Good afternoon, Council President Verna, Members of City Council. I am Richard Feldgus, administrator of the Department of Licenses & Inspections who provides administrative support to the Zoning Board of Adjustment. I am here today to testify on behalf of the Board's proposed FY '04 budget. 1850 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET The Zoning Board is requesting a budget of $503,000 for FY '04, an increase of 6,213 over the estimated obligations for '03. The FY '04 budget will support full-time staff of six employees and five Board members. During FY '02, this should read -- it says '01 in the testimony; it's '02 -- the Board conducted 254 meetings. The Zoning Board provides vital service to those who work, live and do business in Philadelphia, in that it provides an opportunity to appeal zoning determinations and to request variances from the Zoning Code where the code imposes an unnecessary hardship on the property owner. The Board also grants certificates for certain types of zoning uses as prescribed by ordinances of City Council. In FY '03, we project the Board will hear 2,247 cases. In FY '04, we project the Board will hear 2,253 cases. In FY '02, the Board heard 1,503 cases. Currently the Board is rendering decision within 30 days of the date of appeal. We continue to offer accelerated hearings for those persons who require quick service from the Board. The cost of the special hearings 1851 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET are paid by the persons who request that accelerated hearing. In FY '02, we heard 429 accelerated cases. In FY '03 and '04, we project that number will be approximately the same, 425. Thank you for this opportunity to provide the Board's testimony.
How long does an applicant have to wait when they make a request for an accelerated hearing?
Typically right now, because of the large numbers of accelerated hearing requests that we're getting, it's approximately three weeks. We were doing it a little bit -- we were trying to shoot for the minimum period, the posting period, which I believe is 11 days, but because of the additional numbers --
So if they didn't ask for the accelerated hearing, how long would they have to wait?
Probably an additional two weeks above that. The Zoning Board has become much more active in recent years. About three years ago we 1852 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET were doing about to 1600 cases per year. We're now up over 2200 cases per year. So we've almost had a 50 percent increase in the number of cases coming before the Zoning Board. A large number --
And we've had 7 the same amount of employee; you said six employees? 8
Yeah. In fact, actually, 13 we will probably be reducing -- we will be losing 14 one of the employees, who is a DROP person, and 15 we'll hopefully refill that position. But there's a lot of pressure on that Board because of the voluminous number of cases. That Board is probably the most active of all of the boards in boards or commissions that meet on a regular basis in the City of Philadelphia.
I would agree. Any questions from members of the Committee? Any comments from members of the Committee? Seeing none, thank you very much, 1853 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET Mr. Feldgus.
Streets Department is next. Good afternoon. Kindly identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Good afternoon, Madam President. Good afternoon, Council President Verna and Members of Council. I am Clarena Tolson, commissioner of the Streets Department. I'm here today to present testimony on behalf of the Streets Department's proposed fiscal year 2004 operating budget. The employees of the Streets Department continue to work hard to fulfill our basic mission of providing clean and safe streets for our citizens. We request a general fund appropriation of $120,449,118 --
I'm sorry. Do you mind pulling the microphone just a little closer to you. I don't think the stenographer can hear you. 1854 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
We request a general fund appropriation of $120 million, an all funds appropriation of $149 million. Our proposed budget reflects a net general fund increase of $2.3 million from fiscal year 2003 estimated obligations. The overall request for the Department for all funds, general, county liquid fuels, special gas tax funds and grants revenue, is a net $2.6 million higher than our fiscal year 2003 estimated obligations. The net increase of the general fund will support negotiated wage increases, increased landfill fees, contractual cost of living increases and state surcharges, and an adequate supply of salt for an average winter, including the continuation of the city-wide residential plowing program. This net increase also reflects a staffing level decrease from 2,047 FY 2003 to 2,043 in FY 2004. With this budget, the Department will maintain most of the service levels achieved in fiscal 2003. For example, the Highway Division is on target to resurface 100 miles of streets and linestripe 1,100 intersections, approximately 750,000 square feet -- 1855 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
Clarena, I'm sorry. You're going to have to pull the microphone closer.
-- (continued) 750,000 square feet in FY 2003 and plans the same levels for FY 2004. Sanitation will continue to provide timely refuse and recycling collection services to households. 8 million over FY 2003 estimated obligations, primarily to support the 3 percent wage increase, the DROP lump sum payments and contractual increases in landfill fees. With this budget, Sanitation will continue to provide a variety of programs designed to collect and dispose of trash, as well as divert recyclables from the waste stream. 5 percent of respondents said their trash was always or frequently collected on time, the highest level reported in the six years of 1856 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET the survey. Continuing managerial enhancements and the use of more efficient trash compactors have contributed towards productivity improvements. These include on-time collections of 96 percent in fiscal 2002 and a projected 97 percent for fiscal 2003 and fiscal 2004. 35 tons in fiscal 2004. The FY 2004 request for Sanitation funds the cleaning schedule for arterial and commercial corridors, as well as the neighborhood cleaning program. The street cleaning program targets street debris and litter with a fleet of mechanical street sweepers and motorized sidewalk cleaners. In fiscal 2002, the division successfully used two small and versatile ride-on/walk-behind sweepers that can safely and effectively maneuver into and around tight spaces. Implementation of three additional units of this type is planned for fiscal 2003, with continued use in 2004. In fiscal 2002, 38,724 tons of recyclables were collected. Resulting from the launch of the multi-media advertising campaign in 1857 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET March 2002 and operational changes completed in June of 2002 -- that's when we switched from the collection being the day before trash every other week to the same day as trash every other week -- projections for 2003 and fiscal 2004 are higher than previous years. Another positive development for recycling was the negotiation of the most favorable contractual rates in nearly a decade. Industry analysts have noted that Philadelphia's marketing arrangement is the best of any big city on the east coast. Combined with favorable marketing conditions for recycling materials, we anticipate exceeding our revenue projections for fiscal 2003 and fiscal 2004. As of January 2003, recycling has been instituted in 380 City office buildings receiving municipal refuse collection, including the Municipal Services Building, Criminal Justice Center, City Hall, branch libraries, police headquarters, the Fire Administration Building. The recycling office provided training and technical assistance on all these projects. During fiscal 2002, 2,683 residents participated in seven drop-off events at six 1858 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET locations throughout the City. Approximately 113 tons of household hazardous waste was collected. In fiscal 2003 and 2004, seven drop-off events are again planned, with an increased focus on proper management of used paint and a projected increase in participation of percent. 8 Also, the Sanitation Division 9 successfully added a new site in the southwest 10 section of the City. The Department will continue to offer Saturday or weekday events in all or parts of the City. New education efforts included the development and distribution of a brochure on proper management and disposal of the used oil. The Sanitation Division has also been working with the Women's Health and Environmental Network supporting its mercury thermometer exchange program as part of the Regional Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Hazardous Waste Program. Starting in spring of 2001 and through 2002, over 13,000 mercury thermometers were collected, equivalent to 10,000 grams of mercury, a very toxic substance. On October 30, 2002, the Mayor issued a proclamation proclaiming Mercury-Free Philly Campaign Day.
For 2003, plans are being developed 1859 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET for other mercury thermometer exchange programs. The SWEEP program provides education and enforcement of the City's regulations and ordinances pertaining to refuse and recycling collection, sidewalk cleaning and the proper maintenance of dumpsters. The program is divided into commercial corridors and residential areas, educating residents in the sanitation, recycling and parking regulations in street cleaning programs. Violations and non-compliance of City regulations are typically addressed in a sequence of education and enforcement. In FY 2002, 24,000 citations were issued. The FY 2003 and 2004 projection is for 26,000 citations per year. In addition to the support of neighborhoods that we provide through street cleaning, city-wide recycling, partnership recycling and the SWEEP program, the Department will continue to support the Clean Block Program. In 2003 and 2004, as we have for over 50 years, we will continue to fund and support the PMBC Clean Block Program. That's the Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee Clean Block Program. In conjunction with the Mayor's fight 1860 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET against blight, the Department's Planning and Public Affairs Office is coordinating a PMBC block captain rally scheduled for late March 2003. The rally will serve as an opportunity to recruit new block captains and junior block captains to continue the volunteer cleaning and beautification efforts. In 2002, there were 77,000 volunteers and over 11,000 block clean-ups. The goal for 2003 and 2004 is for participation to reach 100,000 volunteers and block clean-ups to reach 15,000. The Streets Department's goal is to provide improving overall operations while reducing costs. Providing for reliable and efficient trash collection and recycling, keeping streets clean and ensuring that lots are free of debris, as always, remain a priority. Additionally, the Department is striving toward developing pride in neighborhoods by forming partnerships with community groups to help keep streets clean and ensure that residents follow refuse and recycling guidelines. With regard to our transportation services, the Highway, Engineering, Traffic and Street Lighting Divisions provide the Department's 1861 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET transportation services. The goal of the Transportation Division is to continue to provide cost-effective and functionally safe movement on streets and bridges for public transit, commerce and automobiles, as well as for bicycles and pedestrians. We will accomplish this by continually exploring new approaches to improve productivity and delivery of services, such as continuing to invest in innovative geographic and management information systems, managerial accounting and information systems, and through upgrading of computer equipment. We will continue to focus on those services that make the City a safer environment. 8 million square yards, approximately 100 miles, of city streets. The Division plans to place 750,000 square feet, approximately 85 linear miles, of pavement markings, traffic lines, and to perform 7,500 ditch restorations in fiscal 2003 and 7,000 in fiscal 2004. The Department repaired 11,000 potholes in fiscal 2002 -- exactly, it was 11,593 -- and 1862 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET projects to repair 25,000 in fiscal 2003 and 2004. In FY 2003, the Division again leased spray patcher units, also known as pothole killer machines, to assist during the peak repair months. These machines quickly and safely performed the repair in a more durable and economical manner. We performed 966,000 linear feet of crack sealing in fiscal 2002 and project over 1 million in both fiscal 2003 and fiscal 2004. This technique extends the life cycle of the City's streets by preventing water from entering the sub-base of the street, a major cause of potholes.
This should decrease the number of potholes and other premature roadway foundation failures. Due to the passage of the Telecommunications Act in 1996, the City has seen the number of telecommunications firms seeking to install fiberoptic lines increase from one to 15. Consequently, over 680 miles of streets have been impacted by construction since that time. Each time a street is opened by a utility or a telecommunications company, it significantly shortens the life of that street. To address this, the Department is working with the Department of 1863 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET Public Property, the Law Department, the managing director's office to develop a new regulatory mechanism, update regulations and improve work flows to better coordinate street openings and minimize the number of times that streets are opened. Our goal is to have the Right-of-Way Ordinance submitted to City Council in the spring of this year. As a result of the MDO's Task Force on the Permitting Processes, the Streets Department reduced the driveway, or curb cut, construction plan review from six weeks to one week. Also, the Department's Guaranteed Pavement Information System, GPIS, an Internet-based Street Opening Permit System, is scheduled to go on line in March of 2003. This system will reduce the street opening permit process for utilities and telecom firms from 12 weeks to two weeks. Relative to storm response, the Streets Department has been working with the MDO and the Office of Fleet Management to update the City's Snow and Ice Operations Plan in order to increase the City's ability to plow neighborhood streets. The City now plows tertiary residential streets during significant snowstorms. 6 percent of the City's 2,300 miles of streets, including 900 miles of our tertiary streets, were passable by that Friday. Due to the four-day duration of that storm, costs are still being tabulated. Also, in fiscal 2003, the City leased snow-melting machines for the third consecutive year, and the Department again used salt brine, a mixture of salt and water, in higher elevation neighborhoods. This is more cost effective than the traditional salting process because the brine mix uses the optimum concentration of salt. Both will continue to be used in fiscal 2004. Street lighting: The Street Lighting Division is responsible for the maintenance of 100,000 street lights and 18,000 alley lights. As part of its ongoing city-wide program to replace obsolete fixtures, over 75,000 lights have been replaced with energy-efficient, high-pressure sodium fixtures that require fewer repairs. Additionally, recent lighting modernization projects along selected corridors, such as Kelly Drive, have improved system reliability. Some of the City's oldest traffic 1865 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET signals at nearly 500 intersections in Center City and the Northeast will be modernized by fiscal 2004. By the end of 2003, the Department will have modernized 454 intersections. City-wide, this is an ongoing program involving city, state and federal funds to improve over 2,800 signalized intersections. Once a signal has been modernized, the Department is able to link it to a centralized control center. The centralized control center, which became operational in fiscal 2001, allows the Department to modify traffic signal timing remotely in order to improve traffic flow and alerts the Department about needed repairs. The Department anticipates all Center City intersection upgrades will be completed by fiscal 2006. The Department continues to operate an e-mail based City Council tracking and reporting system. In conclusion, the Department of Streets will continue to work diligently in the delivery of services to our citizens and neighborhoods and to improve the quality of life in our city. Therefore, we request your favorable consideration of this 1866 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET budget request. I'm available to answer any questions you may have at this time.
Thank you very much. On -7 of your budget detail, it shows that you were budgeted for 2,195 general fund positions for FY '03 and that you will have only 2,043 in FY '04. This represents a reduction of 152 positions. Would you please explain why you would need fewer personnel? We're talking about 152 positions. And just where are they in the Streets Department?
We will have some staffing changes in the Department throughout. They're occurring in all of our divisions. A majority of those is a result of our DROP program. There are no 19 layoffs or anything as that --
They're all occurring through attrition. They're all occurring through attrition to allow for the two and a half percent reduction.
The reductions, the two and a half percent reductions, as well as I think there's eight positions that are going to our 3-1-1 system.
But the positions are not presently filled, are they?
If you give me one moment, Councilwoman, I will try to get that together.
If I could just clarify a little bit, Council President. Our filled positions were 2,047. So we had a number of non-filled positions. 1868 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
Right. That's correct. However, there's a natural absence of some positions because of our turnover. So we will always have at some point some level of positions not being filled. So our increment run showed as being filled --
Well, you must have a magic wand that we're not too familiar with, because on Page -- you're not only doing away with 152 positions, on -7 of the detail, what you're also doing is reducing your overtime by $488,769. Could you please explain how you're going to be able to do this?
One of the things that we're working on within our sanitation group is a major initiative that provides an incentive to employees to achieve a higher level of productivity during normal straight time, during the eight hours of work time, versus on overtime, and we project 1869 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET some fair amount of savings through that program.
Tell me how that program will work. How realistic is it?
Sure. I think there's a real ability to do this. We've discussed this with our labor organization and we're discussing it now with our employees. We're going to be rolling out this program very, very shortly.
The program will work such that the crews have an expectation right now on their performance and productivity.
Excuse me. I'm really being distracted. I can't hear a word you're saying. (Pause.)
Crews will be encouraged to achieve a higher level of productivity, and they will do this by having their routes expanded. Now, we understand that all crews will not be able to do that because the expectations are 1870 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET quite onerous. However, for the crews that can achieve it, it's a benefit to the crew, as well as to the City.
It benefits the crew because there will be an incentive of $15 per person to achieve a higher tonnage, higher productivity on straight time versus doing the overtime.
And if they all did that and it was accomplished, you're telling me that that is how we can have the saving of $488,000?
No. The entire savings is not attributed to that. That's a significant portion of it. The other portions -- there's approximately 100,000 from the Surveys Division, as well as our Highways Division.
Explain, please. How are we doing that? 1871 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
We expect to achieve some efficiencies through our resurfacing program and to achieve approximately $200,000 worth of overtime savings there, as well as probably our expectation that our winter will be a little better through the next year.
Can you tell us how we're doing on recycling? I still would like to know where the magic wand is. They'll have to come back and show us at a later date. 152 less positions and we're cutting overtime by $488,000. I don't know how we do it.
With regard to recycling, we're doing quite well. Our tonnage figures are up dramatically, approximately percent. We were 17 able to have a service change where we moved from 18 every-other-week collection the day before trash to 19 the same day as trash, which was viewed as a major 20 service improvement by our customers. 21 We are in the second year of an 22 education and marketing campaign, which includes 23 hard literature, brochures and the like, community 24 meetings, as well as radio ads and television ads, 25 which are being quite popular and working quite 1872 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET well. Additionally, I'd like to say that we are doing quite well revenue-wise. This year we expect to achieve revenues of as high as 1 million -- I'm sorry; $850,000. Not paying, but receiving revenues of $850,000.
Very well. Thank you. The Chair recognizes is Councilman Rizzo.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Commissioner, first of all, great job on all the terrible conditions that you and your staff have had to endure in the last few weeks. It's amazing that we're where we are. But I'm pleased to see that highlighted in your remarks today are improvements in the street opening permit process. And we were discussing this earlier today with Licenses & Inspection, and we talk about the pothole issue throughout the area that has been getting so much publicity. Being aware of some of these locations, these aren't just potholes, and what I want to 1873 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET address and maybe close the loop here is that you mention that many of the problems that we're going to face in the future are due to these penetrations that have occurred by utilities, our own Water Department, PGW, electric, cable utilities, you name it, plumbers, and I'm concerned that we don't manage the entire process as well as I would like it to see. Because, again, you use an example -- and I think I spoke to someone -- correct me if I'm not using the proper terminology -- your right-of-way unit that has their eyes on this project that's going on right up the street here, 16th and Arch, 17th and Arch, when you're heading north on the numbered streets. Maybe it's 18th, 19th. I'm not sure right at the moment. But when you get to that construction site location, it looks like you're driving -- you're like off the road. You need a sport utility vehicle to negotiate that particular intersection. Why we allow these contractors to, in my opinion, cut costs and not do what they're supposed to do amazes me. And in the same breath, when a contractor digs a street and doesn't restore it according to a specification, I'd like to know what 1874 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET we do to assure that when the contractor that works for the Water Department, the contractor that works for PECO, when they restore a ditch, it's to our specification. The reason why I believe that is when driving throughout the City, I'm not seeing just potholes; I'm seeing past excavations failing to the point where an entire lane of traffic has a hole across it because it wasn't repaired properly or, even worse, after an incident where there might be a water leak, that the crew at the scene leaves, just shoveling back in the hole the dirt that was removed and the broken asphalt, and that's the temporary repair. You get rain. A few hours later the rain washes that hole out and you have a depression that's got, where they cut it with a pneumatic camera, that's got a sharp edge to it now. You come down the street with your three-week-old vehicle, you hit that, and these alloy wheels just don't have the ability to withstand what an old steel wheel used to do and you have major suspension damage and an expensive bill. I believe that we could lessen this 1875 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET criticism that we're getting. And we're both talking to the same media right now about the conditions of our street. I think a majority of these incidents that we're seeing right now are not just that little common pothole, that common little pothole that's a foot in diameter, it slopes off slowly and you can kind of get out of it slowly. But when you run across a ditch that's failed that was cut out by a contractor and you hit that as you come out of that ditch, your vehicle is damaged. What I would like to know and also make sure it's included in any proposal is that we really manage how our roadways are fixed. Because if they can get away with putting two inches of asphalt instead of four -- I don't even know what the number is. I'm just throwing numbers out there -- or it's not compacted properly when it's repaired and two years later, we all drive through the City and these dips that we see, you know, they're nicely black-topped, but does one of these through the intersection, I'm convinced that it's because these repairs are not done correctly.
And we're probably paying for them or the utilities are paying for them 1876 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET to have them done correctly. And if they're not being -- if there's no inspection or there's no 4 threat of someone watching what they do or how they do it, we're going to have these conditions that exist. Like a perfect example is how we let a contractor get away with what happens on Arch Street. When you try to get through that intersection, honestly, you need one of those Hummer vehicles that they have at the airport to get through there. It amazes me that we allow that to exist. And I know that it gets old and the people that are responsible for it are just beating -- you know, they just can't get any cooperation. I know that when I inquired about that six months ago, that for a couple weeks it looked better and then it got bad again. And I haven't been up there recently, but that's just more so an example of what I'm trying to express to you today. But I would hope that when you establish this new practice that you're going to institute on openings of our streets, that we insist that they be repaired properly and you have some way to manage 1877 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET that to make sure that we're getting the repair that we deserve so two winters from now, three winters from now that we don't have another bad situation to deal with. Sorry I took so long with that statement, but I just wanted to try to get it all out there.
Yes. There is an inspection process, but there's also another thing at play that might not quite be as obvious. Now being the season for potholes, and we often talk about potholes flaring up, those are the unplanned, we don't know the location for those issues, and they are the small irregular pocks in our street, usually just a couple inches deep, not very problematic in terms of the repair. It's a surface problem; you can repair it on the surface. The other thing that I think your insight is bringing to the table is the ditches, which could be done by a plumber, could be done by a 1878 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET utility company or the like. Sometimes very, very deep, several feet deep. Usually cut lines, which is how you might identify it as being a utility cut versus a pothole. Those pose a different type problem in their repair, particularly in, say, the month of March. Some of those ditches are from work that may have happened a couple of months ago. They require -- because they are deep into the surface of the street, they are well below the surface of the street, they require filling, as well as concrete topping and then the asphalt repair on the top to make it a permanent repair. Concrete not being able to be poured during harsh weather is very challenging for us. So right now we're living with a lot of temporary repairs and probably a lot more than we want to have as a reasonable amount. That is further thwarted by the snow that we've had in the plowing operation, which then further challenges situation, which gives us an all-around challenge in terms of street conditions. So we have that compounding, making situations very complex. 1879 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET But you're absolutely right. In terms of the initial issue and having the inspections done, we certainly will be working with L&I in a different way than we have worked with them in the past to make sure that the inspectors are ensuring that the fill-ins are done properly. To be properly done, that means topping with asphalt. It's not just throwing some dirt and stone in there or some dirt and rocks. There's a proper way of doing that. It's in the Plumber's Code. We met with the Plumbers Association about six months ago and this is one of the topics that we talked about. And we probably will have ongoing discussions with them to help educate their membership about the proper way. And, further, we're probably going to be a lot more diligent about ensuring that plumbers and individual contractors are held more individually liable for the conditions that they leave the streets in. So that there's not fall-back on the streets in terms of responsibility and instead it will fall back on the entity that created the cut.
You know, it's interesting. We had L&I here a few hours ago and 1880 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET L&I indicated that their only involvement in this entire process is that they license the plumber to say to you that they're okay to do business in the City of Philadelphia. And I asked the same question, did L&I have any responsibility in this entire process, and they indicated no. 8 You know, a perfect example is something that before you got here occurred. There was a plumber that did work up in Chestnut Hill on Germantown Avenue. And I believe Estelle Richman is working right now on trying to restore Germantown Avenue, historic district, beautiful Belgium blocks or cobble stones. Somebody has to some day explain to me -- maybe some day I'll ask Larry Roy to explain the difference between a Belgium block and a cobble stone. I guess it's the size. I don't know. But there was a leak up there on Germantown Avenue and a plumber came in and dug up the street, and now when you drive down Germantown Avenue just south of Rex, there's a big concrete pour where the plumber never restored the Belgium. They're probably in his backyard now as a patio. I'm just kidding, for the record anyway. But it's distressing to see all the good 1881 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET work that you, the Streets Department and the employees of the City do to try to make our town look very, very beautiful and then a contractor come in to dig up the street and not restore it to the specification that it was before. I see Dick Roy grinning. You're never guilty of any of that stuff, not restoring the street entirely. So I would just hope that we can coordinate this. And, again, you mentioned about those repairs, those conditions that are developing now. I'm convinced that if they were done properly three years ago, four years ago, five years ago, we wouldn't be dealing with these issues today, many of those plumber cut-outs and contractor cut-outs that are failing today. I'm convinced that they weren't done properly or they wouldn't have failed. There's always that case where they do. But I would appreciate it if we can really get there and track it. This is the third year we've been discussing this issue. Everybody says we're going to make it better, and it doesn't get better, but I hope you do. The last thing I wanted to mention is 1882 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET that the lighting on Kelly Drive I think is such an improvement and it just is so nice to see the lights on in the evening hours on Kelly Drive, and moving them to the river side of the roadway is really -- it's wonderful. It's safer because of that lighting and they're dependable. So the street lighting people should be complemented for pulling off, I think, a great, great effort there.
On behalf of the surveys bureau, the street lighting group, I say thank you.
Great. Thank you, Commissioner. Thank you, Madam Chair.
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you very much. Thank you, Commissioner and Streets Department. Maybe you can answer me later. In fact, I would have called you, but this issue came up, so I thought I'd ask you since I knew I'd see you 1883 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET today. As you know, throughout our district, we've worked with the utilization of volunteer service districts to reduce crime along our corridors, and we recognize the importance of safe streets wholeheartedly supported, our town watch, special service district safety ambassadors. To this end, we're currently working with the University City district to create a lighting master plan to erect additional pedestrian lighting on active strips along Baltimore Avenue, Spruce Street, Lancaster Avenue, Market Street, Chestnut, Walnut Street and 52nd Street. Here's my question: We have currently identified private funders who will purchase poles and the UCD will manage and design the installation of all the fixtures. Would it be possible for the City to connect the lighting to the City's power grid and maintain and assume the responsibility of maintenance if we can get the rest done, donated? Can you let me know?
Thank you, and 1884 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET thanks again for your help.
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco.
First, I'd like to thank you for all the hard work you do in your department and thank you for being responsive to our requests. I don't have a lot of questions; just a couple. Just a reminder to you that through the, I guess, community development block grant money of the NTI, we were able to secure money for retaining walls. We do have a couple that we have been working with your Department on, and we need to have some understanding about how fast that process is going to move along. I think there has to be a community meeting, and I'd like to know when that project is going to take place. 1885 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
Councilwoman, I believe that we've had possibly one community meeting with your group, but any more that we need to schedule, we would gladly schedule. We have been working on this issue and we would like to try to see it move ahead fairly quickly. So we can talk with you about any additional meetings that need to be scheduled.
Well, okay. I think the letters are supposed to be sent to each of the homeowners.
So I'd just like to know where we are, if you could give me a status report on that.
Okay. And, also, we're having trouble, as you have heard all the years you worked in the Streets Department, about driveways. A lot of the driveways in my district are also used by the trash trucks. So the constituents believe that that contributes to the destruction of the driveways. We had a talk with the Mayor before when he was president of City Council about coming up 1886 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET with some way to address the issue of driveways, and I guess we'll be talking about this forever. But we find that homeowners don't mind paying for the repair of the driveway. What they need is a mechanism to ensure that everyone pays. So if you can put that on your calendar or your things-to-do schedule, maybe you could follow up with the Mayor on -- because he did call a meeting of all of the departments, and I guess it got lost in the election. But there has to be some way that we deal with these driveways. Some of them are in terrible condition, contributes to blight in stable neighborhoods. And if the homeowners pay, you know, they can only get -- they need an enforcer. And if the City can find some way it can intervene in the process, not necessarily pay, but set up a process whereby everybody pays the cost of doing the driveway, the fair share of it.
Why do we need PennDOT's approval for lights and stop signs?
PennDOT provides guidelines for all of the counties, municipalities in the state. They are safety guidelines that they have 1887 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET set that also helps with us in terms of our getting federal funding for some of our work that is past through PennDOT. Following those guidelines is supportive of getting that federal assistance. Not following the guidelines means the lack of federal assistance.
Well, do you all have any input in the guidelines, establishing the guidelines?
I mean, I don't know if they talked to people who live in Philadelphia. Our situation may be different here than in some other parts of the state which might be more rural than in Philadelphia. We have an intersection at Rising Sun and Adams Avenue that took us years to get PennDOT to -- it was their job to reconstruct it, because there's a bottleneck of traffic there.
Now we need some turning green lights, and we're told by your department that it doesn't meet PennDOT criteria. But as anyone going to Rising Sun and Adams Avenue 1888 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET knows, they can sit there for to minutes trying to get through that intersection. And why we can't find a way to provide -- because you state in your testimony that you try to find a -- make travel easier and safer.
And certainly 9 addressing that issue at Rising Sun and Adams Avenue 10 would make it safer. You have the Hill Creek 11 development there. You have Rising Sun Plaza. You 12 have another intersection with a business. There's 13 a lot of activity going on. You have Cardone 14 Industries there, which we've been trying to work 15 with on their parking situation. 16 So there's a lot of stuff going on at 17 that corner that PennDOT may not know about. And I 18 think we have responsibility to fight for what we 19 believe is the right thing and press for them to 20 give the okay to put the light there.
We can follow up with that, Councilwoman, and try to see if we can add a different perspective to what PennDOT has presently given us.
Well, I noticed 1889 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET Andy Warren was reappointed by Governor Rendell.
Maybe his philosophy may change a little bit. But I would like help on that.
We do need the turn signals there. It's very important. We've been dealing with this issue maybe close to five to six years, that intersection. And we do have the Tacony Creek and the Lawncrest Civic Association. All those groups are very much interested and have been instrumental in pushing to take care of that traffic bottleneck there.
The other day I 1890 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET asked on the side about what is the plan for paving the streets in the Logan area.
I hope to have for you within the week our resurfacing plan for -- I'm sorry; within two to three weeks our resurfacing plan for next year. We hoped to have it for today's hearing, but I didn't have -- given our snow, we were a little behind that. I will also answer for you the question with regard to Logan specifically within this week.
Okay. The other question I had -- not question, but a statement. Would you all please have the sidewalks cleared from snow on City Hall on the northwest side? We can't cross. When we cross the street, we can't get on the sidewalk, and then we have to step over a chain-link fence to get access to City Hall. They just moved the snow back to clear the entryway for the cars and then they put a fence, a chain-link fence up. So we can't get across. You have to step over there. The rest of the sidewalk is full of snow. Now it's ice. It's very dangerous. And we do park across the street in front of the MSB building. It's difficult getting 1891 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET into --
First of all, I would like to permit Councilman Rizzo to intervene for a moment to ask a question that Councilman Clarke wanted to have asked. But then I would want the opportunity to speak.
Thank you, Councilman Cohen for that yield. Councilman Clarke asked me -- and I have to leave the chamber for a few minutes and I didn't want to miss the opportunity to ask you this question. It happens to do with street closure permits. The Councilman would like to know what is the process in place to notify Council members of potential street closures. An example is one in his district where a closure request for partially shutting down an operating lane for seven months was authorized, with no notification to the Council 1892 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET member that that was going to occur. And I think you can understand how that would be a concern of a district councilperson and an at-large member myself. So the question is, we really need to make sure that these notifications occur to the district councilperson if you plan to shut down or issue a permit to close a roadway.
And pursuant to the problem that you described or the situation that you described, we now have a process that before the permit is approved, that there's contact made with the Council to make sure that they are comfortable with an approval.
Great. Just a second. I just want to see if that's satisfactory. That's satisfactory. Thank you, Commissioner.
Commissioner, following up on Councilwoman Tasco's request for a street sign or lights, York Road and Champlost, the 1893 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET people there have been crying for a traffic signal for a number of years, ever since the Champlost business development occurred at Broad and Champlost. I visited that stop to follow up on citizen complaints a number of times. It's always jam-packed. Crossing that street, either Champlost or York Road, is a very complicated job. There are many senior citizens that slowed down the process. What can we do? I'm told that the people who make the report may be acting as PennDOT employees or as agents of PennDOT, but they're City employees. Do we have any control over them or do they decide -- do they become state employees and, therefore, their decisions are the same as the decision of PennDOT? I'm told that PennDOT never intervenes, never makes a study itself, but has transmitted that function over to the City.
We do a number of studies in any given month, any given year for locations throughout the City. I'm not really familiar with what you're talking about in terms of city employees becoming state employees. I can certainly find out if you're talking about some contract investigator 1894 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET or auditor that may be investigating the work that we do. But other than that, I'm not really familiar with the situation that you're describing, but I'd be happy to look into it.
Would you do that and would you notify the people involved, those who make the studies, that if they're acting for PennDOT and they're making the decisions, I'm going to be introducing an ordinance to provide during the time they do the PennDOT work, they get paid by PennDOT and the City not pay them. Because I don't think they're working for the city. And the findings were inevitably they find automatically that the traffic study does not warrant the placement of a stop sign or the placement of a traffic signal. And I think you have people making those decisions that work against the interest of the City, and I don't see any reason why the City should pay them. And this is a case very much like the one that Councilwoman Tasco has referred to and cries out for correction. So would you be good enough to form a chair within the next week, say, of your decision on that --
-- traffic installation? And what's the latest on the paving of Ogontz Avenue?
From Chelten Avenue south to Belfield where Ogontz Avenue begins.
That project is currently in the bidding process. We expect to have a bid date March 18th, with anticipated construction beginning in May of this year. That will be --
All right. We hope that those dates are maintained, because this has been ongoing for three or four years. We're told that dates are set and then something seems to happen. And it's a matter that Councilwoman Miller and my office are very much concerned with, and I think Councilwoman Tasco is also very concerned about that. Now, in the Streets Department, do you 1896 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET issue contracts to author companies to do certain work that you cannot do?
What is the amount of money involved in those contracts? Say, in fiscal 2002, what did the amount of money add up to?
Our paving work is primarily done out of our capital budget. I don't have that amount with me right now.
Right, out of our operating budget. We hire -- 1897 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
So your operating budget, you have no money spent for contract, for outside contractors; is that right?
Is your testimony that under your operating budget, the Streets Department spends no money in the form of payments to outside contractors?
Right. We do our resurfacing. The majority is done out of the capital budget, and that's approximately $12 million. Out of our operating budget, we do that with our own forces.
Now, of that 12 million, how many contracts involved in year 2002?
I'll have to get that number for you. I don't know the exact number of contracts, sir.
Well, because what I'm interested in and the final question on that is going to be, what's the percentage of contracts of that $12 million that goes to minority groups, including women? 1898 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
I will get that information for you. I did not bring my capital budget notes with me, but I can get that information for you.
Because that's been a course of serious discussion in a number of departments. Now, with respect to management, I get increasing complaints that there's a small number of sanitation operators who are still tossing trash around. Maybe they've worked too long hours, I don't know, but a lot of trash is left on the streets and the streets are left in dirty form. I don't know if they've been overworked or what. But I think it's very important for the Department to manage and maintain the excellent reputation Philadelphia has for fine workers, because I believe the overwhelming number of sanitation workers do a great job. But I think that management has to be willing to manage and not depend on labor organizations to do the management jobs, because labor organizations are just not 1899 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET suited for that purpose. The officials have to get re-elected. And they're like politicians, they don't like to say to voters who may pass upon their continuing in office, they don't like to have to complain about it. But I just think it very important. And in many ways, the Department does a great job, but I'd like to urge that let's remove all the ability of the people to complain about how the street looks after the trash has been collected. The street ought to look clean. And management ought to accept its responsibility for inspecting the work and for taking the necessary administrative action if it's necessary. Would you agree with that general statement?
All right. Good. And so next time we get a complaint, you'll hear from me.
Final question is recycling. I understand that recycling is doing better in the sense that from an economic point of 1900 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET view, it actually, in fact, is saving money over the use of landfills, considering all the costs. And I understand that the statistics show in a recent quarter that that was the fact. Can you verify or dispute that or give us any information? Because the answer is obvious, if what I said was true, while it's taken us a while to get there, it seems to me that that kind of information ought to evoke a very positive response and we ought to increase vastly the amount of resources that go into recycling.
Surely. I can certainly say that we have some guarded excitement that we're trying to evaluate right now. Our market position with payments being received for the last -- over the last year make recycling very, very positive in terms of revenue versus an expense, in terms of what we pay out versus receiving monies. We're presently receiving revenue. We're expecting to receive this year approximately $850,000, where in years past, we may have paid for the tonnage that we collected. We're very hopeful that this arrangement can continue. Part of it is based upon market 1901 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET conditions; part of it is based upon contracts that have been negotiated by our recycling group that has done an excellent job in kind of ferreting out opportunities for the City to make recycling as positive as it can be.
So you agree that the results indicate a real incentive for increased activity in recycling?
All right. Very good. Then we'll look forward to continued improvement at a level of recycling that takes place in the City. Incidentally, does the Department have any records as to the various proposals at the time we were talking about a trash-to-steam plant in South Philadelphia?
Because my study indicates that by not building a trash-to-steam 1902 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET plant in South Philadelphia, the City is going to save, over the life of the proposed Ogden market contract, the amount of 1 billion and a half. It's a billion and a half dollars over the life of that contract, and I would like to know, can you verify or disagree or change that figure? Who in your department would have that information?
I can certainly go back and try to ferret through some of our files and see if there's anything that can support what you're saying.
Would you do that? Because I'm looking for verification or refutation of articles that have appeared in the Wall Street Journal indicating that the trash-to-steam developments have been economically terrible failures to cities that have used them, that they have resulted in prices for disposal three times, and more in some cases, what the cost is where people have not been -- municipalities have not gone forward with trash to steam. So I will appreciate whatever information you have with respect to that. Okay. Thank you, Madam President. 1903 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
You're welcome, sir. The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter.
Let me try to go through a number of items somewhat quickly. The street cleaning program that's operating in a variety of neighborhoods throughout the City, you'll find it somewhat surprising that I do receive from time to time inquiries from constituents who are interested, or so they think they're interested, in participating in the street cleaning program. And I know, again, in many instances we start these programs to see how they're functioning, get some of the bugs out and logistical issues, and I know that there have been some over time. But can you tell me if there is any thought at the moment to expanding the street cleaning program? I'm also aware that the program has been 1904 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET halted in some parts of the City. So I'm wondering whether there might be opportunities to expand it just based on the fact that it's not necessarily serving the same areas where the program started.
Okay. So if I had a street or a block that was expressing that interest and maybe hopefully they're near another street that's already getting the service, there might be an opportunity to move a couple things around?
Okay. Two other components to that. What is your sense of how well we've worked out the -- I mean, street cleaning only works if people move their cars, and the incentive has been to post the signage naturally telling people. We do it, is it once a week, once every two weeks?
Once a week. So people know that on one side of the street, once a 1905 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET week for a limited amount of time, usually 9:00 to 11:00, 9:00 to 12:00, something like that, they have to move their car either across the street or somewhere else off of their side of the street, and then the other side of the street usually gets it the next day. Along with that, there is the coordination with generally the Parking Authority where we utilize their services to help to encourage people to move their vehicles. Naturally one of the complaints from time to time has been that the Parking Authority is out aggressively doing their job, but subsequently because generally equipment failure results in the street not actually being done because the Authority people I think are a couple blocks ahead and don't necessarily get the word that you're never going to get to such-and-such a block because the equipment broke down two blocks away. In the meantime, the constituents have received a ticket and not received a street cleaning. How are we dealing with that particular issue?
We have been challenged by 1906 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET that situation. What we try to instill and encourage in the area where we're working the program is that we want people to move their cars so the street can get cleaned, not because they're going to get a ticket. So the vehicles should move, not because they see a ticket writer coming along. There have been occasions where we've had to work with the Parking Authority to address a problem when we have tickets written when our vehicle could not get through. But by and large, tickets that are written within the time period where the cleaner should come through have been valid tickets.
Right. But in the case where they don't make it and even if -- I mean --
I can't say on a wholesale level that that has happened, but there has been occasion when that has happened.
I'm not sure if I 1907 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET made you aware. There was one situation where the street cleaners actually came through the block earlier than normal. I had a constituent move her car just because she knew it was street cleaning day. She moved her car early. The street cleaners came through early. She then reparked her car because her street had been done and reparked it during the prohibited time period and subsequently received a ticket, even though the street cleaning had actually already happened and she had complied with the situation. So, I mean, there are all these little unusual --
-- situations that happen out there from time to time. I'll get back to you with a couple streets that have indicated an interest in possibly participating in the program.
I think Councilman Cohen asked the question with regard to recycling, and I don't know whether this is kind of an annual part of our budget process, but it seems to happen one or two times a year. All of the sudden, we 1908 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET start receiving all of these letters from advocates in the recycling community, and they seem to happen with some level of coordination, either encouraging full city-wide weekly pickup or panicked that the City is about to cut or reduce the recycling program. Can you give us a sense of -- I mean, are we upgrading the program, keeping it the same or cutting back?
We've actually improved the program. We have a multi-year, multi million dollar education and marketing campaign that is going on. Our service has improved from the day before trash to same day as trash.
Yes. We expanded to weekly collections. The northwest section of the City is a test and also part of Center City. So we are making great inroads. We're trying to be innovative in what we do, trying to provide certainly services not decrease at all.
Okay. Let's talk about -- 1909 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
Okay. Let's talk about leaf collection and the leaf collection schedule. In many parts of the district that I represent, as you well know, there are a significant number of trees, and what normally happens is, we will get the notice about the leaf collection cycle at times upward of a week after the schedule indicates that the cycle is about to happen. So, I mean, one, to the extent that we can get those schedules at an earlier point in time, because naturally we then do mailings to a variety of people to let them know what's going on. Getting the schedules a little earlier would be helpful. Secondly, I've noticed in recent years, for whatever reason, this may be climate driven or how much rain we get or we don't get, but there seems to be kind of two waves of the leaf dropping. First, the one is normally timed to coincide with when you send the notices out. So I know the 1910 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET Department knows when it's about that time of year. You do all of that, which is fine, but then a few weeks later, there seems, at least in some parts of the district that I represent, a second dropping of leaves, at which point the Department may be starting to move into another phase of operations, and constituents, I think rightly so, assume that there will be another round of leaf collection and push them out into the street or possibly bag them, depending on where things are. That second pickup generally doesn't happen. And I know this year at least -- and maybe we got our snow a little early -- there were a number of situations where I think the first snowstorm we got this year, which actually I think was in December --
November. Snow a little early and continuing. That ended up being covered by that snowstorm. And then leaf collection was over, and then we were told basically to tell people that they should bag them. Well, very few people are going to go out in the street and bag leaves that have now been sitting out there for 1911 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET about a month, including the rain and the snow on top of them. So I raise this in the context of if there is a way to ensure that there will be somewhat of an end-of-the-year-mop-up of the leaf collection situation where you pretty much know that you've gotten everything that you can get, that would be very, very helpful. Lastly, there are a number of areas in the district that are just not covered at all and so we often get complaints from people thinking that they've somehow dropped out of the City of Philadelphia and are being denied some level of service. I'd be glad to work with you on where those areas are to make sure that there's as much coverage as possible.
Thank you. I received a letter recently indicating that there was a reorganization in the Traffic Engineering Unit or a reduction in the number of people in the Traffic Engineering Unit. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
Yes. We have revised 1912 3/5/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET Traffic Engineering so that instead of having five districts, there are four. I think that's the reorganization that you're talking about.
Yes. And can you tell us, from your perspective, what you think there will be in terms of impact on service or response based on that reorganization?
We will certainly maintain our responsiveness. In terms of the time line for doing our traffic studies, it may increase slightly. I think that right now we're seeing studies done anywhere from six to nine weeks. That may increase by a couple weeks. Easier ones are done in six to nine weeks.