Managing Director, about a year ago, I had a meeting in my office with a couple of very high-ranking police officials about some problems in specific areas of my district -- there were shootings and a lot of drug activity that, in my mind, got to epidemic proportions. And during the discussion, one of the concerns raised by those officials was the lack of coordination between the law enforcement arm of 713 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) government and the social service arm of government and. And as I read on , where you talk about the comprehensive and coordinated social services, it doesn't reference the law enforcement aspect of what it is we need to do. You talk about the MOCS, you talk about the Commission of Aging and other agencies, but nowhere does it reference the law enforcement end. And I'm wondering, are we in fact going to have some coordination services with law enforcement? 'cause it's clear that without a follow-up in those communities after law enforcement action, that we're not going to have a long-term solution to those problems. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: I've actually had several conversations with Commissioner Johnson at this point, and I believe we're going to be able to develop a very strong relationship in how we integrate the police and law-enforcement activities with Social Services, particularly in and around drug treatment and service. I believe that the Commissioner did a presentation to Council around some of the new 714 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) activities that the police have been involved that directly influence how and what we do in Social Services. We're also working closely with them around issues with the School District and how we come together and have a more unified agenda. While they aren't listed as part of Social Services, these are agencies who have as their primary mission social services. The Police Department obviously has as its primary mission safety and security, but their rollover into Social Services is critical if the City is going to be a safe as well as a healthy place to live. So we're both looking for, as new members, to be able to develop a different level of both leadership and collaboration and cooperation than I think has been our history in the past.
Yeah, 'cause I think it's important that the police are out there on a consistent basis. Sometimes the officers have more knowledge about some of these issues than a Social Services individual or the elected official, frankly speaking. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: In fact, I've 715 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) already asked Commissioner Johnson to come to one of our Behavioral Health sessions and talk about the initiative he's putting in place working around working in the drug and alcohol field with youthful offenders.
Okay. Thanks. Madam Chair, I have another but I'd like to yield 'cause I know Councilwoman Brown had wanted to ask questions for a long time, so I'll yield.
But you could finish and I will recognize her next.
Okay, thank you. I want another question, this is kind of a pet peeve of mine. Throughout my tenure in government, I've had an opportunity to travel to a lot of municipalities, and one of the things that I've noticed, with the exception of New York -- and I hope nobody is in here from New York -- is the cleanliness of various cities throughout our country. And when I come back to the City of Philadelphia I guess pretty much my opinion of our fine city and some of the people in our fine city, 716 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) for lack of a better term, is that we have a whole lot of pigs in this city, right? And as we talk about these issues, the quality-of-life issues and government, it seems that our response is that we ramp up our staffing levels to abate the problem. And I've had discussions with members of the Administration over the last year about a proactive approach, 'cause I, frankly speaking, don't think it's appropriate for us to continue to hire people to clean up vacant lots, to hire people to clean up the streets and essentially clean up behind people that should police themselves. And I guess my question is, what are we going to do from an educational standpoint? I recall as I was growing up as a kid -- and I know it was a lot of years ago -- we actually talked about cleanliness in schools, you know, telling children not to litter, but I don't see that out here in government, I don't see that out here in the schools. Are we going to, like, aggressively have some public service announcements or getting Allen Iverson to shoot a piece of trash in the trash can? I mean, something, you know. 717 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: That's a good idea, but I do think it's a mentality that we need to model, that the cleanliness of a city belongs to all of us. It's not a program, it's not done by City staff; it's everyone in a community taking some responsibility of making sure that their community is clean. It's that non-profit agency that's sitting on a block that begins to take some of that responsibility. It's the community organizations, it's small groupings. You know, I've been impressed, as you drive around the country, that on most of your major highways now, you see a sign that says "Such-and-such agency is responsible for the past mile in picking up trash," and perhaps we need to come up with a similar program within the City that different agencies, community groups, sometimes you see family structures that are taking responsibility for making sure blocks are clean, or to remind neighbors that it's time to pick up your trash. I'm not sure we ever want to say that government can do it all and government has to 718 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) staff up to take full responsibility for people who are just sometimes very sloppy, and that we may need to do both a communications plan, an education plan, and just a responsibility plan for how we would like to educate the people in Philadelphia to take some pride, some personal pride, in their city, their neighborhood, and their block.
Are we doing anything now? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: I don't believe we have an organized format to do that now, but I will try to make sure it gets onto my agenda as part of what the Managing Director's Office does as we look and look at the multitude of both agencies and departments we have and what we can do to do that education piece, because what I hear you saying is that we need to educate both ourselves and the residents of our city, take more pride in where they are.
Right. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: And to be able to motivate both our sports team or known figures or celebrities in the City to help us do this.
All right. You 719 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) know, I bring this up 'cause I recall years ago that we made a decision that we were going to get rid of graffiti, and we've done a good job on that, and I think we need to take the same approach with the cleanliness of our community. So can I be a part of that? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Yes.
I've really got an issue about folks just throwing trash out of the car. You know, it's ridiculous. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: We will certainly take you up on the offer to be a part of this.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brown.
Thank you, Madam President. Thank you very much. Good morning. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Good morning.
I wanted to first follow up on questions that were posed initially by 720 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) Councilwoman Tasco around the Beacon schools. You spoke to the difference between the Beacon school model and family community centers, and you also indicated that those dollars are currently TANF dollars from the State. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Many of them are TANF dollars.
At what point will they run out, or will they? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: I'm not sure that they will or that we're planning for them to do that. In fact, we -- we'll probably be requesting additional TANF dollars this year through the needs-based budgeting process.
Could you speak to the criteria or standards that were used to select the eleven schools at all? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: I can certainly get you that, it's all written out. I don't have it with me and I'm not sure I have someone here who can rattle it off of the top of their head. But there were standards, there were selection standards, there were criteria that people had to meet to even submit an RFP. And we 721 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) will get you all of that information.
Do you recall whether or not geography was a factor or a variable or not? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Well, it was -- we tried to look at the areas of the City that had the highest juvenile crime as one of the criteria. We also wanted it to be a citywide initiative, so we also tried to balance the high youth violence rates across the City to be able to get a balance across the City. I believe that all eleven really do cover the City.
Okay, then. Along this notion of preventive activities around youth violence, in your testimony, specifically on where you talk about the criminal justice population management, there's really no discussion of expansion of the Youth Study Center or maybe a new site for the Youth Study Center. And a year ago, there was a lot of dialogue in different quarters about that. Could you update us, please. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: The planning for 722 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) the Youth Study Center continues. The reason that's not in this testimony is because it's really under the auspices of DHS, and I'm sure Commissioner Martinez will cover it.
Okay, then. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: The population management really is a part of the Managing Director's Office directly, and that's where that is. But I know the activity is continuing. We are -- I believe parts of it has been -- we're now looking for a site location and are probably getting closer to making some decisions around that, but --
I'll reserve then and follow up with her. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: It's one of her passions, so I'm sure she'll be very willing to talk about it.
Okay. Additionally, there was questions around the lot program, and in response to one of Councilman Nutter's questions, 10 of the 30 come 723 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) through the -- what's called the "Court Diversion Program." COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Right.
Is there any intent to increase the number of participants that come specifically through that chanel? knowing that, unfortunately, that there are so many young people captured in that system.
It was based out of the Urban Artscape Program, where it's mostly geared towards youth. Now we're liking to expand that to also include adult community service offenders, nonviolent. Each week the number continues to rise. We sent a letter to Municipal Court. Last week, for instance, we had 100 non-violent offenders in a program. When we initially started this, it was about ten per week, so I believe this will be a program that will expand.
And the supervision of those young people happens through your office or through the courts?
The supervision will be through the Managing Director's Office. 724 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.)
Okay. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: There are two programs here, though: One is the Youth Program and the other is the Adult Program.
I'm referring to the Youth Program. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Okay.
All right. Councilman Rizzo posed questions around the Health and Safety Fund, the $300,000? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: That's correct.
Do you anticipate a line item at some point in the future? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: I'm probably not anticipating a line item. Because it's a Health and Safety Fund, which is a more bricks and mortar- type stuff, there is very little money sometimes to do that.
Okay. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: So we are sort of wiggling our way into that. I have guaranteed them $150,000, with the goal each year of getting up to $300,000. 725 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.)
Okay, then. So that's an increase COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: That is correct. So the last fiscal year, we did 150,000. I think this year, we'll be able to do 300,000, and my hope next year is to be able to do 300,000.
Very well. When you look at the need, it seems to be a one-third, one-third, one-third approach. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Right.
And next year, it could conceivably move us towards coverage of all those centers that need that kind of assistance. Finally, last week, the Mayor's Office of Community Services spoke to the breadth of services and programs that they provide. Councilman Ortiz and I had questions or concerns around the impact. Now, you speak to performance-based accountability currently underway in the Managing Director's Office. What we did not hear was what 726 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) is happening in the way of program accountability specifically in the MOCS area. (Witness comes forward.)
My name is Susan Kretsge, I'm Director of Quality Management. We have been working with all of the social-services department and also with the Mayor's Office of Community Service around how they might measure the impact or effectiveness of services. We've set out a broad framework, and each department has, in turn, developed its own plan. MOCS, through the type of funding that it gets, is involved in what's called "result-oriented management accountability." What they have done just over the last month is started training for all of their staff through a provider that the State has designated.
Right. We then will be working with them and bringing them into our reporting system and then working with them on what the information or what the data means. 727 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) What it would do is show you some level of impact. Where you need to go with that then is to figure out why you got the results you did. So working better with one population than another? is there something in the process that isn't working? are you maybe not delivering the service according to the model you thought you were going to use? So they have been involved with us in addition. As we have done general training for different social-service staff, they have been involved with that as well.
Okay, he did mention that there are federal government and where you're receiving State dollars, State regulations, and monitoring guidelines as well. So will that mean overlap, or will that mean coordination with regards to what the City will then do in the area of program accountability?
What we had done across the board is -- we didn't want to go in and say to departments that what you think is important or what your funders have said is important doesn't work for us or doesn't make sence. And probably the lAst thing most departments need is another 728 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) report. So for the most part we have said, If you already have defined outcomes for your services, outcomes that focus on the consumers you're serving, then that is fine for us, and we do this in concert with the Office of Program and Budget Evaluation for their reporting. In addition, some departments have said, We want to go a little bit further on this. And then we would work with them there. They may at times have a certain number of measures or information they report to us, but down at a lower level, a lower program unit level, they may need more information and different kinds of measures. But we have tried vey much to let departments continue to keep information that matters to them, and not say, You have to do something new because we're here now.
Okay, I appreciate that. Let me just check, Madam President. I think that is it. Thank you very, very much, ladies.
Thank you. 729 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) The Chair recognizes Councilman Ortiz.
Thank you, Madam President. Good morning, Estelle. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Good morning.
Good morning, ma'am. I want to begin with where Jimmy was before in terms of the Targeted Assistance Program because it's something that both he and I are both interested in, but I didn't hear about the refugee situation, and the immigrant situation from Central or Latin America. And we have quite a growing population of that -- of those communities and citizens, and it seems to be Eastern Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia.
We have to follow exactly the federal regulations as to who is legally entered as a refugee and/or now their status of being just a -- as asylum. So the particular populations that you 730 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) mentioned fall outside of our federally allowed --
And asylees. You know, there are some folks that are coming from, for instance, from Colombia that face quite a deal of retribution if they go back to Colombia. I know people recently that have called the office, and I have referred them to different places, whose families in Colombia and other places are facing quite dangerous situations.
We're on the tail-end of the State Department activities; that's the organization that identifies, through their office, you know, the population who is considered an at-risk population.
And is facing quite 731 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) a great deal of problems across the City, and they have established businesses --
-- across the City, and they have faced quite a bit of attacks and other sorts of discriminatory tactics they have suffered.
And they don't have, as Jimmy spoke, they don't have the knowledge of the system, of the police activity that takes place. They have become almost targets in different areas of police in terms of drug deals and so on.
They have become stigmatized in a way, and I just wonder, how can we expand this? because the communities that are growing, the immigrant community that is growing in numbers in this city is Mexican, Dominican, Central American.
And how can we -- 'cause Jimmy has been speaking about the City 732 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) establishing an Office of Immigrant Services. How can we begin expanding this so that we not only take the asylees and we begin structuring an office that really becomes a beacon, to use that word, Estelle. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Yes.
A beacon to immigrants from all over the place, specifically Latin-Americans so that -- it's an idea that has been floated by Jimmy and this Council, and we held hearings here. And I figure, since we have this, why not expand this?
Well, we were sort of counting on Councilman Kenney, as a matter of fact, because it has all sorts of implications for economic development, and all sorts of things came to mind. And the Federal Office Of Refugee Resettlement, which is responsible for our funds did, in fact, try four years ago to expand the population to include immigrants, but unfortunately, we have to go back to the federal legislation to --
But I'm talking 733 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) about us, I'm talking about us as a city, not the federal government 'cause if we depend on the federal government to do certain things specifically to this community that we're talking about -- the Latino, Mexican, Central-American, Latin-American community -- we'll wait until the Arctic Circle is totally drilled and covered with oil, which may not be too long, okay?
But how do we as a city -- and Estelle maybe can speak to that. How can we begin attracting and expanding the objectives of this office as to what we have been talking about here at the hearings that we held? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Councilman, perhaps what we should do is use what we have learned from the Targeted Assistance Program to develop some level of plan and beginning some effort of what we might do to the future to address some of these issues brought up by you and Councilman Kenney. From the City perspective, what would it take, what would be the purpose, how would with develop it, and what it would look like? 734 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.)
Like, for instance, you know, one of the things that -- and I was reading an article last night in the Daily News in New York City about the aspect of rebirth of renaissance and the energy that immigrants bring and the renovation to a city. I don't -- do we have a list, for instance, of all of the commercial bodega bodegas that the Dominican community has established across the City? Do we know all of these businesses? And they face certain problems that other small businesses don't face. And in order for us to help them grow, how can we begin -- because they bring the energy of community and business development, okay, into different neighborhoods, and they have settled not just in the traditional Puerto Rican Barrio and neighborhood, but they have settled across the City in terms of establishing their businesses. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Right. I'm not aware of whether or not there's such a listing, but I will inquire.
Can the Commerce Department begin, you know, matching a monetary 735 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) investment in terms of economic development for these immigrants that come in and establish businesses? We're talking about growth, we're talking about bringing in people who contribute to the economic and establishment of a new middle class, as we say in the City.
There are organizations within the City and the Dominican Grocers Association and other type of ethnically- based business and civic associations that have those lists, and we'd be happy to provide at least the people that I've come in contact with over the course of the last couple of years who are very interested in not only interfacing with the City, but providing volunteer opportunities from their own organizations to offset any costs that the City's associated with. In addition, a number of foundations in the City that we've met through the grant makers and others indicated a willingness to perhaps match some of the City's investment in this regard if it were to move forward and we were to be serious about it. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Perhaps this is 736 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) a good collaboration between the Managing Director's Office and the Commerce Department to look at these areas to expand on the assistance program and determine how the City --
How do we get this office to become a much more encompassing office and actually expand the vision that it has and really become what I said, a beacon that other individuals will know about and start trying to resettle here in Philadelphia? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: I think in part, it's moving it up on the agenda and on the plate become more familiar with both its goals and objectives and to be able to integrate that more fully into the Managing Director's Office
Well, I'd like to begin. I think Jimmy and I would both like to be, you know, very closely involved in whatever develops out of here. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Okay.
Because I'd like to begin bringing this together and moving it forward, because it's a community of energy and investment and growth that we need to nurture. 737 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Okay.
In terms of the vacant lots, yesterday, we had some testimony and it was sort of confusing. You say that 19,731 lots have been cleaned, and yesterday, there was sort of an ambiguous proposal or not very clear as to what is going to happen once you clean them. (Witness comes forward.) COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Go on, introduce yourself.
My name is Tumar (ph) Alexander, Assistant Managing Director.
Who maintains them? Are we going to be in the business of going ahead and, like Michael spoke about, mowing lawns and cutting grass? Do we have the personnel to be able to do this?
Well, presently, no, to answer your question, Councilman, we don't have the personnel to presently maintain that number of lots. What we're going to try to do is, with our maintenance plan, and try to incorporate that into the issues. And I guess some of the 738 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) guidelines of NTI is that we're going to try to maintain then in several ways. One is to --
That's not a clear answer. What happens; do you clean them?
We clean 'em, right. Presently, we clean 'em. We have the Mayor's Office of Community Services to come behind us and try to solicit community residents to be community caretakers for certain lots, so that number gets taken off the list of the ones that do sign up and say they want to maintain a lot.
We should have the minutes of yesterday's hearing, because that was not very clear in what was said here yesterday from the Finance Office and the Budget Office. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: For many of these lots that lie in the midst of communities, and all of them don't, I've already had many community groups come into me and say they want to take responsibility, are there small amounts of money they can have to buy grass seed, are there things they can do? So part of it is, as I think Mr. Alexander has said, is that the MOCS workers 739 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) that follow behind the crews that do the cleaning out of the debris is to activate that community in taking some personal responsibility for that lot. We're also working with Mural Arts about adjacent properties where they can help. So we are trying to engage as many people as we can to take responsibility for keeping the lot clean. Remember, we have cleaned out all the debris, we have made it basically appropriate now for someone to come in and want to plant grass or want to do something more innovative with that space, and many of the community groups really have stepped to the plate to want to do that. For these large, massive lots that may be suitable for a land bank or as the lots that we're trying to keep clean for NTI, we will share some of that responsibility with them.
So there is not going to be a an RFP given out for a private consultant to come in and do this type of work? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: To do --
The maintenance and the after-cleanup aspects and coordinate that. 740 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) That's the impression I got yesterday. I'm just asking for clarification.
Right now, Councilman, it is one of the options of how we're going to maintain it is through an RFP or a bid process, and we asked contractors to come in and give us a price for the service.
And you have that budgeted? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: It's part of the NTI budget.
So that comes from the bond issues? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: That's correct.
That comes from the bond proceeds? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Yes.
Okay. In the Community Life Improvement Program, in the broken windows theory, the police played a big role in the quality-of-life issues in different neighborhoods. How does the police work into this? Because I didn't hear it mentioned when the description was coming up, was given. 741 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.)
Basically, the police will play a very active role in this with the Neighborhood Services Unit, which deals with abandoned vehicles, graffiti squads, the Short-Dump Unit for surveillance. We're going to work very closely with them.
And of the 9 persons that are going to be in that CLIP, do you 10 have maybe a description of their functions, of 11 what they're going to be doing, those 20 12 individuals? And how they will be operating? Do 13 you have that in writing? 14
Could you just tell 16 me that you have it and then forward it to the 17 President, and I think that will be appreciated. 18 COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: One of the 19 things we'll get to the President is a write-up of 20 the CLIP Program. We're still working on that, but when we finish it, we'll make sure that you have a copy of it.
But we'd like to be very clear if we're going to have 20 individuals 742 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) being transferred from departments to this, to form sort of a task force. What are those employees 4 going to be doing? what are their functions? If it 5 is coordination, do we need 20 people to do 6 coordination? 7 COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: No, they won't 8 be doing the coordination. They'll be doing the 9 work, but they won't be transferred; they'll still 10 be the in the Streets Department, still be in L&I, 11 but they may be taking orders from the Managing 12 Director's Office as a piece of this. That's why I 13 said there -- 14
So there will be one 15 coordinator. 16 COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: That's right, 17 one. 18
Okay, coordinating 19 20 people. 20 COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: That's correct.
From different departments. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: From different departments.
And assigning work 743 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) schedules to them. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: That's correct.
Plus the work-release people from the judicial process that we have. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: That's correct. This is a different model; that's why, again, I want to do it on prototype to see if it works. When you're coordinating people coming out of various different points, that could be a good design or that could be a nightmare; we'll see.
Well, I'll keep my next statement to myself, but I'll go on to the next. In terms of the prisons here, you have the aspects that you will be enlarging and building a new women's facility. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: That is correct.
Could you explain that to me, please. And when was the timeline for that? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: I believe that at this point, we're still on line for the Women's Detention Center coming up, I believe, in the fall 744 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) of 2003. I would --
How many beds are in there? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: 800. I would recommend you also ask that question of the Prison Commissioner, who's going to come and --
Oh, we will. Commissioner Costello is here, and we will have more questions for him on that. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Okay.
And you said expansion of Curran Fromhold? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: An expansion?
Well, let me see what the correct phrasing is here. In terms of Curran Fromhold, renovations, what are the renovations to the House of Corrections at Curran Fromhold that are supposed to be made? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Those are additional adjustments we're making to some of the cells there in terms of trying to get more space and taking rooms that are on some of the blocks now and turning them into cells that have bathrooms to 745 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) make them fully-equipped bedrooms.
So you're taking square footage and building cells. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: It's not building a cell; it's taking a room that was already within that module and putting in a bathroom or other things that would make it a cell.
And that will increase the capacity? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: That will increase the capacity.
Councilman, do you mind waiting for the second go-around. We still have other Councilmembers that have not been recognized.
Thank you, Madam President. 746 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) Good morning. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Good morning.
I have a couple questions. Some of them are follow-up questions to other questions that have already been asked by Councilmembers. I want to start with -- if -- you said that the TANF dollars are going to fund after- school programs? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Yes.
Will that then make it -- will there be eligibility requirements based on those programs as to where they are? I mean, who they're going to serve? Will people have been to be low-income, or will these programs be open to everybody? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: The programs are open to everyone. TANF is the bulk of the money, but it's not the only funding source in it, so that we haven't been bound just by eligibility requirements; we've been able to blend some of dollars, but they are the bulk.
The largest proportion of the dollars are the TANF dollars through DHS. And 747 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) the requirement there is that a family be at 400 percent of the poverty level. So it's not a very restrictive program, so we think that most people who would be applying would be accommodated.
Okay, so that anybody can actually apply for the program irregardless to location because certainly -- will those TANF dollars also fund the Recreation program's after-school activities?
At this point, we're not using the TANF dollars for Recreation programs. There is that possibility, but that isn't in this plan.
Okay. Well, I just wondered because certainly some of the Recreation centers in my district are not in an area that would be low-income, so I wanted to know if they would be impacted by their inability not to receive this funding for after school. So then the funding isn't all TANF, so it should not impact some of the after-school programs that are in different sections of the City. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Right. We've 748 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) been able to do a mixture of dollars from different sources so that we haven't run into a problem of anyone who comes in and wants to use a Recreation program or an after-school program would ever have to be turned away because of not low income.
Okay. What is the average dollar-amount of funding per site? 'cause I have a very high interest level. I have a lot of people that are interested in opening up and running after-school programs. Is there a minimum amount of funding per site?
The funding has been on a per-slot basis at about $1500 per slot. And what we expect is that these various providers will utilize a number of different sources of funding, not just the sources that come through this particular City program. For example, the State has a program for low-income residents who can access after- school funding through the State. So what we hope is that this money will serve as a way to expand and allow people to 749 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) develop the programs, but they will use multiple funding sources.
Okay. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: We also -- for any program that receives money from the City for after-school programs, we've set some very tight standards that they have to meet so that we are trying to control bothe the quality and the standard and the outcomes that we get from after-school programs. It's not just pouring money into the community and hope it comes out okay. So the standards that we have adopted, we hope, are very clear, and we will only put money into programs who can meet these standards.
Do you have an RFP that you put out, or is there a package that you send out to people that inquire about getting the funding? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Yes. There was an RFP that went out last summer, late summer, on after-school programs, and there was an RFP on the Beacons that went out, I believe, in the fall. Typically, once we understand all of the pieces on funding, if we do another RFP, it 750 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) will probably be in early summer.
Okay. I want to move on now to the Beacon centers. Now, those centers will not necessarily be in a school. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: All the Beacons, I believe, are in schools or are connected to schools.
Okay. So the actual activities will take place in a school? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: That is correct.
All right. So what is the difference between -- well, actually, that's not a good question 'cause I really don't know what teen access centers do, what services teen access centers provide. I'm very clear on what family centers provide so I can see that there will be a difference between a Beacon and a family center. But can you tell me what the teen access centers actually do or where they are located in the City? Or should I save that question for DHS? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: You should save 751 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) that question for the Department of Recreation. The two teen access centers are run by the Department or Recreation. I believe they're here tomorrow. There are two -- one we just opened last week -- and they are for and run by teens.
Okay. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: They also have a comprehensive nature in the neighborhood they're in and offer a variety of activities for the young people who come there. But the uniqueness of this one is that it's actually run by the teens themselves, with adult advisors, but the teens take the primary responsibility of making sure that the teen center works.
Okay. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: But I'm sure -- this has been both a vision and a passion of Commissioner Richard, and he would be very glad, I think, to go into the detail and tell you about them.
Okay, very good. And the Beacon centers will not replace anything. Whatever we have, family centers, teen 752 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) access centers, whatever we have will still be there, and the Beacon centers will be in addition. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: That is correct.
Okay, good. I'd also be interested in knowing where those eleven centers are located. I just want to talk a little bit about the Anti-Graffiti Program here in the City and tie it into CLIP and also just code enforcement around quality-of-life issues particularly regarding trash and cutting of weeds and all of these things 'cause the cleanliness of our neighborhoods is really a pet peeve of mine too, and I'd also like to be included in whatever anti-trash or cleanup campaign activities that you decide to put together, because it's not just needed in neighborhoods, but it's also needed along business strips and a lot of large transportation hubs like Broad and Erie that's always full of trash. I'm interested in just seeing how code enforcement will change, particularly whether people comply because they're threatened with a lien on their property. Because right now, it just doesn't seem that too much works. 753 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) I know that you're out in neighborhoods doing sweep and you're giving people tickets now or citations for putting trash out incorrectly and all of those others. We'd like to at some point get a result; I would like to hear what has been the result of the increased citation, increased enforcement. In my district, we have a lot of problems with people putting trash cans out front rather than in side yard or the backyard and just keeping them there all the time, and we also have problems with people barbecuing on their porches, which we've worked with the Fire Department on that issue, but we get a lot of calls from a lot of neighbors that are frightened that this barbecue grilling on porches can start fires. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: One of the things that we're doing and one of the reasons that we're trying to coordinate this is that certain departments can write tickets. The Police Department --
The Streets Department. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: The Streets Department can write a ticket the Streets 754 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) Department can write a ticket, but only L&I can place a lien on a property. So we're trying to get all of this coordinated that once we write a ticket, if people don't comply, then we can put a lien on the property. We're continuing to work with law -- I should have said from the beginning, all of this is working with law around where the scope of how do we begin to get this all working together in a coordinated way. Understanding your comments about people doing barbecuing on their porches and not fully understanding the fire dangers, we will certainly work with the Fire Department around helping educate people around the potential danger of wood structures and fires.
Right, you're not supposed to barbecue on your porch; you're supposed to do it in your backyard or your side yard or whatever, and it's really frightening people. I was hoping that we were more or less winning the war on graffiti, because certainly when you ride around the neighborhoods, the physical 755 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) appearance of the neighborhoods have changed and you don't see it -- at least I don't see a lot of graffiti. So I thought we were doing a lot around prevention, but it sounds like we're winning the war because we're just cleaning more buildings. Is that true, or is there a prevention strategy at all?
Well, basically, we have several programs in the Anti-Graffiti Network. One is the Paint Voucher Program where we provide free paint and supplies to community groups, active organizations in the neighborhoods, Town Watch Groups and so on and so forth. The graffiti abatement teams are the ones that roughly will do 70,000 properties this year on graffiti removal. The Police Department's Neighborhood Services Unit will be working closely with the graffiti abatement teams to apprehend very active graffiti vandals in the communities. So it's a coordinated approach with all of the different agencies in the City, which has really made a difference and why we've come so far on the graffiti battle.
I just want to 756 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) piggyback on Councilman Clarke's comments earlier, that I think we just have to do more public education in school or whatever it is, you know, so that we can work with young children that grow up to take more pride in their neighborhood and we can deal more effectively with issues such as trash and graffiti. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Councilwoman, we will certainly include you the planning we're going to be doing with Councilman Clarke to look at this. And one of the entities that I think we probably will try to use as much as we can is the Urban Artscape Program, which is youth and begin to maybe help them become more ambassadors to their communities around the importance of taking pride in the community and not tolerating trash, and taking a zero-tolerance attitude towards trash, as we've done with graffiti in our communities. But to be able to use a youth group that has already made this an agenda item for themselves and their adult mentors and plus be getting in dialogue with you and Councilman Clarke. I think we can begin to get this kind of communication and education program off the ground. 757 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.)
Do we actively recruit junior block captains? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: The Streets Department does.
I just wondered. I mean, when we go out on our blight tours -- you know, you've been there, so you know that many times young children follow you from block to block, and I know we've been asking them if they want to become a junior block captain, and they all seem very interested; no one has said no, they've all said yes. I think that's a good place to start, with our younger citizens. I wanted to talk a little bit -- I didn't hear all of Tumar's answers regarding the the caretakers, the lot caretakers. Are we giving them equipment, Tumar, so that they're able to become a caretaker?
Yes, yes, we are, Councilwoman. They can get equipment through our 758 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) Community Partnership Program, which runs out of our anti-graffiti warehouse, where they can come in and borrow equipment and have access to paint and paint vouchers also.
Mm-hmm. I was just wondering, because I know of someone that signed up to be a caretaker, and you let them use lawn mowers and things like that?
Yeah, on a specific basis where we can have -- if there's equipment that we can provide supervision for, we do it through L&I. They have a partnership program where they'll actually bring the people out with the equipment to the people, so they will supervise 'em why they're using it.
Right. We partner with L&I on that -- with lots of projects in my district. I was thinking more of community tool, library, or lending center, because they have -- and maybe partnering with a neighborhood nonprofit or church where people could go and pick up a lawn mower if they needed one.
Yes, Councilwoman. The 759 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) first thing (indiscernible) gave you is that our anti-graffiti warehouse is where they could also get that kind of equipment.
Okay, where are they anyway, the anti-graffiti warehouse?
Yeah, we actually -- we actually have a voucher and we can provide the Council President with some to distribute to the members. We actually have an application they can fill out and send back to us, and we send them a verification telling them where they can pick the equipment up and a contact person for it.
The Chair recognizes Councilman Rizzo for a point of order.
Madam President, point of order. Since I'm on the same wave length with Councilwoman Miller, I thought it would be 760 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) appropriate maybe to include it in the debate right now. Managing Director Richman, in reference to the sweep officers, I have received letters and calls, especially from Center City residents, and it was a bit cute and funny the way the one constituent said they got a ticket for their trash not being put out properly, and a constituent said, should he bring out his chair and sit there with it after he puts it out because there are dogs, there are people that rummage through the trash that create the situation. So, you know, sarcastically, the communication was to me was, Should I sit out there and babysit the trash until they come and pick it up? And after I laughed a bit about it, I realized that the person had a point: Once you put the trash out, it's basically out of your control, and for this one particular constituent to get four or five tickets because there was a gentleman that patroled that neighborhood, that went through everything and didn't put it back. I visited a community in the summer that has a requirement, and I know we've discussed 761 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) it and I know that it's possibly a labor management issue, but we ought to have in this city a rigid container law, where trash, when it's to be put out, it's not to be thrown out in a plastic bag. Even that thing that they show on television doesn't work. In my opinion, we should make sure that the trash gets put out in a container, because in my opinion, when I drive through, especially Center City, the streets are dirtier after trash collection than before. And I know that you have to send the army out there with the sweepers and everything to work behind the collection process, but what is our resistance here? We gave people initially a recycling container. Why can't we require people -- and again, this vacation place that I visit in the summer, you wouldn't dare put your trash out, because they have another problem; they have seagulls and other animals. But we have the same situation here, and I think that we should have a rigid container law in the City of Philadelphia where at least -- I know you experimented with that big bucket up in 762 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) Roxborough where the truck with the arm picked it up, and that in itself, I think, was a help. But just for people from the third-story window to throw trash bag out at the curb, it just doesn't cut it. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: I certainly understand the issue, Councilman Rizzo, having lived in Center City for many years. I also received a ticket once, where you put your trash out and a variety of people can come through and sort through it. I will work with the Streets Department around investigating this issue and get back to you and look at how we might begin to resolve some of these issues you've just brought up.
And I also think that -- you know, when I grew up, the emphasis on "don't be a litter bug" was important. And when I I come to work in the morning and I'm trying to time it right, someone stops at a fast-food restaurant, and at the same point every day -- I won't name the name of the fat-food restaurant -- there's a coffee cup spinning around in the operating lane, and about another hundred yards 763 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) behind that is the trash bag. I know the Police Department is very busy, but I think this city needs a campaign. I was behind another motorist where the person was a smoker, stopped at this red light, and emptied the ashtray -- opened the door and actually just emptied the ashtray into the street. I don't know whether they're just not aware that that is something you shouldn't do, or the Police Department, I would hope -- I'm hoping to time it right some morning when I see the cup go out the window so I can get the license number and call the district and see if they can do something about it. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Certainly these are concerns, but these are really concerns where I do believe a campaign against littering and a campaign for personal responsibility have to be in effect. We certainly want to focus -- we don't want our police just focusing on litter unless it happens in front of them. But we really want people to take more pride in their own behavior and more pride in their city than to use the City for their trash. And certainly I will include you in 764 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) discussions with Councilman Clarke and Councilwoman Reed Miller.
And, you know, you see these things every day. Again, another example, a person -- a piece of tissue, blew their nose, and I watched them put down the window and just throw it right out. You want to just pull up alongside and say something but, you know, that's not appropriate to do -- I guess it's not. But it just amazes me when we're looking at our city and comparing it with others. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: I think Councilman Clarke had it right: We have some very sloppy people that we need to find ways, creative ways, to get them to understand that we will not continue to tolerate the level of uncleanliness that they bring.
What about the rigid container? You may have addressed that and I missed it. What about the rigid container? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: I'll work with the Streets Department in looking at the issues surrounding that and get back to you.
Great, thank you. 765 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Councilman Cohen, do you still want to be recognized.
Madam President, can I make a comment around that issue?
I wanted to remind you that Councilwoman Miller and I took a junket last summer to Spain and Paris, and one of the issues was -- ane I'm sure the Commissioner will talk about that -- was looking at the use of containers for trash citywide, because it is his passion to deal with the trash. And in both cities, those containers are used throughout the city for apartment dwellers as well as in the communities where -- and so we talked about some of the problems associated with it. I mean, it is a program that could happen, but part of it is the acceptance of the people in Philadelphia of having trash containers, particularly people who live in Center City, people who live in rowhouses who don't have backyards whose trash is not collected in the back. 766 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) So all those issues have been -- and we went round and round with that, but there are other ideas that we saw that could be incorporated in the City to handle that.
Oh, it was a junket, I ran it as a junket, and I spent all of my time shopping.
Thank you, Madam President. Madam Director, I'm going to change the subject entirely -- COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Thank you.
First, what is the responsibility, as the City administration understands it, of the City for the health of City workers? We get continuing complaints, particularly from the -- in mass numbers from the Fire Department and the Police Department and then individual complaints from other departments, but those two obviously have the greatest number of 767 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) injuried-on-duty cases. What's the responsibility of injuried- on-duty health problems? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: The City on -- of its own personnel tries to -- we have an employee medical service located at 19th and Fairmount where City employees can use that center and that we do rule on whether people are ready to go back to work
Is that something with initial like CIS or SCI? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: The Medical Examination Unit is MEU.
We continue to receive, as recently as yesterday, from the Police Department severe complaints that injured-on-duty police officers do not get adequate health care and that they, in fact, often don't have their injured-on-duty bills paid, adversely affecting their credit status. Is there any discussion ongoing between the labor organizations that represent police and fire employees and the City Administration? What is the situation? Why do we keep getting these 768 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) complaints? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Councilman Cohen, let me correct myself. There is a CIS Unit and Jim Coleman -- my learning curve is still learning. Jim Coleman of my office will answer your questions. (Mr. Coleman comes forward.)
Good morning, Madam President and members of Council. I'm James Coleman, Deputy Managing Director. With regard to problems with the -- with those City employees who are injured on duty, they're handled by the a contractor who's contracted to Risk Management and to handle their medical problems while their out on sick leave or on injury time. The question of not paying --
Do the employees pick the medical service that treats them?
The employees, if they choose to remain in the City system, then they follow the procedures of Risk Management and CSI.
I'm sorry, I did not understand what you said. 769 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.)
When someone is injured, when an employee is injured, they must treat within the City's system for some period of time, and I'm not too sure what that is right -- lately because there's been some changes recently in the State regulations. However, when someone is injured, there's a choice at some point, 30 days or 60 days, I'm not sure when, where they may opt to go and be treated by their own physician. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Councilman Cohen, this is an issue dealt that's being dealt with by the Office of Labor Relations and by the Law Department with Risk Management. And I would prefer getting you information back on that rather than continuing in an area that I'm not well-versed in.
Well, I would agree with you, and I would hope that your intervention would begin changing the situation from a Risk Management kind of problem to a health kind of problem, because it seems to me that members of the Police and Fire Department, all of them have to be City residents and about whose health just as 770 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) residents we're concerned with. We have a double responsibility to them if they're injured in the course of protecting our citizenry. And I'm concerned that instead of being interested in their health matters, what we're trying to do is treat them in the least expensive way; and, therefore, I would be very pleased to accept your suggestion that your office will go into it, that you'll become familiar with it. It's been a dragging question. The Law and Government Committee of City Council held hearings over the last year and a half, nearly two years. The problem is recurring. And as recently as yesterday, from the FOP, the Fraternal Order of Police, Councilmembers got letters depicting the situation with this CIS Group and otherwise as being very unsatisfactory, as needing correction. And we would like to see that corrected because we do owe a duty to these employees who we hire as City residents and who serve the other City residents to protect us from all kinds of problems where there's frequently a likelihood of injury to their health, and they've willingly undertaken that duty, and I think we owe them the consideration of 771 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) their health first. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Councilman Cohen, I certainly will take an interest in this and work with Labor Relations as well as the Law Department around understanding -- having more understanding of this area.
All right, thank you. Then I'll leave it at this point in your hands. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Okay.
Secondly, what is the relationship of our -- of the City of Philadelphia with the hospitals in general? Do we have any relationship, or is it the State and the federal government that deal with them? I know we have a relationship with them in that they get very low rates, maybe no rates at all, for water, because whenever I visit a hospital, or unfortunately attend it as a patient, I find dripping faucets that nobody worries about, which makes me convinced that they probably don't pay much in water bills, but they ought to be watching dripping faucets like we educate most homeowners to do. 772 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: The Department of Public health does have contracts with several of the hospitals to -- that they either hire doctors through or they send district health patients to to follow up. There is a small amount of money that is used for that purpose. the primary dollars supporting hospitals either come from your commercial insurers, like Independence Blue Cross or from the State or the HMOs or the managed-care entities that have contracts with the hospitals. The City is still interested in what the hospitals do and how they do it, because it does affect the health and welfare of people who are living in the City. Also, many of the departments within Social Services have contracts with the hospitals for a variety of different special projects that they're working with, and I would suggest that you pose that question to the Department of Public Health and the Department of Human Services when they testify if you would like more in-depth information on the nature of their contacts with any hospital. 773 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.)
Well, may I request of you -- it sounds like a good suggestion -- to request those departments be ready with a list of all the contacts they have. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Yes, I will.
The kind of contacts they have. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Yes.
And which hospitals they have those contacts with. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: (Nods head.)
And, lastly, I was unable to be here yesterday when the question of advertising came on. I hope that matter will be treated by the City as a health matter and not just as a revenue matter. I understand both the Procurement Department and the Finance Department testified. I think that kind of advertising that I understand was discussed in having our City vehicles and our City buildings plastered with, I guess, "Drink Coor's Beer" or whatever company or Miller's Lite or Budweiser, and other kinds of advertising is a real blight. And I don't think that there can be 774 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) such a thing as a significant anti-blight program when the City produces blight in the way in which it does today in which it has unfettered, unlimited thousands of billboards that are not licensed in the City, that violate blatantly the laws, don't pay the fees for them, put them in places where they violate the law, and I don't think that situation will be helped by adding further blight by compelling people all over the City to seek constant signs in which the City stands as a guarantor of certain kinds of services. And I'm not limiting it to liquor and tobacco; I think any kind of advertising by the City on City property is completely inappropriate and puts the City in the position of seemingly to guarantee the quality of the service to be rendered or the quality of the product to be purchased. And further, I think it increases blight terribly. People are assaulted already too much by advertisers. So I suggest in your role as Managing Director that you introduce a health and environmental aspect to the consideration of the advertising proposal presented by the Procurement 775 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) Director and the Finance Director yesterday. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: I certainly will remember that, Councilman Cohen, but I'm not sure we're doing anything proactive at this point on advertising. So, yes, I do hear your concern and will --
All right. I don't want us referred to as "Nike City Hall," which I heard on the radio this morning. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: We will not have a (indiscernible) on City Hall.
Thank you. Thank you, Madam President. Madam Managing Director, we are really excited about the Community Life Improvement Program. Now, do we contact -- how will it work? Do we contact you about how we see it functioning in a residential or a commercial corridor? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Yes. When we are ready to do so more with this program. Contacting me would be appropriate. In the meantime, if you have any other comments or 776 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) concerns about this program, I would be the direct contact for it.
All right. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: We are going to work this program for several months to see whether or not it's an effective way of coordinating services.
I think it has all kinds of possibilities and fits real well into NTI and really be an invaluable tool. The other thing I wanted to do is mention two groups. We love our Town Watch, and I always like to say that for all the people out there who work so hard at it, they do a great job. And also the Mural Arts. I hope that we'll be able to do a little more to enhance and increase them. There are so many possibilities for them as well. There is almost nothing that the Mural Program can't do through being involved with putting chips down to all the work that they do to the pilot programs they do and linking seniors and youth programs and the areas they choose to working with the students, which you know that they do in working with schools and training kids. And they 777 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) are just invaluable. And I hope that we will expand Jane Golden's salary and their budget a little this year. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Hopefully, if you have an opportunity to talk with Jane, who was here, I am sure she has the information now. Jane is just coming back after some leave, that the adjustments to her salary have been made, and that as always, we hope to continue to support this program. In the past years, we've been able to do significant increases on it, and we would hope to continue that pattern into the future.
Absolutely. Thank you Thank you, Madam President.
You're welcome. We're going to start our second go-around. However, I would like to remind my colleagues that we do have the Police and Fire Commissioners that have been sitting here waiting. So if you could make your questions as concise as possible, I think they would really appreciate it. The Chair at this time recognizes 778 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) Councilman Nutter.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Just a couple questions. First, Mr. Conway, is it my understanding that in response to the concern raised by Councilwoman Miller that you guys are also going to pick up some of those George Foreman Grills and start issuing them to people so they can start barbecuing on their porches? (Laughter.)
Madam Managing Director and Mr. Conway, you made reference earlier with regard to the Street Tree Program, and somehow, you ended up talking specifically about the stump grinder crew. As you could imagine, I've had the occasion to have a few trees taken down, given the nature of the district that I represent. And you talked about how one crew takes a tree down, a separate crew comes back and does the stump. This seems to be somewhat almost akin to some of our demolition activities, where one group of people tear the building down and then someone else comes and does the stucco work for the remaining wall or 779 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) walls on either side of the property. We're very familiar with the first part of the process; sometimes the second part doesn't seem to get done. How do we ensure that the other crew comes to take care of the stump work, and that that in and of itself doesn't become a problem out in the neighborhood? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: The coordination is done by Fairmount Park, and we will be providing some oversight to that to see, but I will need to find out how much time normally falls between removing a tree and removing a stump, how that is handled, and how we make sure that they are as close in time as possible so a stump isn't forgotten, but I will take the responsiblity of talking to Fairmount Park about this issue and getting a feel for how well timed it is and planned it is.
Well, that actually leads into the next question because on , where you talk about the Street Tree Removal Program, you know that we started that back a couple years ago, bringing that particular service back to citizens. It had been started with a 780 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) $1 million funding a number of years ago. It has not been crystal-clear, at least through the budget process, from last year when it was announced that we were putting -- I think it was $3 million out of the $10 million that was basically going to jump-start a bunch of NTI-related programs as well as the Street Tree Program. At that time, I know Managing Director Joe Martz said that street tree removal was basically going to be in the Managing Director's Office, although I know that calls continue to be made to Fairmount Park. Can you give us a little better sense of the jurisdictional issues? I mean, whose responsibility is this? Is it somewhere in the Managing Director's Office? is it over in Fairmount Park? And then I actually don't understand why we make the separation between the people who take the tree down and the people who do the stump. I mean, if you're taking the tree down, it seems to me that you do want to go down to street level. So is there any circumstance under which you would 781 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) only take the tree down to two feet and leave it? Otherwise -- I mean, just do the job. I mean, why isn't the stump machine, or whatever it is, a part of the crew that's dealing with the trees? Then you don't have to worry about coming back. Take it down to the ground, it's over with, and then move on to the next job.
Well, I believe that has to do with the machinery. For instance, the tree-trimming crew probably consists of four people, and their job is to take the limbs off the tree and take the tree down down as far as they can, usually around feet, I believe. The stump 15 grinders --
Approximately 15 feet, I'm not sure about that -- for the tree, to remove off the top of the tree.
And basically, that's a different crew that does that, a different type of machinery. They -- for instance, they use a bucket truck to get up to the top of the tree. A stump-grinding crew has a different 782 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) piece of machinery that has to be hooked on the back of the truck, which is a totally different outfit -- not an outfit, but their job is to use that type of equipment. So they're trained specifically --
I understand. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Councilman Nutter, my understanding is that there are two different contracts. The Managing Director's Office holds the contract and the money; the coordination is done through Fairmount Park. Let me find out one why there are two different contracts, how the jobs differ, and why it was put together in the way it was rather than trying to put that together within the hearing.
I understand. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: But there are two different contracts: one to handle the tree trimming and the cutting down of the tree and another one to handle the stump removal. Let me find out why that exists, how do we choose those contracts, and how we have chosen to do it in the way we do. But the contracts do lie in the 783 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) Managing Director's Office, while much of that coordination and work is actually done through Fairmount Park.
I know we're talking about dangerous street trees. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: That is correct.
In my area, in the alleyway, a weed can start and it actually grows into a very, very large size trees. Are we going to be removing the trees in the alleyways too under NTI? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: I don't know; I will find out.
Because they do cause a nuisance to many of the property owners. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: I will get you an answer, Councilwoman.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Just for the record, so you know, when 784 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) Madam Managing Director, when that question was asked last year, the answer was yes, specifically with regard to trees in the alleys. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: In the alleys?
Yes. Let me just -- you're going to do your reasearch, and I deeply appreciate that. Let me, though, at least put on the record, I mean, the fairly obvious circumstance that happens. You take the top part of the tree off. You're only taking the tree down because the tree is deemed to be dead and dangerous. What often happens is, the top part comes off. If Mr. Conway is correct that you're leaving upwards of 15 feet now of trunk, which, in many instances, has either become hollowed out, is diseased, or generally in a weakened state. If you don't get a relatively quick response or a return rate on your stump-grinding people, I mean, we are now consciously leaving out on the footway a dangerous entity, which just sits there. And we now know it to be a dangerous thing, and if it falls, I mean, there is no question of what happens in that particular situation when 785 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) you've got a 15-foot high tree trunk with nothing else attached to it. I mean, you know, when it was in full bloom, I mean, maybe it's an even more dangerous situation but, you know, the possibility that it could, you know, either end up on wires or on another pole or something like that to brace it, now when it's below, it's just there, subject to, you know, either people jumping on it, cars running into it, trucks hit them, it's going. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: I will get back to you on this issue, Councilman.