COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA STATED MEETING Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Thursday, October 8, 2026 10:00 a.m. PRESENT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT KENYATTA JOHNSON COUNCILWOMAN NINA AHMAD COUNCILWOMAN CINDY BASS COUNCILMAN MICHAEL DRISCOLL COUNCILWOMAN CINDY GAUTHIER COUNCILWOMAN KATHERINE GILMORE RICHARDSON COUNCILMAN JIM HARRITY COUNCILMAN CURTIS J. JONES, JR. COUNCILWOMAN RUE LANDAU COUNCILWOMAN QUETCY M. LOZADA COUNCILMAN NICOLAS O'ROURKE COUNCILMAN ANTHONY PHILLIPS COUNCILMAN MARK SQUILLA COUNCILMAN ISAIAH THOMAS ELIZABETH McCOLLUM NAZARIO, CHIEF CLERK - - -
To give our invocation this morning, the Chair recognizes Bishop Danny Sutton, Senior Pastor of Kingdom Life Church Ministries. He is here today as the guest of Councilmember and Majority Whip Isaiah Thomas. I will ask all those present to please rise. (Councilmembers, visitors and guests rise.)
I greet you all with grace, mercy and peace from God our Father, through Jesus Christ who is our Lord. Let me just take a brief moment and thank Council Chair and Councilman Thomas, for this invitation to have this moment to offer a word of prayer for this august body. I am reminded of a moment that recently occurred. My wife and I got into our car and she wanted to go somewhere. She immediately put in the address for where we were headed immediately in that GPS system. It prepared a route to that destination. What triggered my attention at that moment wasn't the route to the destination, but the fact that we didn't have to enter our present location immediately. We were identified based on the network we're connected on and our route was given. I suggest to all of you today, in that same manner, as we look to the Father in prayer, in order for us to gain our route, we don't have to just tell the Father where we are. He knows exactly where we are, what we're dealing with and what our concerns are, and he will guide us and give us what's necessary for where we are called and headed to go. Would you join me, if you don't mind bowing your heads, as we would seek the Father and ask for his blessing, guidance and direction for this great day. Our Father in heaven, we come to you as humbly as we can, first of all, giving you all thanks, glory, honor and praise. For you are the lifter of our head. You are the King of our life. You are great, good and mighty, and we thank you for everything. We acknowledge that without you, we would have nothing. We are nothing without you, but by you and through you, with you all things are possible. And so, we say thank you for this moment that we have gathered. And for these leaders alike who have come to this moment to lead us, lead our city, we pray for your guidance and government as Solomon sought you, asking for wisdom to discern that which is good from evil. In the same way, we pray now that you would give us not just your presence, but your wisdom, that we might be able to be clear on that which is necessary, clear on that which we are called, to be clear on that which is needed for our times, our community and our culture. And we would decide, as you have called and saw fit, bless each Councilperson, each tier of leadership in this place and around our city. May you cover us in such a way that we have your warm embrace and your great power. Cover those who lead us. Cover those who protect us. Cover those who have to make great decisions today. And I pray you would guide them with your grace, your goodness and your mercy. And father in all things we'll give you thanks. Forgive us for thinking we can do it without you. And may we humble ourselves to realize nothing can happen without you. And as you lead and guide us, we make a commitment. We will trust in you with all our heart and lean not to our own understanding, but in all thy ways acknowledge you and we believe you will direct our path. We pray this prayer in faith in the name of the Lord Jesus, who is our Christ, our soon- coming King. It is our desire that our latter would be greater than our past. Our future would be brighter than yesterday. What's coming to us will be better than all we've had and all we left. And with full faith and full assurance. We believe the worst is over. And the best is surely yet to come. In Jesus mighty name and all who agree, would you say Amen. (Amen.)
The Chair thanks the Bishop for his invocation. Council will now be at ease. (Council at ease.)
The next order of business is the Approval of the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, October 1, 2026. The Chair recognizes Deputy Majority Whip Councilmember Cindy Bass.
Good morning, Mr. President. I move that the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, October 1, 2026 be approved. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, October 1, 2026 stand approved. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the Journal is approved. The next order of business is the request for leaves of absence. And the Chair recognizes Majority Leader Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson.
Thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of City Council, a leave of absence is requested for Councilmembers Young and O'Neill.
Leave will be granted. The Chair thanks the Majority Leader. The Chair recognizes Minority Whip Councilmember Nicolas O'Rourke.
Thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of the Minority, a leave of absence is asked and requested for Councilmember Brooks.
Thank you very much. The Chair thanks the Minority Whip and leave will be granted. The Chair now recognizes Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson for a motion concerning certain legislative matters that may arise during the course of today's session of Council that were not listed on the Calendar circulated prior to today's Council session.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that any of the following matters, if considered today, may be added to the agenda for this session of Council and, as required by law, subsequently published on an amended agenda after the consideration of those matters: resolution authorizing hearings, amendments to bills on first reading, the reconsideration of a bill vetoed by or re-called from the Mayor, amendments to bills re-called from the Mayor, resolutions taking substantive action to be voted on in this session, a motion to withdraw a bill or resolution that is not on the Calendar, and a motion placing a bill or resolution on, or returning a bill or resolution from the Suspension Calendar that was not listed on today's Calendar. The purpose of this motion is to provide the public with notice concerning possible actions by Council that arose too late to be included on the Calendar that was published prior to today's session. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the legislative matters stated by Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson may be added to the agenda for today should those matters arise during the course of this session of Council. All those in favor signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the motion carries. The Chair will dispense with the regular order of business to recognize the guests and visitors joining us in chambers this morning. On behalf of all members of City Council, I welcome you to our Council session. We appreciate you taking the time to join us as we attend to the legislative affairs of our great city. We certainly invite you to come again. I want to take a moment of personal privilege to acknowledge the head of Philadelphia Building Trades who is here with us, Mr. Ryan Boyer. Thank you for joining us, sir. I want to also take a moment to acknowledge also joining us on community leader, Mr. David Hyman and also joined by Ms. Farah Jimenez. Thank you for joining us in the Council's session today. It's my Jewish big brother over there. Appreciate you, sir. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Isaiah Thomas.
Good morning, Council President. In the same -- and good morning, Philadelphia, colleagues and City Council. In the same spirit, Council President, I wanted to take a moment to welcome a couple different guests. First of all, I wanted to thank Rue Landau -- Councilmember Rue Landau, Councilmember Cindy Bass for supporting and standing at our press conference earlier today to advocate for more funding and more support for the arts and culture space and to support different initiatives that's going to be happening as it relates to tours. And I wanted to also thank Tisha K. Smith, a Germantown photographer who was at our press conference that's here today. Can you stand up, Ms. Smith? (Applause.)
Thank you so much. Thank you for being in City Council. Thank you for advocating for the arts. And also, I'm very excited to welcome the Water Dogs here. If you don't know, the Water Dogs have won their second PLL championship representing the City of Philadelphia today in City Council. I have both Dox and Michael. Dox is a two-time national champion from the University of Virginia and a graduate of Haverford School. Michael received the Man of the Year -- I'm sorry. Michael received an award for being the league's leader in scoring this season. He's a local graduate of Upper Dublin. And the Water Dogs have also earned a top seed in the Eastern Conference leading up to them winning a championship this year. Can you guys stand up? And can we give a huge congratulations, and thank you to the Water Dogs for winning the Lacrosse championship representing the City of Philadelphia. Thank you, Council President. (Applause.)
Thank you very much. Congratulations and welcome to City Council. Chair recognizes Councilmember Dr. Anthony Phillips.
Thank you, Council President. Today we had the privilege of recognizing October as College Awareness Month. And this month we will be honoring the Philadelphia Education Fund led by Ms. Farah Jimenez. I want to welcome all the individuals who are here from the Philadelphia Education Fund who do work around college access and success. If you can, please stand. (Applause.)
I just want to say the Philadelphia Education Fund does a lot of great work in making sure that there's clear understanding for young people to get into college, but also succeed in college. And we want to thank them for all the work that they've done for young people in the city of Philadelphia. Thank you all so much. And I also want to recognize the new Executive Director of Philadelphia for Great -- Philly for Great Schools. Tamir Harper is here and his organization. I want to recognize him. He just launched a program for grade schools. So I want to say thank you all so much for coming today. Thank you, Council President. (Applause.)
And also joined by Mr. Malik Boyd. Thank you for joining us as well, sir. Chair recognizes Councilmember Rue Landau.
Good morning, Council President. Thank you. I wanted to just recognize that leadership and members of the Fringe Festival are here today because we are honoring them on their 30th festival, and please stand. We'll give you a round of applause. Welcome. Welcome. (Applause.)
Thank you very much. Chair recognizes Councilwoman Jamie Gauthier.
Thank you, Council President. I wanted to take a moment to recognize Kevin Fennell from the Men of Mill Creek. I'm not sure if he is here yet, but he will be here today speaking about --
Oh, he's up there. He is here today to speak on a resolution renaming the 700 block of North 47th Street "Men of Mill Creek Way" in honor of all of the contributions that the Men of Mill Creek have made to that section of the 3rd District, giving back to community constantly for decades, mentoring young people. This street renaming is a small token of our appreciation for all of the service they've performed in our community. Thank you so much and welcome, Kevin. (Applause.)
Thank you very much. Welcome to City Council. Let's give them a round of applause as well. (Applause.)
As there are no more welcoming of guests at this time, the Chair recognizes Councilmember Cindy Bass, who will present a resolution honoring the Black Brain Campaign for a decade of dedicated work to stigmatize mental health in the Black community by providing mental health services and culturally competent training for clinicians. Would everyone who's joining the CEO and founder Farida Boyer accompany her to the podium. Joining Councilmember Bass, who will be doing this presentation on my behalf, are the following Councilmembers: Councilmember Dr. Anthony Phillips, Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, Councilmember Rue Landau, Councilmember Dr. Nina Ahmed, Councilmember Nicolas O'Rourke and Councilmember Mark Squilla. (Councilmembers and guests approached podium.)
Good morning. Good morning, everyone. So before we begin, I just wanted to give a couple of remarks regarding the Black Brain Campaign and how mental health in our communities, particularly in the African American community, is just -- so you can't say something's wrong. You can't say I'm depressed. You can't say, you know, mentally I'm feeling off. I don't feel right. I don't feel comfortable within my own skin. And we have to really find ways to embrace the mental health challenges that exist within our community. And so, I really want to give a round of applause to Farida Boyer for really making this happen today. This is so, so important because when we think about all of the challenges in our communities, particularly around violence, around the breakdown of the family and the family structure, so much is related to mental health challenges. And if we know that you can get sick in your body, if you can have a physical ailment like a cold, why is it that we don't think that we can have some sort of an ailment mentally. It just doesn't make sense. And so, again I just really want to say thank you for all of your work in this realm. So today we're honoring the Black Brain Campaign for a decade of dedicated work to destigmatize mental health in the Black community by providing mental health services and culturally competent training for clinicians;
Whereas, nationwide Black individuals are underrepresented in mental health professions, with only 2% of practicing psychiatrists, 4% of psychologists and 22% of social workers in 2017 identifying as Black; and
Whereas, the Black Brain Campaign was founded in 2016, with the aim to destigmatize and raise awareness about mental health in the Black community through advocacy, community education and providing a holistic approach to therapy, treatment; and
Whereas, leading this effort as Executive Director and co-founder of the Black Brain Campaign is Farida E. Boyer, check this out, M.S., L.M.F.T., A.S., a licensed marriage and family therapist and an approved supervisor who has dedicated her career to expanding access to culturally competent mental health care; and
Whereas, the Black Brain Campaign offers free, culturally competent therapy, case management and mental health services, including individual couples, family and group therapy to residents of Pennsylvania; and
Whereas, the Black Brain Campaign's Licensure Education Assistance Program (LEAP) is a 12-month training program for social work graduates offering weekly licensure, exam preparations, individual supervision and the opportunity to gain clinical hours towards Licensures. Through LEAP, the Black Brain campaign covers the cost of training, study materials, supervision and exam fees; and
Whereas, this legislative body is thankful for the work of the Black Brain Campaign and their efforts to raise awareness about mental health in the Black community; now, therefore, be it
Before I read my passage, I just want to take a moment to not only congratulate Dr. Boyer, but to say that I'm incredibly proud to have the headquarters of the Black Brain Campaign in my District at 55th and Chestnut. And I just want to thank you for offering these critical services to my constituents in a way that is so accessible, but not only to my constituents but far beyond. Thank you so much. Therefore, be it Resolved, by the Council of the City of Philadelphia, that we Hereby honor the Black Brain Campaign for a decade of dedicated work to destigmatize mental health in the Black community by providing mental health services and culturally competent training for clinicians.
And Further Resolved, that an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Farida E. Boyer as evidence of the sincere appreciation and gratitude of this legislative body and on behalf of the Council and Council President, who was the author of this legislation. Congratulations. (Applause.)
Good morning, Honorable members of Philadelphia Council. Thank you, Council President, for recognizing me today. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you all. I stand before you representing the Black Brain Campaign. And I want to begin by expressing our deep gratitude for your leadership. Your recent investments into community-based organizations have been a lifeline. Because of your commitment, we are beginning to bridge the gap in mental health access, providing our youth and families with the support, safety and constructive outlets they desperately need. You have helped us significantly, significantly step toward our core mission of eradicating the stigma against mental health within the Black community. However, while we celebrate this progress, we must also be clear about the work that remains. The data tells us a story of crisis that is still unfolding in our city. We are a stark disparity. While documenting the diagnosis rate in majority Black neighborhoods may appear lower, our reliance on emergency and crisis services for mental health care is disproportionately high. We are seeing an alarming rise in overdose deaths, particularly among our Black residents. As this intersection of trauma, substance use and lack of culturally competent care continues to claim lives, we are fighting against a system where clients are often forced to emergency rooms because they cannot find a therapist who understands the life, their lived experience. With less than 5% of Black clinicians nationally identifying as Black, the barrier of culturally competent care is not just a buzzword, it is a daily reality that prevents our neighbors from seeking help until they are in a state of crisis. Council, you have shown us that you hear us. You have shown us that you are willing to invest, but we need you to do more. We are asking for a continued, prioritized commitment to, one, expanding funding for community-based, culturally competent mental health providers who are already doing the work on the ground; two, standardizing mental health screenings across all city-funded community centers to ensure we are identifying needs before they reach the point of emergency intervention; three, deepening the investment in youth- centered behavioral health programs to break cycles of trauma before they take route; four, a pathway to ensure we have a mental health therapist in every school in the city of Philadelphia so that we're meeting the needs of our students. The Black Brain Campaign is ready to partner with you to ensure that every resident, regardless of their zip code or background, has access to the high- quality, compassionate mental health care they deserve. Thank you to my team for your hard work. Thank you all for your vision and your continued partnership. We love this city. We're loving on Philly and we believe that by working together, we can build an infrastructure that truly leaves no 21 one behind. Thank you everybody. (Applause.)
The next order of business is communications. The Chair requests that the Sergeant- at-Arms deliver the messages from the Mayor to the Chief Clerk. Would the Chief Clerk please read the messages from the Mayor and any other communications in his possession.
To the President and the members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, I'm transmitting for the consideration of your Honorable body the following proposed: A resolution confirming the reappointment of James Engler as a member of the Board of Ethics to serve in the term ending November 16, 2031. There are no further communications in my possession, Council President.
Thank you. The messages will be printed in the Journal. The next order of business is the introduction of bills and resolutions. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Dr. Anthony Phillips.
Thank you, Council President. I have one privileged resolution recognizing October as College Awareness Month with the Philadelphia Education Fund.
Will the Chief Clerk please read the title of the resolution.
A privileged resolution recognizing October as College Awareness Month and honoring the Philadelphia Education Fund and the College Access and Success Ecosystem (CASE) for their commitment to ensuring Philadelphia students are informed, prepared and supported throughout the college application process.
This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. Chair recognizes Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson.
Good morning, Council President. Good morning, colleagues. Today I offer two bills on your behalf and two privileged -- and two resolutions on your behalf, one privileged and one non-privileged.
Thank you very much. Chief Clerk, please read the title of the bills and resolutions.
An ordinance 8 providing for the submission to the qualified electors of the City of Philadelphia of the proposal set forth in a Resolution approved by Council proposing an amendment to the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter relating to the creation of the Office of Food and Nutrition Security and the Food and Nutrition Security Advisory Commission; and authorizing and directing the appropriate officers to publish, notice and to make arrangements for the special election.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And an ordinance authorizing encroachments in the nature of a sidewalk cafe in the vicinity of 2655 South 18th Street, under certain terms and conditions.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And a non-privileged resolution proposing an amendment to the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter, providing for the creation of the Office of Food and Nutrition Security and the Food and Nutrition Security Advisory Commission; and providing for the submission of the proposed amendment to the electors of Philadelphia.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And a privileged resolution recognizing the French American Foundation's Young Leaders Program and its 2026 cohort convenes as its 2026 cohort convenes in Philadelphia.
This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. Chair recognizes Councilmember Jamie Gauthier.
Today I have one bill and two non-privileged resolutions.
Thank you very much. Chief Clerk, please read the titles of the bill and resolutions.
An ordinance 5 authorizing and directing the changing of the name of Osler Circle, from Civic Center Boulevard to a terminus northwestwardly therefrom, and from Curie Boulevard to a terminus southeastwardly therefrom, to Roberts Way, under certain terms and conditions.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And a non-privileged resolution also naming the 1200 Block of 46th Street at the intersection of Kingsessing Avenue "The Links, Incorporated Lane" to honor the service and impact of The Links, Incorporated on the Philadelphia community.
This resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at our next session of Council. Very well done, Member Gauthier. Please proceed.
And a non-privileged resolution also naming the 3900 Block of Lancaster Avenue as "Chosen 300 Way" to honor the legacy and impact of the Chosen 300 Ministries on the West Philadelphia community.
This bill -- I mean, this resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar at our next session of Council. Chair recognizes Councilmember Isaiah Thomas.
Good morning again, Council President. Today I offer two resolutions.
Thank you very much. Chief Clerk, please read the titles of the resolutions.
A privileged resolution honoring October as Black Male Educators Month in the City of Philadelphia, celebrating the Center for Black Educator Development for their leadership in the recruitment, development and retention of Black male educators.
This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.
And a privileged resolution honoring the Philadelphia Waterdogs on the occasion of their 2026 Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) Championship, marking the record second win in the PLL in 4 years and earning top seed of the Eastern Conference.
This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. Councilmember Curtis Jones, Jr.
Thank you very much, sir. Chief Clerk, please read the title of the bill.
An ordinance 20 amending Section 14-505 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "/ENV, Environmental Preservation Overlay District," by expanding the boundaries to include Lankenau High School, and creating additional use and dimensional restrictions, all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee. Well done, Member Jones. Chair recognizes Councilman Rue Landau.
Good morning, Council President, colleagues and the public. Today I have one privileged resolution and one privileged resolution on your behalf.
Thank you very much. Chief Clerk, please read the titles of the resolutions please.
A privileged resolution honoring and celebrating the Philadelphia Fringe Festival on the occasion of its 30th Festival, and recognizing its extraordinary contributions to Philadelphia artists, audiences, neighborhoods, and cultural life.
This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.
And a privileged resolution authorizing the Committee on Technology and Information Services to hold hearings to examine the use of emerging technologies, including surveillance, algorithmic and dynamic pricing systems in the grocery industry to better understand how these technologies are being utilized and their potential impacts for consumers and retailers, and to examine opportunities to support transparency, affordability and consumer confidence.
This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. Chair recognizes Councilmember Quetcy Lozada.
Good morning, Council President. I offer one privileged resolution today.
Thank you very much. Chief Clerk, please read the title of the resolution please.
A privileged resolution authorizing the Committee on Education to hold public hearings to examine the state of charter education in Philadelphia, including charter school funding, authorization and renewal practices, and the role charter schools play in providing educational opportunities for Philadelphia students and families.
This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. Well done, Member Lozada. Chair recognizes Councilmember Jim Harrity.
Thank you, Council President. I reluctantly have no 18 bills or resolutions today.
Thank you very much, sir. Chair recognizes Councilmember Nicolas O'Rourke.
Thank you, Mr. President. I have one privileged resolution on your behalf, and one privileged resolution on behalf of Minority Leader Kendra Brooks.
Thank you very much. Chief Clerk, please read the titles of the resolutions please.
A privileged resolution authorizing the Committee on Public Health and Human Services to hold hearings to examine the feasibility of establishing City-supported grocery stores and food retailers through public-private and community partnerships to expand access to affordable, nutritious and high- quality food in Philadelphia neighborhoods.
This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.
And a privileged resolution recognizing October 12, 2026 as "Indigenous Peoples' Day" in the City of Philadelphia, honoring and commemorating the achievements, traditions, and contributions of American Indians, also known as "Indigenous peoples"; and affirming the City's commitment to historical truth, cultural respect, education and partnership with Indigenous communities.
This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. Chair recognizes Councilmember Mike Driscoll.
Good morning, Mr. President. No bills and resolutions today.
Thank you, Mr. President. I offer one non-privileged resolution.
Chief Clerk, please read the title of the resolution please.
A non-privileged resolution also designating and ceremonially renaming the corner of East Ashmead Street and Wakefield Street as "Ennis Way," in recognition of his extraordinary accomplishments in boxing, his representation of Philadelphia on the world stage, and his commitment to inspiring and giving back to the young people of his hometown.
This resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at our next session of Council. Chair recognizes Councilmember Dr. Nina Ahmad.
Thank you, Council President. I'm introducing two privileged resolutions, and one bill on your behalf and one non-privileged resolution on your behalf.
Thank you very much. Chief Clerk, please read the titles of the bill and resolutions.
An ordinance 6 amending Section 20-304 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled “Compensation for Members of Boards, Commissions, Committees and Councils,” to provide for compensation for the members of the Food and Nutrition Security Advisory Commission; and amending Title of The Philadelphia Code 15 (“Miscellaneous”) by adding a 16 Chapter entitled “Food and 17 Nutrition Security,” to provide 18 additional duties of the Office of 19 Food and Nutrition Security, the 20 composition and duties of the Food 21 and Nutrition Security Advisory Commission, for reporting requirements about food and nutrition security, and an online portal, all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And a non-privileged resolution calling upon the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to enact Senate Bill 1465, also known as the "Pennsylvania Universal Health Care Act," which would establish the Office of Health Care and the Pennsylvania Care Board with responsibility to implement a comprehensive single-payer healthcare model that would provide healthcare coverage to all Pennsylvanians.
This resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at the next session of Council.
And a privileged resolution recognizing October 10, 2026 as World Mental Health Day and October 8, 2026 as National Depression Screening Day in the City of Philadelphia.
This resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for today.
And a privileged resolution authorizing the Committee on Public Health and Human Services to hold hearings examining the City's response to sexual violence, including support for survivors, law enforcement response, the investigation and prosecution of sexual assault and prevention in light of recent sexual assault cases in Philadelphia and reopened investigations of school campus sexual assault elsewhere.
Well done. This bill 7 will be placed -- this resolution 8 will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. The next order of business is reports from the committee. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson for a report from the Committee on Finance.
Thank you, Mr. President. The Committee on Finance offers one bill out of committee with a favorable recommendation.
Thank you very much. Will the Chief Clerk please read the title of the report.
The Committee on Finance, to which was referred the following bill: Bill 9 No. 260691, an ordinance 10 authorizing and approving the execution and delivery of a Service Agreement between The City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development relating to the financing of the buildout, construction, equipping, installation and implementation of improvements for the development of a forensics laboratory for the Philadelphia Police Department at a specified property or properties owned or leased, and operated, by the City; approving the issuance by such Authority of bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness in one or more series to finance or refinance the costs of such project and authorizing and approving the obligation of the City to pay in full when due the Service Fee and other amounts payable under the Service Agreement; authorizing certain City officers to take certain actions required to issue such bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness; covenanting that the City will make necessary appropriations in each of the City’s fiscal years to provide for, and will make timely payments of, the Service Fee and other amounts due under the Service Agreement; and authorizing City officials to take other necessary or appropriate actions to effectuate the purposes of this Ordinance; all under certain terms and conditions, respectfully reports that it is considered the same and returns the attached bill 6 to Council with a favorable recommendation. There are no further bills to report from the Committee on Finance, Council President.
The Chair recognizes Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson for a motion.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended as to permit first reading of this bill just read into the record by the Chief Clerk. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit the consideration of the bill just read by the Chief Clerk at today's session of Council. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the motion carries. This bill will be placed on our First Reading Calendar for today. I want to take a moment of personal privilege to recognize also guests in the chambers today, Mr. Al Spivey representing Omega Psi Phi, Inc., as we celebrate HBCU Month in Divine Nine. Thank you for being here, sir. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Mark Squilla for a report from the Committee on Streets and Services.
Thank you, Mr. President. The Committee on Streets and Service reports out 11 bills with a favorable recommendation.
Thank you very much. Chief Clerk, please read the report.
The Committee on Streets and Services to which we referred the following bills: Bill No. 250649, amending Section 12-701 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Designation of Bicycle Lanes" to authorize a bicycle lane and removal of a travel lane around City Hall, under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260566, authorizing various encroachments in the vicinity of 6238 Bustleton Avenue, under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260609, amending section 120701 of the Philadelphia Code, entitled "Designation of Bicycle Lanes," to authorize a bicycle lane and removal of parking on Roberts Avenue from Henry Avenue to King Street, under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260692, amending Section 9-208 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Sidewalk Cafes," to authorize additional locations for sidewalk cafes, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260693, authorizing encroachments in the nature of a sidewalk cafe in the vicinity of 4201 Manayunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260706, authorizing an encroachment in the nature of a staircase in the vicinity of 319-25 North 11th Street, Philadelphia, PA, under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260707, authorizing encroachments in the nature of a sidewalk cafe in the vicinity of 544 East Girard Avenue, under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260758, regulating the placement of a truck loading zone on South 23rd Street between South Street and Naudain Street, all under certain terms and conditions. And Bill No. 260762, regulating the placement of a truck loading zone on 1716 Frankford Avenue between Palmer Street and East Columbia Avenue, all under certain terms and conditions, respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bills to Council with a favorable recommendation. There are no further bills to report out from the Committee on Streets and Services, Council President.
Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Mark Squilla for a motion.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended as to permit the first reading this day the bills just read into the record by the Chief Clerk. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit the consideration of the bills just read by the Chief Clerk at today's session of Council. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. The motion carries. These bills will be placed on the First Reading Calendar for today. 2ND READING The next order of business is the consideration of the Calendar. I note that the bills just reported from committees with the suspension of the rules have been deemed to have had a first reading. These bills will be placed on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendars for the next session of Council. The Chair recognizes Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson for a motion concerning bills on the First Reading Calendar.
Thank you, Mr. President. We call up Bill No. 21 260298 on the First Reading Calendar.
Would the Clerk please 2ND READING read Bill No. 260298.
An ordinance 4 to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Ridge Avenue, Spring Lane, Hagy's Mill Road, Port Royal Avenue, River Road, and the Montgomery County Line.
This bill will be placed on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar for our next session of Council. As there are no 18 additional bills on the First Reading Calendar, the Chair recognizes Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson for a motion concerning resolutions on the Final Passage Calendar and bills on the Second Reading and 2ND READING Final Passage Calendar.
Thank you, Mr. President. The following resolutions are being called up from the Final Passage Calendar and the following bills are being called up from the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar today: Resolution Nos. 260766-A, 260819, 260821, 260822, 260825, 260826, 260827 and Bill No. 260429. The following resolutions and bills on the Calendar are being held: 260823 and 260824; Bill Nos. 250768, 250807, 260076 and 260462. Bill Nos. 260342, 260343, 260344 and 260345 are being amended.
Before considering these resolutions and bills, we would consider public comment as follows: Your public comment must concern matters on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendars for possible action at today's session of Council. All speakers must sign up in order to testify. If you have not already signed up for today's Council session, please do so now by giving your name to Ms. Hasson at the table outside the rails to my left. Once you have signed up, you will be called in the order in which your name appears on the sign-up sheet. Under ideal circumstances, public commenters each will have three minutes to speak. However, this time limit may vary from session to session. Today, the time limit will be two minutes. In order to be fair to all those wishing to speak. I intend to hold faithfully to the two-minute limit. When you begin speaking, you will see a green light on the podium. When there are 30 seconds remaining to your time, the light will turn yellow, which is your reminder to conclude your remarks. Once two minutes have passed, the light will turn red and the Sergeant-at-Arms will disconnect the microphone. Please do not give our Sergeant-at-Arms a hard time. He is only doing his job. At that point, please yield the podium to the next speaker if you have not already done so. I also reserve the right, pursuant to our rules of City Council, to limit repetitious comments on this very same subject matter. The right to comment does not mean the right to disrupt proceedings. I ask that all commenters refrain from using profanity that disrupts the meeting so we can maintain order in this forum through respectful discourse. I will now ask the Chief Clerk to please read the names of our speakers for public comment today.
Will William Small, John McAuley, Jeremy Blatstein, Ben Miller, Carolyn Mejia, Meredith Elizalde, Brittany Barbato, and Janice Stacy, please make your way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.) MR. McAULEY: John Alonte McAuley. In regard to Resolution 260825, honoring the Citywide tenant Union of the Philadelphia Democratic Socialists of America and tenants, tenant leaders and tenant organizers, when did Black people go from talking about private ownership towards embracing what leads to communism? Booker T. Washington must be turning over in his grave. A man who talked about private ownership, learning trades and embracing commerce to a generation of Black people crying over tenant issues and more government control. This tenant union made up a fake term like junk fees, a $25 charge on top of your rent that nobody made you take. Crying about affordability when illegal aliens take your jobs during deliveries for Uber, sticking their translator apps in the cashier's face. The Democrats and the DSA job is to make you sick and keep you poor. One out of every four Blacks are on food stamps. All that processed food led to one out of every two Black people being obese, which leads to chronic disease. Now, you're disabled and rely on government subsidies. Since the beginning, it was the Democrat Party that fought for slavery. Same party that reversed our 40 acres and a mule and gave it back to Confederate soldiers. Same party that fought for Jim Crow and segregation. Same party that created the Ku Klux Klan. Same party who opposed Black civil rights. They tell me to party switch. How, when out of the 20 Democrat senators who opposed Black 21 civil rights, only one switched. The Democrat Socialists of America now run the Democrat Party. Same party that Hasan Piker supports. The Democrat -- and said that Americans deserve what happened on 9/11. Same party Councilmember O'Rourke supports. Your Christian Mayor wearing hijabs, (inaudible) for Muslim votes. Those women in Iran and Gaza don't get to take off their hijabs. They get beat or in prison for it. That's who DSA supports. Robin Byrd for state representative in the 177th district.
Hello. My name is Jeremy Blatstein. I'm going to read a statement from yesterday. Today we remember --
Mr. Blatstein, just real quick, just for the record state your name and then also the actual topic on the agenda that you're going to be --
Oh, for the record. Hello. My name is Jeremy Blatstein. I'm speaking about the DSA comment from yesterday, right. So today we remember the victims --
Yeah, the DSA resolution that were at the rally yesterday, sir. They were organizing the rally. They were there. Today we remember the victims of October 7th, innocent civilians who were murdered, kidnapped and taken hostage. Holding a rally in Rittenhouse Square that glorifies the massacre as a resistance is unacceptable. The murder of civilians is not resistance and it should never be celebrated. We should honor the victims, reject political violence and work towards peace, dignity and safety for Israelis and Palestinians alike. That was a statement put out by State Rep Amen Brown yesterday. DSA was at this rally yesterday in Rittenhouse Square. They were walking through the streets chanting, Long live the Intifada, Intifada Revolution. They were chanting, No 22 two states, we won 48. That is completely unacceptable. And it's really disappointing and disgusting that this body and these members put out no statement. It's really hurtful to the Jewish people of Philadelphia that this rally was allowed to happen and it was not denounced by this body. Thank you, thank you, thank you to the Philadelphia Police Department for the job they did yesterday during the rally. The other thing that maybe you didn't realize was going on last week or this week was the $20 million, right? $20 million was found by the Philadelphia Sheriff's Office. Where's the hearing --
Also, make it germane to what's on the agenda.
We're talking about the budget, right. We're talking about some money that's on the budget today on this hearing, all bills and resolutions --
What budget number that you're referring to the budget?
We're moving money, on the PIDC thing today, right. We're moving money. So in terms of the $20 million, where is this hearing on the Sheriff's Office? And the last thing, the Land Bank. That's definitely on this -- the Land Bank is on the agenda today, right, we're moving land from the Land Bank, sir. There's rules and process that need to be followed. Some members of this body don't want to follow those rules and processes when it comes to the Philadelphia Land Bank. They want to hold RCO meetings ahead of time. Be careful. You might get yourself in trouble. Last but not least, we're talking about SEPTA. Not a single person participated in the Week Without Driving. It would have been nice to see more members participate. Shout-out to State Rep -- I mean State Senator Saval who participated. Ride the ride, Grow Philly to 2 Milly. And I really, really, really would like there to be a hearing on the Philadelphia Sheriff's Office to disband the Sheriff's Office. Thank you.
My name is Sean Rio and I live in West Philadelphia, Ward 27. I'm here to speak in support of Resolution 7 260825. This is a resolution 8 honoring the Citywide Tenant union of the Philadelphia Democratic Socialists of America and tenants, tenant leaders and tenant organizers at the Emerson and Florence Gardens who are organizing to end rental junk fees and secure basic tenants' rights and protections in the City of Philadelphia. I am a tenant at the Emerson and a member of the Citywide Tenant Union. First, I want to thank Councilmembers O'Rourke, Brooks, Landau, Gauthier and Phillips for introducing this resolution. By passing this resolution, the City Council of Philadelphia will stand strongly on the side of tenants as we exercise our rights to organize against a greedy corporate landlord known as New Age Realty Group. I'm a proud Philadelphian excited to live and contribute to this beautiful city. I deserve to live a dignified, affordable life. I deserve to have my rights respected. We all deserve those things. Unfortunately, corporate landlords don't seem to care about us, our quality of life, our financial stability. All they care about is making money. That's just what corporations do. They will squeeze as much money out of us as they possibly can. When I moved into the Emerson, I had no idea there was organizing going on. But when I learned about the union, I was happy to join. It's the first time I've ever lived in a building with a tenant union, and it felt good that I share a building with others who recognize that the only way to get our needs met is to come together and build power. We faced high utility bills, prolonged elevator outages, and egregious junk fees and we're fed up. One week ago on October 1st, myself and over 40 tenants across two New Age properties launched a junk fee strike and began withholding the mandatory $25-a-month charge. We are demanding the elimination of junk fees, which New Age Realty Management has so happily named the resident benefits package, for which we are forced to pay $300 per tenant each year for minimal so-called benefits. Not only are we asserting the right to withhold the benefits package, we are asking tenants to not rent from New Age Realty Group in solidarity with tenants and in support of our demand for New Age to end junk fees without increasing our rent. It has been one week since we launched our junk fee strike, and we have heard nothing from New Age groups, so our work continues. Thank you to Philadelphia City Council for uplifting our struggle honoring our work. I urge the Council to support Resolution 260825. Thank you.
Ben Scott Miller. (Navajo translation), the Delaware Tribe of Indians in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Hi. My name is Ben Scott Miller. I'm a citizen of the Delaware Tribe of Indians in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. We're a fairly recognized tribe. This is Lenapehoking, our homeland. I've approached the Council to ask you to adopt the resolution to have Indigenous Peoples' Day here in Philadelphia. This is the birthplace of the nation and it's time to build a bridge to our communities. It will open opportunities for not only the Delaware people, but the community here in Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania and Philadelphia to work together, to be together as a community. It's very important that we continue what our forefathers started off at. I am the direct lineage of Chief Tamanend and Chief Killbuck, who fought in the Revolutionary Army here in Pennsylvania. I'm here to speak for my people and ask you to bring and adopt Indigenous Peoples' Day here in Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia and lead the nation in the rebirth. Wanishi.
Hello. My name is Carolin Mejia. I live and work in Jamie Gauthier's 3rd District, specifically the West Powelton/North Haverford area. I'm here in support of Councilmember Brooks' privileged resolution 15 recognizing Indigenous Peoples' Day, because recognizing this important day is an opportunity for Philadelphia to acknowledge the Indigenous people, the histories, the cultures and communities that are part of this city that contribute to its future as well. I'm a proud Afro- Caribbean young woman, born to loving parents from the Dominican Republic and across the Latino Diaspora, from my Puerto Rican cousins to my Dominican siblings that are somehow lighter than J-Lo, but we have the same parents. I don't know how that happened. To my Mexican partner, we are all a beautiful concoction of African, European and Indigenous ancestry. The European ancestry that comes from colonization, the African ancestry of the people who were enslaved and brought to the Americas through the Transatlantic slave trade and the Indigenous peoples who were here the whole time and whose descendants, cultures and communities are still here today. Here in Philly, we have over 23,000 Indigenous people, a large part of which are Puerto Ricans who really identify with their roots. So I just want to name that the history matters to me and it matters to how we understand ourselves and our communities and the place that we call home. Recognizing Indigenous Peoples' Day also creates an opportunity for education, community dialogue, and continued partnership throughout the year. So I'm here with the campaign to reinstate Indigenous Peoples' Day. And we want this to not just be one day that we recognize it, but that we restore it as an official city holiday recognized every second Monday of October. We have a petition signed by over 1300 people in the Philly area that also want a permanent resolution or ordinance to recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day. So please consider that. Yeah, viva Puerto Rico libre. Gracias.
My name is Janice Stacy. I'm Dakota and Cherokee descent. I also have European ancestors. I'm a member of the Indigenous Two-Spirit Society and on the Board of Directors of IPD Philly, which is run out of here in Philadelphia. I'm here today in support of the privileged resolution introduced by Councilperson Brooks, recognizing October 12, 2026 as Indigenous Peoples' Day and in the City of Philadelphia. I may not look it, but I was born in the '50s, late '50s. I'm only 12, right. I grew up separated from my culture, unlike many of the people you hear from today that are registered members of different nations. I'm a descendant thereof, right. I learned practices, words, and learned things from my culture growing up and was told not to tell someone so that my dad could keep his job, so that the family wouldn't be discriminated against. Growing up that way degraded my sense of self-worth, and it degrades I think everybody's sense of self-worth that grows up that way. I found a way to deal with it myself, but still live with the impact. Got my engineering degree and I work in fair housing now. Not everybody I know have found a way to separate society as a culture. We teach the culture's life. Connecting our people with our traditions and ancestors is, in a good way, helps us build a sense of self-worth. We can find ways of managing ever- present cultural oppression. Rather than internalizing that oppression and bringing our people back to the circle is one of the ways the Two-Spirit Society helps to heal people. And I'm on the thing here in Philadelphia. I'll skip that one. We can do better. All right. Here in Philadelphia, we still have people telling me that I don't exist or my people are extinct. And I've been called inferior left and right. We can do better. And I want to thank you again for this resolution and hope that we can pass a permanent resolution in the future. Thank you.
My name is Meredith Elizalde. This is my son Nick Elizalde. He deserves everyone to not be on their phones. Good afternoon. My name is Meredith Elizalde and I'm here in support of recognizing Indigenous Peoples' Day in Philadelphia. Today is my son Nick's birthday. He would be 19. Nick was when 8 he was killed in the mass shooting 9 at Roxborough High School. 10 His last birthday on 11 this earth fell on the long weekend 12 for Indigenous Peoples' Day. We 13 went to the Poconos. We had his 14 favorite dairy Queen Oreo blizzard cake, and he told me how proud he was that his birthday fell at that time. Nick was proud of his Indigenous heritage. On his first 9th grade, All About Me homework assignment at Saul High School just weeks before he was killed, he wrote about Indigenous beliefs in our interconnectedness with the more than human world. While Nick attended Saul, he played football for Roxborough High School, whose mascot was the Indians. Nick couldn't wrap his mind around why a racist stereotype that would not be tolerated for other groups was still acceptable for Indigenous people in sports. So I'm the mascot, he asked me. He died in that uniform. I didn't know how to respond to him while he was alive, but I surely knew how after he was murdered. After a vote, we successfully changed the Roxborough Indians to the Roxborough Wolves, next spirit animal. We also created a mural and native plant garden at Roxborough and I invite you to go see it. I deliberately chose not to put an image of Nick on that wall. Instead, the mural is made of the things that he was, his Indigenous, Latino, Arab and Muslim heritage, the wolf, the sea turtle, and nature so that other people could find themselves there too. No one lost anything by making room 9 for Nick. We let go of a stereotype and gained relationship, knowledge and belonging. I saw what that could look like on a much larger scale. While teaching and studying at the University of Montana, Indian education for all was required for educators and mandated curriculum for all students coming from the East Coast. The difference was extraordinary. Indigenous history, knowledge, cultures and people were visible throughout my community, and everyone benefited from knowing more about the place where they lived. Colonialism and capitalism have taught us to think in terms of scarcity, that recognizing one people somehow takes something from another. The distance colonialism created between Indigenous peoples and settler descendants does not have to remain so wide. Knowledge and relationship can narrow it. No 14 matter where your ancestors came from before they became Americans, they belonged to particular lands and waters, communities and traditions. Those histories remind us that relationship to place is not foreign to any of us. Indigenous peoples of the Americas have faced centuries of deliberate erasure, and yet they are still here in Philadelphia today, with roots in Lenape, Hoking, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and South America. Indigenous Peoples' Day can recognize thousands of Philadelphians whose identities have too often been rendered invisible. When more of us are seen, our collective story gets bigger, not smaller. Philadelphia's public schools already recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day. Our children are being taught that Indigenous people, history and cultures deserve recognition. What are we teaching them if that recognition ends when they walk out the school doors. I'm grateful for this resolution, but it cannot be the end of this conversation. Philadelphia must take the next step and establish Indigenous Peoples' Day permanently through this ordinance. Indigenous presence should not have to be reaffirmed year after year. It should simply -- my son has earned this.
I am grateful for this resolution, but it cannot be the end of this conversation. Philadelphia must take the next step and establish Indigenous Peoples' Day permanently through ordinance. Indigenous presence should not have to be reaffirmed year after year. It should simply be part of who we understand ourselves to be as a city. Nick did not get to decide what happened to him, but those of us who walked the earth with him do get to decide what we carry forward from the life he lived. I tried to answer the question he asked me, so I'm the mascot. My answer now is no, you were never a mascot. You were a child with a history, a culture, a relationship to the living world, and a way of understanding your place within it. And you deserve to see those things respected by the institutions around you today. On what would have been Nick's 19th birthday, I'm asking Philadelphia to offer that same recognition to every Indigenous child who comes after him and to make it permanent. Thank you.
Oh, I'm sorry, Council President. I just would like to be recorded as voting aye on all bills and resolutions and amendments that I may have missed.
Hi. My name is Gabrielle Ford. Thank you for hearing me speak today. I am a New Jersey resident living just five minutes away from the Walt Whitman Bridge. Philadelphia is a city that is very near and dear to my heart as well as my families. I often work in Queen Village and I volunteer with different nonprofits around Philadelphia. I am here representing Indigenous Peoples' Day in Philly. I am in support of Councilmember Brooks' privileged resolution 9 recognizing Indigenous Peoples' Day, reinstating Indigenous Peoples' Day as a permanent city holiday is meaningful to me. For these reasons, this is my son, I am raising a son with beautiful brown skin, and I want him to know that people who look like him deserve to be represented and celebrated just as much as people who do not. I have been deeply saddened to witness history repeating itself, such as forced removals. I truly believe that if our governmental leaders serve their community by holding equality to a higher bar, our communities will be more welcoming and safe to our children. I want my son to be surrounded by cultures that value integrity, sustainability, history, equality and kindness. These are some incredible values that I have witnessed in the Indigenous communities, and I want my son to know and to grow up in a country that values him, true history and its people. I would love to see the City of Philadelphia recognize, value, learn from Indigenous communities that have been here for thousands of years, and can contribute so much from their beautiful cultures to this country. Thank you.
Will Marie Manski, Sonya Hough, Sonoma Hough, Mabel Negrete Alfaro, Eugene. Black Crow, Ogbonna Paul Hagins, Lynn Landes, Jared Winters and Areyonna Adavia Tompkins, please make your way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.)
Good morning, Council. My name is Marie Manski. I am of European and Middle Eastern heritage. I'm a resident of Point Breeze in District 2, Lenape Land. And I'm testifying today in full support of making Indigenous Peoples' Day an official holiday, a permanent city holiday on the second Monday of every October. We are living through a unique moment defined by overlapping crises in our environment and our education system and how we navigate information and truth. These crises are deeply rooted in centuries of colonial frameworks that prioritized extraction over stewardship, displacement over belonging and hierarchy over care. We simply cannot solve our modern challenges using the very mindsets that created them. Indigenous communities hold centuries of lived wisdom, environmental balance, community care and sustainable leadership. Establishing this holiday is far more than a symbolic gesture. It is an active commitment to center Indigenous voices and follow their lead. Supporting the original stewards of this land is not merely appropriate. It is the bare minimum we owe them. Every culture carries a story, but progress begins when we choose to listen. We truly listen, we honor history, we restore dignity, we plant the seeds for genuine collaboration. There's a proverb that tells us the best time to plant a tree was 7 years ago. The second best time is 8 now. 9 We are all in this room 10 today because we share a call to 11 build a better, more just 12 Philadelphia. We get to choose 13 what side of history we stand on. 14 Making Indigenous Peoples' Day an 15 official permanent city holiday is 16 an essential step towards truth, 17 respect and healing. And the time 18 to plant that seed is now. Thank 19 you. 20
Good morning. My name is Sonoma Hough. I'm a 10th grade student and I'm here today to support the privileged resolution of by Councilmember Brooks recognizing Indigenous Peoples' Day. I am here as an Indigenous young person and as someone who has grown up surrounded by my culture, my family and the Indigenous community. On October 12th, Indigenous people from many different tribal communities will come together at Penn Treaty Park. They will bring their own stories, traditions, clothing, art, food and culture to share with the Philadelphia community. My personal favorite part is the fry bread, which is homemade by a Native family every year. But what I love most is seeing hundreds of Indigenous and non-indigenous people who come together to celebrate. Throughout my childhood, I've watched my mom who put her soul into advocating for Native communities. And I've grown up seeing how important it is to speak up and make sure Indigenous people are represented to keep our cultures visible. Now, I feel like it's my turn to be an activist. Every year elementary school students, Indigenous and non-Indigenous come to our celebration. They learn, ask questions, participate, and experience Indigenous cultures, as something Living in present, not simply something from a history book. Recognizing Indigenous Peoples' Day tells Indigenous young people like me, our cultures, our communities and our history matters. I'm asking City Council to support this resolution to ensure that Indigenous Peoples' Day continues to be recognized on the second Monday of October. Thank you.
I'm so proud of my baby. She's only and that 6 was a good job. I'm a lobbyist by 7 trade so I'm so proud of her. Good 8 morning, Council President and 9 members of the Council. My name is 10 Sonya Hough and today I am 11 supporting of course, everybody 12 else behind me, the Councilmember 13 Brooks' privileged resolution to 14 instate Indigenous Peoples' Day. 15 So this land is Lenape --
-- the land of my people. I am a member of the Delaware Tribe of Indians. I was raised in Oklahoma on Cherokee Nation Reservation. I ended up back in the Homelands, which my grandparents would be so proud of me. I currently live in Chester County, and then I work in advocacy in Philadelphia. So I just want to say, you know, Philadelphia has really tried to get this right. The city designated Indigenous Peoples' Day in 2021. And then last year, we all know the Commonwealth Court ruled that the change was an exercise of legislative authority that belongs to you, the City Council. And that's where the decision is now and where it should be, with you. So I've spent years 19 working in government and public 20 policy. So I know resolutions and 21 holidays can sometimes be dismissed 22 as symbolic, but symbols actually 23 matter and they're a really good 24 step in the right direction. They tell people whose history is recognized, whose presence is acknowledged and whose story is considered part of the public record. And Indigenous people are not simply part of Philadelphia's history. We are here now. This resolution recognizes Lenape, my people on whose homeland this city was built, and the many Native people who call Philadelphia home today. Native kids in the city are watching what you honor. Tell them, their neighbors, not just footnotes in history. I respectfully urge you to pass this resolution and to make it a permanent annual recognition. Thank you.
Good morning, Councilmembers, and thank you for allowing me to speak today. My name is Eugene Black and I'm a Lakota from Oglala Sioux Tribe. I live and work in North Philadelphia in Councilmember Young's 5th District. I'm a Board member of the Indigenous Peoples' Day. I am here to support Councilmember Brooks' resolution recognizing October 12, 2026 as Indigenous Peoples' Day in Philadelphia. I believe this resolution is an important step. It cannot be the final step. Permanent recognition should be more than a date on the calendar. Let it be a doorway, a doorway to deeper education, stronger relationships with tribal nations, and a Philadelphia where Indigenous people are welcomed, respected and part of the life of this day of the city throughout the entire year. We thank Councilmember Brooks, Councilmember O'Rourke, Councilmember Johnson, Councilmember Phillips, Councilmember Gauthier, Councilmember Thomas, Councilmember Jones, Councilmember Landau, Councilmember Lozada, Councilmember Young, Councilmember Harrity, Councilmember Squilla, Councilmember Bass for standing with the resolution and helping open that door for our community. This is about more than recognition. It's about truth, dignity, belonging, and relationship. Our ancestors carried these teachings through generations. They endured, they survived, and they kept our knowledge alive so that we could stand here today. Now, it is our responsibility to carry the knowledge forward, not only for ourselves, but for the generations who will come after us. Let this be the beginning of a new chapter 6 in Philadelphia, one where the Lenape are not simply remembered as the people of the past, but welcomed as Indigenous people with living presence and right place in the future of the city. We ask you walk with us and make your recognition permanent, open the door wider, build a relationship, teach the youth and together let us take the next step towards truth and reconciliation. (Navajo translation). Thank you.
Good morning, Councilmembers, and thank you for allowing me to speak today. My name is Mabel Negrete and I'm a Chilean of Inca heritage. I live and work in North Philadelphia in Councilmember Young's 5th District. I am the Executive Director and co-founder of Indigenous Peoples' Day Philly. I am here to support Councilmember Brooks' resolution 8 recognizing October 12, 2026 as Indigenous Peoples' Day in Philadelphia. For nearly ten years, our organizations have worked to make Indigenous Peoples' Day visible, heard and recognized in the city we call home. Our annual celebration at Penn Treaty Park honors the Lenape, the Delaware Tribes, the People of this land as well as the Indigenous peoples from across America who live here today. This is not simply about one day. It is about recognizing Indigenous peoples in our history as a permanent part of Philadelphia history. Today I'm also here on behalf of the 1300 people who have signed a petition supporting the permanent reinstatement of Indigenous Peoples' Day as a Philadelphia city holiday. We respectfully ask Council to take this next step beyond this year's resolution to introduce and pass a permanent ordinance reestablishing Indigenous Peoples' Day as an official city holiday every year observed on the second Monday of October. But this step is only one part of the larger work for truth and reconciliation. We must ensure that the Lenape represented today by the Delaware Tribe are welcome. We also need to move forward toward a future where every school in Philadelphia teaches the history, cultures and contemporary lives of Native peoples in Philadelphia. Indigenous peoples are not only part of the past. Indigenous peoples from across the island of the Caribbean created and organized and contributed to the city today.
Good morning. My name is Ogbonna Hagins and I'm a fourth-generation chattel slavery survivor. I really want to say how inspired I was by Councilwoman Quetcy Lozada. Last week when I was speaking about the minimum wage and how you came out and told me how much in support you really are of that $25 minimum wage, so I wanted to let you know how you inspired me about that. But I want to ask Council President if his office is willing to work with my organization to develop with the proper legislative language, constitutional framing, and community support necessary to advance the minimum wage structure that reflects Philadelphia's actual cost of living. So that's the question that I'm posing to Council President this morning.
Oh, you can speak to my Tech team and then I will follow up with you in regards to if we decide to engage you or not at all. You can talk to my Chief of Staff by the name of John Christmas on any legislative matters.
Hi. I'm Lynn Landes of the Phillies Republican Network. I want to support Councilman Phillips' Resolution 260819. But I do want to correct the record a little bit. The infestation of rats and mice are everywhere in this city and it's in my neighborhood behind my house. And we put all our trash away. There's no illegal dumping. But one thing I want to say is that the neighborhoods that have outdoor cats don't seem to have this problem. And we used to have outdoor cats, but somehow they disappeared over time.
And the rats, like in South Philly we have raccoons and it has never been like that all my life.
Yeah. So at any rate, the idea is to use nature against nature and some of the organizations that provide working cats, they're called only to provide them to farms or big businesses and warehouses and things like that and not for neighborhoods like ours. I did notice that it is legal to have an outdoor cat in Philadelphia, as long as it's neutered and a good idea to have it shipped. That's what our neighborhood is looking at because we have a neighbor who came from Brooklyn in New York City and they had outdoor cats and they didn't have any mice or rat problems at all. So that's what I would suggest, is that the city look at this issue of using outdoor cats and let's learn about this together because it did work for us. Some people behind us did have an outdoor cat, but one of the neighbors sued it and then it was gone. And also from personal experience, a very expensive bottle of bobcat urine spray does not work. We need the cats in our neighborhoods. Thank you.
Thank you, Lynn. Chair recognizes Councilmember Cindy Bass.
Thank you, Mr. President. As a Board member of ACCT Animal Care and Control here in the city of Philadelphia, I felt compelled to respond to that. Very well meaning, but in my opinion misinformed, the statement around outdoor cats. There's no such thing as outdoor cats, but they are stray cats. And we know that in the city of Philadelphia, we have a lot of populations of stray cats that are much more likely to be injured or killed and have very short life expectancy. So we don't want to encourage the proliferation of "outdoor cats or stray cats." But I'd be happy to talk to Lynn to help her find some remedy. But I certainly want to be clear that that's not something that's a good remedy for our neighborhoods. Thank you, Mr. President.
You're welcome, Member Bass. Sir, please proceed.
Hello. My name is Jared Winters. I am here in support of Resolution 260825 about the junk fees and tenants' rights. I just have a little speech I prepared. How are you all doing today? Doing good, cool cool, cool. So roughly a month ago, I received an email from New Age Realty, the company that manages my building. And the email read that with -- or when a 55-inch Samsung flat screen TV to share your residence benefits experience. That email described all of the benefits included within the $25-a-month package that I am unable to opt out of regardless of whether or not I am receiving those benefits. And I can win a fancy TV if I tell them how much I love it. Well, some of those benefits include damage reimbursement, which is funny considering that we also are required to have a rental insurance as well, $250 towards emergency hotel stays -- something I've never seen, I'll get to that later -- late fee forgiveness twice per month, which when our human side catches up to us and we have been late, we have never seen that either, and my favorite, a discount on property brokerage, if we were to ever buy a house through New Age, because why not advertise to the poor people that you take advantage of. The irony for me was that as I received this email, me and my roommate were in the process of moving from one apartment in the Florence Garden building to another as a result of our basement unit having dangerous levels of mold, tested by a private company hired by New Age. And we didn't see $250 or a hotel. We were just -- or when the mold was discovered, we were instead asked do you have a friend you can stay with or do you just want to end the lease now. We asked if there was a different apartment nearby that we could move to and they did end up -- sorry, I lost my place. I'm very nervous. Living situation, nearly a month and a half. We have been in that other apartment and they told us 30 days at most. Although I don't see that ending any time soon. I've hit my time, but my speech isn't over. But again, thank you for letting me speak and thank you for your consideration.
Will Brett Ashley Robinson, Eve Hyppolite, Michael Wise, Kevin Fennell, Tierra Murray and Christian Gant Madison, please make your way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.)