and I won't say that it's sort of which division you work for, but the amount of experience you have certainly shows, and you know that. That doesn't necessarily mean that that's experience as a sworn police officer, that you need a sworn 268 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. police officer.
No. I said the non-traffic. I mean, if you go down to like -- and I'll be happy to stand on a corner with you by the Stadium District during an event and see a corner where there's somebody experienced in managing traffic as opposed to somebody sort of pulled from a patrol managing traffic, and you'll see a fair amount, but I don't --
I agree with you, but my point is, does it have to be a police officer?
Does it have to be a sworn police officer that's got all that training and investment --
Or can it be anybody that has training? I mean, you don't need to be a police officer to have training in directing traffic.
Right. And I 269 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. suspect that it's not what the state law requires or what the local law requires. It's probably more of a labor issue for us.
Okay. Then what does it take to create a class of Civil Service employees? Does it require law? Does it require a collective bargaining agreement? Can the City go to the Civil Service Commission and say, We're going to create a class of Civil Service employee and it will be called a public safety officer and it will do the following things?
As a manager, I always like to say we have the managerial prerogative to manage how we want, but that's not necessarily right now informed by what our legal limitations are on our management rights. So I don't know, and I don't have a position on how our management -- our ability to do that as managers under the collective bargaining agreement. It's something we can ask the 270 2/28/06 - WHOLE - BILL 060003, ETC. Law Department about. I think it's a labor issue.