So you understand. We give each percent each of all the asbestos -- 18
But what I'm saying 19 is, it is not in the book here. You have more than 20 four listed for the year 2002. I'm trying to get 21 the year 2003. They're not listed in this book. I 22 would like to have from you every single 23 professional service contract that you give out for 24 last year and this year because they're not here. I 25 would like to see the total amount of monies, the 1757 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET perspective of service that they're supposed to do, and the breakdown in terms of minority and minority participation in each of those contracts. For the year 2003, and I will give you a copy of the year 2002 and you can explain to me all of these different asbestos companies and the other contracts that you have here. Do we have an agreement on that?
But those companies that you mentioned are not listed in the budget book. That amount of money that you mentioned, I'm trying to find it in the budget book. You may have it, but I'm looking at the professional service area data and I can't find it there.
Councilman, I can say that -- and I can give you the names now. Of last year for '02 for demolition --
I'm not asking demolition. I think Councilman Nutter and I want 1758 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET all of those contracts, in terms of all of those contracts detailed. But on this one, I was wondering because it hit me, that we're employing five, six companies to do the same things. And if we don't have the skills inside, why don't we settle on one company that does it well and maybe we could have a better price and spend less money? All I want is the rationale behind these things and then the breakdown in terms of minority participation. It's not hard.
And then I will give you the 2002, all of the personal service conduct that I have here, and I'd like the same explanation for each one of these contracts and the ones that you have listed so far here, okay?
Thank you, Madam President. Good morning, gentlemen. 1759 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
I actually have some questions. And my colleague, Councilwoman Brown, couldn't be available and she had some questions that she'd like me to ask you. First, there was an issue with respect to the Operation Teach. She wanted me to communicate that she's happy that you guys seem to be doing a good job on that particular program. But in particular, she wanted to know how long is this period of time has these numbers dropped; was it a year, two years? And the other follow-up question to that is, how often do we go back to the stores that are in violation?
This program was started a few years ago with Teach, the Health Department and Department of Licenses and Inspections.
Approximately three years. 1760 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET We met recently, I would say approximately a year and a half ago, and there was different changes in state legislation as to monies that would be given to Teach if certain inspections were done. We worked along with Teach and the Health Department and were able to do mostly every tobacco selling establishment in the City. The initial report came back that there was 58 percent were still selling to minors. We worked a program where we used CVNs and went back and re-inspected those locations on a nuisance basis. We basically went to all those locations. If I'm not mistaken, the account was of approximately 3250-some-odd locations in the City that sell cigarettes. We worked with the Health Department and Teach, inspected those locations. And the people that were caught selling, we went back to in 60 days. When we initiated the cease operations on 10 of them and issued fines of a thousand dollars with $10,000 conditional fines, the word went out to those people that we weren't playing games any longer with them. We had a routine issue on the sale of tobacco. We were able to drop the rate from 58 percent sales to 8 percent within a matter of approximately eight months. 1761 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET As we speak, we now have people assigned just to handle CVN notices with the Health Department. We have help from the Health Department, and they either send us a clerical person that is assigned just to that or we have assigned people and they pay for the overtime to work on it. We still have an ongoing relationship with Teach and the Health Department whereas every location, if I'm not mistaken, must be inspected twice a year for sale of tobacco to minors. So the program is ongoing and we do inspect these locations after they're found in violation within 30 to 60 days.
As a part of initiative, are you also looking at the sale of singles where individuals sell cigarettes on a singular basis? Is that a part of that?
We also look into that issue. We take those complaints, and they're given a priority basis when they come back from Teach. How it works is the Teach people actually have a 1762 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET young adult go in and document the sales of the tobacco back to his. So the inspectional end of it is a little -- the burden has been taken off a lot by having Teach handle those inspections. And ourselves, when we get those complaints, we turn them over to Teach first to have them have a look at it.
Okay. On the testimony, there was mention of seminars for child care providers that are not being conducted on a bimonthly basis. Could you outline for me what the seminars are and could you provide a copy of the seminar syllabus or outline to the Chair?
Yes. We'll have a copy sent over to Council President Verna. Basically, what that does is we have those every two months to allow any new day care to come in and get any information in reference to opening day care. We have a very proactive approach to day cares. We have a new person now that's in charge of day care just in our department alone. She's taken control of the entire issue. We have booklets that will be available shortly, and we'll get them over to Councilwoman Brown. 1763 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
And then the Chair will distribute them among the members. It's my understanding that the City is moving towards adopting a Uniform Construction Code.
Dave Perry, Deputy Commissioner. Yes, we are. The Uniform Construction Code was adopted at a statewide level, and the City of Philadelphia has until the end of this year to adopt it locally. That Code offers a lot of advantages to designers and contractors, building owners. And what the Department has done, there is now a variance of application that's available that will allow contractors or designers to design under that international code at this current time. So we do allow design under that Code immediately and we will be adopting the entire international code package sometime this year.
What do you anticipate the impact of the adoption of that Code as it relates to child care?
Off the top of my head, I 1764 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET don't have an analysis for you as to what the impact will be. We can certainly compare and contrast the 2 codes and provide a report as to the impact on child care providers.
That will be helpful if you provide that information, and particularly to Councilwoman Brown. I want to get into a couple of questions that I'm somewhat interested in. Last year we passed a demolition bill, a notification bill. Have you implemented that program yet?
Yes, Councilman. Other than curb-sides of collapsed buildings with the NTI Program mainly is we were doing planned demolitions. We have in operation, a notification that's being sent, mailing labels are being created by also Hill International of the area affected by the demolition, and a notice is being sent to the community as to the demolitions that will be taking place in their community.
The only demolitions 1765 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET that L&I are doing at the present point are collapses, emergency demolitions, and we are not capable of doing that with emergency demolitions. There's collapses that happen today ad we're going out and doing curb-side.
So any other demolitions -- and when you say that you are preparing notices, a mailing list in anticipation of a particular targeted area?
That's correct, Councilman. Hill International is an example. Right now a mailing is going out to Mantua as we speak, I believe, where the demolitions will start to take place in the next week or two. And they'll receive a mailing. And I believe in Frankford we sent a mailing to the community. It's listing frequently asked questions. And we're revising that as we speak also. There's been e-mail back and forth on my desk from Hill and to Pat Smith and a lot of us updating that notice that will be going out, that mailing that will be going out.
The same notice that you forwarded to my office for review?
Vacant Window Bill, I understand the Mayor, I think, signed it yesterday, day before and it has law. Can you talk to me about what we anticipate?
We anticipate to be -- the Commissioner and I have had many conversations about this bill -- to be very proactive. It has to wait days, as I'm sure you're aware for the 10 notification period. But to be very proactive, and 11 our staff will be trained, our inspectors. Deputy 12 Commissioner Verdi and Perry's staff and my staff 13 will be trained where if see a situation where a 14 story is one of the prime reasons things we will 15 write is where we have a corner store in operation 16 and the window is boarded above it, it will be 17 written there. And the communities that are 18 affected -- and Councilman Nutter's area comes to 19 mind and several areas in your district comes to 20 mind where there's one or two vacants on a block. We will very proactive and write that violation.
Once residents are 1767 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET aware of this bill and the program, when they call they can just call the traditional L&I hotline? Is there a special unit set up for that? Or is just a par of the normal inspection process?
Our inspectors will pick it up in their daily activity if they see it. If they're sent to a complaint about a vacant property on a block and it's the only one on the block or 80 percent of the block is occupied, it will be written for all the houses that are vacant on that block and the storefronts -- it will be very proactive. And we do have some addresses that we notice exists that we'll be going back on and writing violations for that. We want to thank Council for that bill. We feel it will help us in this war on blight very effectively.
I'd just like to add that, you know, regarding making the complaints, we talked about the dynamic portal being available within the next 60 days and I talked about people being able to track their complaints. People will also be able to make complaints through that system. So it's not getting into the L&I call intake system 1768 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET or calling to make a complaint; it's firing up your computer and making a complaint right on-line. That will be available within 60 days.
I have another emerging problem in some parts of my district, and I'm assuming throughout the City of Philadelphia. I had this impromptu nightclub/striptease/lap dance/bar. I mean, you name it, we have it. And it's popping up in the residential communities. I have one in particular on 33rd Street. They actually advertise over the Internet and I was forwarded a copy of one of the flyers, pictures of the women who will be performing at that particular facility. How do we do something about that? Should we initiate that with the police, L&I?
Right now we have an internal task force that works with the Police Department. If you have an immediate complaint that, we have people now that are looking at the Internet and looking at different ways. Years ago, the common speakeasy didn't want anybody to know. It's just amazing how many times we're finding them on the Internet and we find 1769 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET advertisements throughout the neighborhood. We react very quickly to a neighborhood complaint in reference to an illegal nightclub. These clubs are illegal because for the most part there are no fire regulations they follow. They follow no regulations. They follow their own regulations. We have a task force that will go out in the evening along with the Police Department and close just such places down. The case you're referring to, I think at this point has a cease operations on that location already. If it does and the police have it, they should be monitoring it. But we'll into it.
Well, then we'll have to make it stop going pretty strong for you.
So now, the illegal operations centers more around the fact that they're operating a business, meaning they're charging people, they're advertising, but this is a private home and because they're conducting business and charging for that particular type of business.
We are able to close down 1770 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET that type of situation even in a private residence.
All right. I will look forward to that particular facility that we're speaking of shortly be closed down because I'm getting these flyers, faxes sent to me from some of my constituents who are concerned that it's not being addressed.
If at all possible, we'll get a fax from you and see what flyer you have on this location. Again, the task force that we created internally with L&I works closely with the Police Department on a daily basis. So we have constant information flowing back and forth. If that's not the one that I know --
I forwarded a copy a couple months ago to your office of that particular -- it was actually an advertisement for the activity.
That's what makes be believe that that was under a cease operations. We'll look into it and get back to you with the information.
Thank you. Thank you, Madam President. 1771 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
How many spanish speakers do you have on the intake lines for the emergency heat hotline? Do you know if you have any?
And we have a service that would handle that language and, of course, many other languages.
So if someone calls at night and they needed a Spanish speaker, they push it over to a service that has a Spanish speaker available?
Yes. And we also have a mailbox for Spanish speaking -- can I ask Dave Perry to talk about something that he's doing on the permit side, as long as you brought up languages.
Dave Perry, Deputy Commissioner. On the permit side, we made contact with a company that will be providing a dual headset 1772 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET phone for our use down in the concourse and the purpose of that dual headset phone is that anyone speaking any one of a 140-some languages, if they come into the concourse and I have a question about obtaining a license, a permit, or have any L&I-type issue, we can sit them down in a cubicle with a service representative and we will get this service on the phone and it will provide translation services on the spot in any one of 140 different languages. We're moving ahead and having that installed. We look forward to having that the next several months. The other initiative that we're doing, we're taking some of the our major informational handouts and we're having them translated into multiple languages also. We take the challenge of providing services for multiple cultures and multiple languages very seriously, and we're taking some serious efforts to move that forward.
Is there any chance that Commissioner Verdi will be speaking Russian or Mandarin Chinese?
I think he speaks 1773 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET like Yogi Berra. (Laughter.)
With the piece that L&I will be doing with NTI -- and I'm glad to hear this; that's great. The only thing I want to know is, get us a list of all the languages that are available. And also a list of when you translate stuff, Commissioner, I'm sure of course you do Spanish and probably Russian and maybe Cambodian, people that live in pockets in Philadelphia. But if you guys are involved in NTI, will that all be available? Especially east of Broad Street is my concern. Part of my district and Councilman Clarke's there's a lot of Spanish speakers.
We when our survey, we're going to make sure that Deputy Commissioner Verdi lends us a bilingual or Hispanic speaking inspector to accompany our teams. And also, the Gannet Flemming Group that goes out with us, hired through Hill, has people that are Hispanic speaking.
Thank you. And on a personal, Commissioner, I appreciate everything, especially all the ones at this does and you personally. And I know there's many people in L&I, 1774 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET I'll specifically mention the girl that answers your phone, Janice -- I don't know what her married name is but Janice Clarke, as I know her. We appreciate her. What's her married name?
She'S Janice Clarke to me. But I appreciate everything you've done. And I know how hard you work on getting that into the budget for '04 with my office and with the committee to be able to have the inspectors to have the ability. So I know that you want citizens to be able to look up their violations and the elected official. It will save us a lot of time and money in the long run. But just remember, it took a long time to get to this point, so if we take small steps we'll do a lot better than we're doing now.
I sincerely want to thank you and your staff for the fine tuning that came before we submitted it to the rest of Council and helped get it through.
Commissioner Perry, I want to thank him and everyone else that was involved with the sprinkler fitter information. That's really in light of happened in Rhode island, 1775 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET I think it was, we were a couple years ahead of that. So we should be doing all the sprinkler fitter stuff because I really need it to become a bill, and it looks real good. So thank you.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Commissioner, I want to go back to a couple of areas where some of my colleagues have been and try to get a little better understanding of the situation out there. How many demolition companies are there in Philadelphia?
We really don't have that answer. You're asking how many are in Philadelphia?
We can find out. You mean approved on our list or just generally in Philadelphia?
First, in Philadelphia. And then, actually, the second 1776 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET question was, Deputy Commissioner Solvibile in response to an earlier question by one of my colleagues made reference to a pre-approved list of demolition contractors. How many companies are on that list?
Approximately 15. And we'll get the exact count for you and provide through the Council President the address and name of all the companies that are approved by us for this fiscal year.
I appreciate that. How many are on the list in the current fiscal year? Is that the 15?
Approximately 15. And we'll provide that to Council President. And that would be for the emergency demolition curb-side list that we pre-approve every fiscal year.
And off the top of your head, based on your best recollection, how many of those companies are based in Philadelphia?
I would have to guess, 1777 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET but approximately 50 percent. It may be even greater. I'm not sure, Councilman.
I'm not sure. Approximately 50 percent, but that's a guess.
And how many do you know are owned by African Americans, other minorities, or women?
Six. But of the six of three are currently not on the list because they're trying to get bonding. And we're working with them --
Let me make sure I'm understanding the response. When you say six, six what?
Six companies are certified as either minority or female-owned companies. Molly construction is a woman business. Eugene Pullins (ph) is a minority. Thorn Equipment is a woman company. Ashall (ph) is minority. Fayette Corporation is a minority business. And Samara Incorporated is a minority business. Now, three of the companies that I just 1778 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET mentioned are currently having trouble getting a bond for this fiscal year.
Ashall Construction, Fayette Street Corporation and Samara Incorporated.
Eugene Pullins is the only minority business company that is bonded for this fiscal year and has done a series amount of work for us as far as the number of buildings he's demolished for us.
How many would that be? I have a dollar figure for this fiscal year. Eugene Pullins has done $496,135.
Out a total of roughly $4 million in demolition this fiscal year. Our minority and female-owned companies 1779 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET have done $1,605,000 worth of demolition this fiscal year, which represents approximately 50 percent of the demolition that L&I has put out this year.
I thought you said you had done $4 million worth of demolition.
I'm sorry, Councilman. 11 In Fiscal Year '02 is the $4 million that I 12 mentioned out of 10 million which was 40 percent. 13 This fiscal year the minority 14 companies -- 15
Slow down for a 16 second. You said you did $10 million worth of 17 demolition last year? Did I hear a $10 million 18 figure. 19
Last year we did 20 approximate $10,100,000 worth of demolition, for 21 actual demolition of buildings, not counting 22 stuccoing or the other for asbestos. 23
And of that $4,100,000 25 was awarded to the companies that I had mentioned 1780 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET before, the MBEC and WBEC companies.
Yes, we can, Councilman. We have it with us but we don't have copies. 7
We'll take one. We 8 have a brand-new copier right in the back there. 9 The female owned businesses, how long 10 have they been on the City list? 11
Some of them for several 12 years. Eugene Pullins for several years. Fayette 13 Company has been on this list as long -- Fayette 14 Corporation. 15
Hold on for a 16 second. Eugene Pullins is a woman? 17
Molly Construction for the last three or four years. Thorn Corporation for 1781 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET the last years, at least. And they're the two women certified companies.
Now, you've made on 5 a number of occasions the distinction between the 6 curb-side demolition. And is that what your 7 $10 million is, or is that curb-side and regular 8 dangerous buildings? You've continued to make a 9 distinction, so I'm going to assume that there is a 10 difference. 11
In '02 was for money 12 spent or curb-side demolitions. Emergency 13 demolitions. 14
This is what you refer to as your daily demolition program?
All of the demolition work that's being done through NTI, who is doing that? Same companies or different companies?
Molly Construction has won one of the bid packages with the NTI program, 1782 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET which is a WBEC company. And Thorn Equipment, which is also a WBEC company has won one of the commercial demolitions that we've awarded through using NTI bonds.
I thought this company Red Ball was doing a fair amount of demolition also.
That's correct, but Red Ball is not doing it all. Some awards have been made to Molly, and I believe JPC to do demolitions under the NTI demolition program.
And Councilman, all of the NTI demolitions have roughly 45 percent minority, female participation and handicapped.
Well, this is what I would like to have. I'd like to have a racial, geographic, and gender analysis of the staff and employees of all of these companies. So what I mean by that is I'd like to know what their total work force is, total number of people. I'd like to how many are male and female. I'd like to know how many live in the City and outside the City. And I'd like a demographic analysis as well.
We presently do not all 1783 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET of that information. We can give you where they're located. We would have to ask the contractor to provide that information for us as far as where their employees are living.
What Bob means is that will take us little bit more time, but we'll get it for you.
I appreciate that. We can get the information from them, right? I'm not asking for the employees names or their personal addresses. I think a zip code analysis would be fine.
We will ask them for an analysis of where their workers live by zip code if that's what you refer, yes.
I'll have Ms. Evans, the Director of Contractual Services, prepare a letter that goes out to the contractors this evening, copying Council President and the Councilpeople, asking for that information and give a dead line of approximately 15 working days to get the information back to us. 1784 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
Point of information. Councilman Nutter just mentioned about the zip code. I don't know how wide spread this is, but I know in the community that I live in, I live in 19118. That zip code also exists in the suburbs. That 1911 is part of Montgomery County. Again, that might be the only situation like that, but I just wanted you to be aware that all of 1911 is not within Philadelphia.
Thank you, Councilman. All right, so you're going to have letters out to the companies today asking them for the information. They'll have 15 business days to respond. You'll cc the Council President on the letters so she will have a copy of them, and we'll take it from there. What's the total amount of dollars that L&I has within its budget for procurement purposes or professional services or purchase of services contracts?
Richard Feldgus, Administrative Services Director. In the General Fund, Class 200 1785 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET $5,985,000; Class and 400, approximately $770,000. 3 That would be monies that we would use outside of the staff services.
And are those dollars the primarily reflected starting on pages 47-29 going forward. Where would I find --
You would see that through the divisions in the department. I guess the first page would be 47-14 and 15, and then the other divisions going through the budget, yes.
Let's talk about -29 for a second. The lot cleaning program, you're anticipating $2 million for that. Is that work actually being done by L&I staff or is that contracted out?
No. In fact, that money is in the L&I budget but in fact actually to my knowledge is controlled by the Managing Director's Office. They run that lot cleaning program on a 1786 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET citywide basis now for a number of years as part of the Mayor's initiative to clean the 32,000 lots. And this $2 million is part of that program even though it shows up in our budget.
So if a constituent wants a lot cleaned or if our office receives requests, we would call the Managing Director's Office about having a lot cleaned, not L&I?
I believe Tom Conway in the Managing Director's Office is the person who basically coordinates that problem.
But, Councilman, Licenses and Inspections still writes the violation prior to the Managing Director's Office being able to treat the lot. And also L&I and the Managing Director's Office work hand-in-hand in managing that program.
We want that to go through our complaint intake system so that it gets assigned a number so that we know that it was treated, it was abated. And when people ask us how many times we've abated the same lot, we'll be able to come up with an answer. When they ask how many we've done in what area, we'll be able to give a 1787 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET better answer. So call L&I with that.
So let's go back around to the beginning of this. If I have a lot that I need cleaned, who do I call?
And making the complaint with you is going to get it over to Tom Conway to do what he's supposed to do?
Is there a copy that you can forward to the Chair for us which represents -- maybe this a two-part question. Is there one specification for demolitions in the City now?
Yes, Councilman. We have worked with NTI staff and L&I and created one specification, and our specification is the same as the one used for NTI demolitions.
And what should citizens expect or what should we expect after a demolition? What should we see and what, basically, should we not see as compared to the past? How is the lot to be left? When is the demolition complete? 1788 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
The lot is to be left level and clean and the party walls to be stuccoed. The power pit, the top of the wall to be treated with -- instead of the old tin that we used to use will be treated with a barge board and capped done by a professional roofer and the wall stuccoed. That's basically -- the grading of the lot somewhat changed from what our spec was that when it comes up with the top soil, the six inches of dirt would be level with the sidewalk. Whereas we left it a little higher to take the water away. And they still do that. We grade away from the wall with a little bit higher at the party wall and grade to the middle where it sort of like make a little -- I guess you'd call it a little valley.
Are the demolished sites inspected before the contractors are paid?
Yes. In NTI, prior to and now. The difference now with a NTI demolition, our inspectors will be assigned to that site and work with that contractor in that area until the demolitions are complete.
And what's the contact with -- or is there any requirement for 1789 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET contact with the one or two adjoining neighbors to see the result of the demolition activity and any negative impact on their home, whether damage to their building, water in the basement, or any other resulting factors?
With the L&I and the NTI demolitions, the difference in the L&I curb-side demolitions, the L&I inspector who is asking for the emergency demolition also will inspect the attached properties for any prior damage to make to ensure that they're stable and the demolition will not further damage their property. And with the NTI demolition, the contractor, the L&I inspector, and a representative from Hill will inspect the property and take video -- I'm not sure if it's video or pictures, of the property being inspected, the surviving property.
In every NTI demolition, yes, but not in every L&I demolition.
Who are the people from Hill? Who are the principal individuals from Hill? 1790 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
I deal with three gentlemen from Hill that I know: Mike Griffin who I believe is the manager of the office in Philadelphia; Jim Rowan who is his assistant; and a gentleman named Ben, I believe it's Levitt -- I'm not sure of his last name -- who is actually out in the field with us. And now that we're expanding into other areas, there will be other people that we inter-relate with from Hill. Right now, they're the three people that I've been dealing with for the last several months.
Can you forward to the Chair a copy of the demolition specs so that we're able to look at them and know what those specifications are, and if there is a problem, we know what should be there and what should not be there?
What's the present policy on fencing vacant lots, post demolition in the current context, post-demolition from maybe a building was taken down three years ago and someone now wants a fence; what's our fencing policy?
Right now the present 1791 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET policy is the ordinance that I believe was passed that a letter would be sent to the Commissioner of L&I requesting a fence on demolitions that were done several years. And I do not know the policy with the NTI Program. That would be asked to Patricia Smith, the Director of the Neighborhood Transformation.
But you're saying with regard to L&I demolitions, in accordance with the bill that was passed, if a member wants or if their constituents want a fence, all they need to do is contact the Commissioner and a fence will be provided?
If the Commissioner deems it appropriate. And right now, the other part of the problem, Councilman, is that there's no 18 funding in Licenses and Inspections to provide fencing.
I'm told -- and again, you would have to ask Patricia Smith, Director of NTI Program. I'm told that bond money can not be used for fencing. I'm just told that. I don't know quite how that works. 1792 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
Commissioner, with every respect, I mean, the government was running before there was something called NTI, and L&I had money in its budget for that. So I don't really know why I need to -- I mean, I have plenty enough opportunities to ask Ms. Smith a whole host of questions, but last I checked, she was not in charge of the Department of Licenses and Inspections.
The monies that were used for fencing was the demolition funds that was in the department that were General Fund money. And I'm told in meetings that I've attended that NTI bond funds cannot be used for fencing.
NTI bond funds were promoted as being more flexible than City General Fund dollars. If we put up fences with General Fund dollars, and -- I mean, we seem to do a whole host of things with NTI funds. I don't understand how we're in a less flexible situation. Are you saying that L&I does not have its own demolition funding? 1793 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
What we're saying is we're now using bond money. And bond money has rules attached to it. This just came to light. I think it was last week we found out that we couldn't use this money for fencing.
In a meeting that I was at it was discussed, and Patricia Smith was the person who said it.
So Ms. Smith told you in a meeting that you cannot use NTI funds to put up fences around lots that have been demolished as a result of the use of NTI funds?
And for that reason it's a new problem for us and it's something that we'll look into and we'll get back to you.
Then let me go back and ask my original question. In your budget, do you have any money for demolition of City General Fund dollars, non-NTI funds?