This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
An ordinance authorizing the paving of Gaskill Street Phillips Street.
The bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
An ordinance amending Section 2 of an ordinance (Bill No. 990376) approved July 1, 1999, entitled "An ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 97 by striking from the City Plan Park Avenue from Catherine Street to the southerly line of Clymer Street."
The bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
An ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 97 by striking from the City Plan Watts Street to the easterly line of Park Avenue.
This bill INTRODUCTION OF BILLS, RESOLUTIONS will be referred to the appropriate committee.
An ordinance authorizing the installation of stop signs on Venango Street at the intersection of Janney Street.
The bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
An ordinance authorizing the installation of stop signs on Venango Street at the intersection of Weikel Street.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee. The Chair recognizes Councilman O'Neill.
The clerk will please read the title of the first bill.
An ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No.319 in the area of Ripley Street and Tabor Avenue, by placing on the City Plan Tabor Avenue from Ripley to Loney Street, INTRODUCTION OF BILLS, RESOLUTIONS Tabor Avenue from Loney Street southwesterly to a dead end.
The bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
An ordinance authorizing the paving of Tabor Avenue, Loney Street, Lawndale Avenue and Fox Run Lane, under certain terms and conditions.
The bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
An ordinance authorizing and directing the placing on City Plan No. 396 of Gina Street from Veree Road at a point approximately 446 feet northeast of Welsh Road.
The bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
An ordinance authorizing the paving of Gina Street, under certain terms and conditions.
The bill will be referred to the appropriate committee. The Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke.
Thank you, Madam President. I have five bills and one resolution. INTRODUCTION OF BILLS, RESOLUTIONS
The clerk will please read the title of the first bill.
An ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property, on behalf of the City of Philadelphia City to enter into a sublease agreement with the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development for use by the City and affiliated agencies of office space located at 1401 Arch Street.
The bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
An ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of a certain area of land located in the 8th Ward.
The bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
An ordinance granting permission to Temple University of the Commonwealth of System Higher Education to construct, use, and maintain various underground utility facilities and appurtenances within the public right-of-way of an area bounded by Cecil B. Moore Avenue, 13th Street, Oxford Street, and Park INTRODUCTION OF BILLS, RESOLUTIONS Avenue, all under certain terms and conditions.
The bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
An ordinance authorizing Temple University Commonwealth System of Education to construct, use, and maintain a telecommunications duct bank.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
An ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 121 by striking and vacating a portion of Chang Street and by placing a dead-end turnaround at the terminus of Chang Street, all under certain terms and conditions.
The bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
A resolution authorizing the redevelopment contract and disposition supplement of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia for the redevelopment and urban renewal of a portion of Model Cities Urban Renewal Area designated as Parcel No.'s 127, 128 and 129. INTRODUCTION OF BILLS, RESOLUTIONS
I heard a lot of cheering, but I didn't hear a second. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that this resolution be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it and the resolution has been adopted. (Applause.)
The Chair thanks the gentleman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Rizzo. COMMITTEE REPORTS
The next order of business is reports from committees, and the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell with a report from the Committee of the Whole.
The Chair recognizes Chief Clerk to please read a resolution introduced by Councilman Kenney.
A resolution approving the closed-circuit television system design and installation services contract between the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority (Authority) and Advanced Electronic Solutions ("AES").
This COMMITTEE REPORTS resolution will be referred to the appropriate committee. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell for a committee report of the Committee of the Whole.
Thank you, Madam President. The Committee of the Whole reports out three bills with a favorable recommendation.
The clerk will please read the report. Do you have the report?
Where is the report of the Committee of the Whole? Rather than wait, can we go on to the next committee report, please. The Chair recognizes Councilman Kenney for a report from the Rules Committee.
Madam President, the Rules Committee reports out Bill 000216 and Resolution No. 000324 with favorable recommendations.
Miss Hauser, COMMITTEE REPORTS would you please read the report from the Rules Committee.
To the President and Members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, the Committee on Rules, to which was referred Bill No. 000216, entitled "An ordinance approving the redevelopment proposal of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia for the redevelopment of a portion of Germantown Redevelopment are Wister III Urban Renewal Area, being the area generally bounded by Wakefield Street and Baynton Street, respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bill and resolution to Council with a favorable recommendation.
I move the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor will signify by COMMITTEE REPORTS saying aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it and the motion is carried.
The Committee on Rules, to which was referred Bill No. 000324, a resolution approving the revision to the University of Pennsylvania Institutional Development District Master Plan, Chancellor Walk and 33rd Street, respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bill and resolution to Council with a favorable recommendation.
I move the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been properly moved and seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it. Bill No. 000216, did you ask, sir, for COMMITTEE REPORTS -
Madam President, I move that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading of Bill No. 000216 today. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading of Bill No. 000216 in today's session of Council. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it and Bill No. 000216 will be placed on today's first-reading calendar. The Chair again recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell for a committee report for the Committee of the Whole.
Thank you, Madam President. I assume everything is in place now.
The Committee of the Whole reports out three bills with a favorable recommendation.
An ordinance creating the Schmidts Plaza Tax Increment Financing District and approving the project plan of the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development for the redevelopment of the Schmidts Plaza Tax Increment Financing District. And an ordinance creating the West Chestnut Retail Tax Increment Financing District and approving the project plan of the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development ("PAID") for the redevelopment of the West Chestnut Retail Tax Increment Financing District. And an ordinance creating the South Ninth Retail Tax Increment Financing District and approving the project plan of the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development.
Bill No.'s 000212, 000222, and 000223 having been reported COMMITTEE REPORTS out with a favorable recommendation, they will be placed on our first-reading calendar for our next session of Council. The Chair now recognizes Councilman Kenney for a report from the Committee of Public Property and Public Works.
Madam President, the Committee on Public Property and Public Works reports out two bills with favorable recommendations.
To the President and Members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia: The Committee on Public Property and Public Works, to which was referred Bill No. 000214, an ordinance authorizing the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development ("PAID") to purchase a certain 18.41-acre tract of land situate at 3101 East Orthodox Street for a consideration not to exceed $874,500. And the Committee on Public Property, to which was referred Bill No. 000215, an ordinance authorizing the Philadelphia Authority COMMITTEE REPORTS for Industrial Development ("PAID") to purchase a certain 66.4-acre acre tract of land situate at 4501 Richmond Street for a consideration not to succeed $3,320,000.
Madam President, I move that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading of Bill No. 000214 and 000215 today. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended in order to permit first reading of Bill No.'s 000214 and 000215 at today's session of Council. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it, and Bill No.'s 000214 and 000215 will be placed on today's first-reading calendar. The Chair recognizes Councilman DiCicco for a report from the Streets and Service COMMITTEE REPORTS Committee.
Thank you, Madam President. The Committee on Streets and Services reports out six bills with a favorable recommendation.
To the President and Members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, the Committee on Streets and Services, to which was referred Bill No. 000166, an ordinance amending Chapter 90200 of the Philadelphia Code, entitled "Commercial Activity on Streets," by adding a new section regulating the location, size, operation, and maintenance of newsstands on the public sidewalk, and by confirming amendments to other sections of the Chapter; And Bill No. 000183, an ordinance authorizing Gino DeJesus, owner of the property 1824 East Passyunk Avenue. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to construct and maintain various encroachments onto and over the east footway of 13th Street and the north footway of Passyunk COMMITTEE REPORTS Avenue adjacent to the property 1824 East Passyunk Avenue; And Bill No. 000213, an ordinance amending Section 2 of an ordinance (Bill No. 980547) approved December 15, 1998, an ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 187 by striking from the City Plan and vacating a locally open portion of Belgrade Street from Butler Street to Castor Avenue; And Bill No. 000259, an ordinance granting permission to Chestnut Hill Academy, 500 Willow Grove Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, to construct, use, and maintain one water distribution line, one sleeve with two telecommunications conduits, and one spare sleeve under and across Willow Grove Avenue; And Bill No. 000262, an ordinance authorizing the Whole Foods Market Group, Inc., tenant of the property located at 929 South Street, Philadelphia, to construct and maintain various encroachments in and on the north footway of South Street and the east footway of Tenth Street adjacent to the property 929 South Street; COMMITTEE REPORTS And Bill No. 000263, an ordinance granting permission to Gervish Sanghvi, owner of the newsstand located on the northwest corner of Tenth and Market Streets, to construct, use, and maintain an electrical conduit an and electrical service line and a fiber optic conduit and telephone service line in and under the public right-of-way of Tenth and Market Streets.
Thank you, Madam President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading of the bills that were just read into the record. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended in order to permit first reading of Bill No.'s 000166, 000183, 000213, 000259, 000262, and 000263 at today's session of Council. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. Those opposed? BILLS ON FIRST-READING The ayes have it and the motion is carried. The bills will be placed on today's first-reading calendar. Are there any other reports from committees? (No response.)
Seeing none, the next order of business is consideration of the calendar. And the clerk will please read bills on the first-reading calendar.
Bill No. 000216, an ordinance approving the redevelopment proposal of the City of Philadelphia for the redevelopment of a portion of the Germantown Redevelopment Area Wister III Urban Renewal Area being the area generally bounded by Wakefield Street and Baynton Street.
Bill No. 000214, an ordinance authorizing the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development ("PAID") to purchase a certain 18.41-acre tract of land BILLS ON FIRST-READING situate at 3101 East Orthodox for a consideration not to exceed $874,500.
Bill No. 000215, an ordinance authorizing the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development ("PAID") to purchase a certain 66.4-acre tract of land situate at 4501 Richmond Street.
Bill No. 000166, an ordinance amending Chapter 9-200 of the Philadelphia Code, entitled "Commercial Activities on Streets," by adding a new section regulating the location, size, operation, and maintenance of newsstands on the public sidewalk.
Bill No. 000183, an ordinance authorizing Gino DeJesus, owner of the property 1824 East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, to construct and maintain various encroachments onto and over the east footway of BILLS ON FIRST-READING 13th Street and the north footway of Passyunk Avenue.
Bill No. 000213, an ordinance amending Section 2 of an ordinance, Bill No. 980547, approved December 15, 1998, entitled "An ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 187 by striking from the City Plan and vacating a legally open portion of Belgrade Street."
And Bill No. 000259, an ordinance granting permission to Chestnut Hill Academy, 500 Willow Grove Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to construct and maintain one water distribution line and one sleeve with two telephone telecommunication conduits.
And Bill No. 000262, an ordinance authorizing Whole Foods BILLS ON FIRST-READING Market Group, Inc., a tenant of the property located at 929 South Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to construct and maintain various encroachments in and on the north footway of South Street and the east footway of Tenth Street.
Bill No. 000263, an ordinance granting permission to Gervish Sanghvi, owner of the newsstand located on the northwest corner of Tenth and Market Streets to construct and maintain an electrical conduit and an electrical service line with fiber optic conduit and telephone service in and under the public right-of-way of Tenth and Market Street.
The Chair agrees. The bills read by the clerk will be placed on the second-reading and final-passage calendar for our next meeting. SECOND READING - BILL 000021 This concludes the bills to be considered on the first-reading calendar.
The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell for the purpose of calling up bills on the second-reading and final-passage calendar.
Thank you, Madam President. Today Bill No.'s 000021 and 000149 are called up for second reading and final pass.
The Chair thanks the Councilwoman. The clerk will please read the title of the Bill No. 000021.
Bill No. 000021, an ordinance amending Chapter 10-600 of the Philadelphia Code, entitled "Public Places Prohibited Conduct," by adding new sections prohibiting gambling and conducting gambling operations on a public right-of-way or on property owned by the City or other public agencies.
This bill having been read on two different days the question now is, shall the bill pass finally? The SECOND READING - BILL 000021 clerk will please call the roll.
Aye. The ayes are 16, the nays are 0. A majority of all Members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes.
Bill No. 000149, SECOND READING - BILL 000149 an ordinance amending Title 10 of the Philadelphia Code, entitled "Regulation of Individual Conduct and Activity," by adding a new Section 10-828, entitled "Prohibition on Sale of Box Cutters and Similar Utility Knives to Persons Under the Age of 18," all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is, shall the bill pass finally? The Chief Clerk will please call the roll.
Aye. The ayes are 16, the nays are 0. A majority of all Members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. That concludes or calendar.
Are there any speeches on the part of the Minority? (No speeches on the part of the Minority.)
Are there speeches on the part of the Majority? The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter.
Thank you, Madam President. Madam President, the issue of the fiscal condition of the School District of SPEECHES Philadelphia continues to play out before us on a daily basis. We have participated in some discussions and meetings recently about that, and there was a proposal to try to deal with an immediate cash crisis by the School District. It's my impression, at least from some of the meetings that I've been in, that Councilmembers continue to have a serious and long-standing concern about the financial condition of the School District, and I believe that Members of Council want to see the School District continue to function and operate, that the school year is not only finished out but started in September and concluded next June, in 2001. I went back, Madam President, and took a look at the notes of testimony from the hearings that we held on the School District back on Monday, March 6, 2000. The discussion recently was that there was this immediate cash crisis, that the potential existed that we would not be able to literally make payroll this summer and that schools may or may not open in September. I could not find, in hundreds of pages of testimony, SPEECHES anything from the School District back at that time indicating that that was the condition of the district. You'll also remember, Madam President, that we had no budget books back at that time bought District had not produced them. The testimony, as I recall, was that there would be no cuts, there was a plan being worked on by the Mayor and the Board. At that time, the Board was very newly constituted, but the president and vice president had been in for some time. And since then, we've had asked continually for information about the District. And then, Monday we find out about a $115 million immediate cash crisis and an attempt to put together a financial recovery plan of a short-term nature to get the District through the summer so that we could borrow the necessary funds to keep the District operating. Council passed a resolution back in April asking the Fiscal Stability and Intergovernmental Relations Committee to have hearings on the state of the School District's finances. And I would ask, Madam President -- it could probably be no more appropriate at this time SPEECHES -- that we pursue those particular hearings so that we can get a better understanding, not just from news accounts and even some of the private briefings of what the plan is to deal with the School District. We've heard statements or read statements from the Governor, from various legislators, whether Democrats, Republicans, House or Senate, that there may be some opportunities to do something, there could have been some opportunities to do something, and a fair amount of finger-pointing. I don't know who talked to who and when they talked to them, whether it was in a meeting a hallway, a parking lot, or at dinner. I do not know. My concern is that this is probably the most pressing issue facing us. And there are others: the condition of PGW, the ongoing discussion about sports stadiums and facilities, and a wide variety of other issues. But I cannot imagine at this moment in time any more pressing issue than whether or not the teachers will be paid over the summer and schools will be open in September. And so I would ask personally, Madam SPEECHES President, if we can put some series of either hearings or other meetings to get to the bottom of what it is that we can do, with answers. I think Members of Council would at least be interested in what our role could be. If a proposal is put forward that the City support the district in some way, shape, or form, where will the money come from? There was never a discussion, there was never an answer provided to that particular question. We have passed our budget already, and so any additional expenditure of dollars that were not anticipated in the FY 2001 budget would have to come from somewhere.
And so any responsible member of this body would want to know where the money is coming from before we transfer it. It's not about whether we want to support the School District or not, but it's just a responsible response to the question that was asked. And so I would ask, Madam President, that some action be taken by yourself, hopefully, on behalf of the body. I would hope that my colleagues agree that this is the most pressing issue facing us at this moment, and immediate SPEECHES action needs to be taken, but we need clear answers on what some of the suggestions are and what some of the ideas are and what it is that we can come up with to address this pressing problem. Thank you, Madam President.
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Ortiz.
Madam Chair, I concur with my colleague Michael Nutter. Over the last 8 years, over 155 people have left Philadelphia. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: That's 155,000.
155,000 over the last 8 years. The primary reason, I believe, has been the state of the public school system. As a person that has an investment of two kids in the public school system, it concerns me when words are spoken that payroll may not be met and the schools being closed in September. Before we decide anything in this city, the main priority should be, has to be, if we're going to have any sort of future, the health of the public school system. SPEECHES I think what Councilman Nutter is suggesting goes to the heart of that, and I think Council has to begin the discussions as to the finances, because we've been asking to see the finances of the public school system, and this Council as of yet have not had a presentation by the School Board on the budget. We cannot act on a crisis-to-crisis basis, and we cannot act in haste. We cannot seek some easy solution from a stopgap exclusion, we cannot seek for these solutions that will take us to the next crisis. We have to seek another solution. If there's no money coming from Harrisburg, then as a City Council, as a mayoralty and as a city decide how it is we're going to be able to educate 222,000 students in our public schools. We have to come to grips with that. Governor Ridge says that we have to put our house in order before any summit should be called in Harrisburg or whatever. I think we should put our house in order. I think we should begin immediately, and I think it should be the biggest priority we have, and we should resolve that SPEECHES before we go on to any other issue before us. Thank you.
I don't know of any member that would disagree with you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Cohen.
There are many troubling aspects about the current crisis in the School District, but among those I found extremely troubling were the comments reported in this morning's Inquirer, a quote from Mayor Street that City Council was kept in the dark about his discussions with Governor Ridge on school funding in order to protect the confidentiality of those discussions between the Mayor and the Governor. Now, this City Council happens to be the body that must act on all money requests. The discussion between the Mayor and the Governor was about money for the School District. I cannot see any justification for a policy which keeps the City Council in the dark. Apparently, we have been kept in the dark ever since the Mayor discussed with Governor Ridge, some time apparently early in March, the questions of the SPEECHES finances of the School District. And then suddenly, this Monday, we are told that there's an emergency crisis and that Council -- at least a majority of the members -- must commit by 5 o'clock on Monday to an additional $20 million for the School District. As Councilman Nutter pointed out, I don't know of a single member of this City Council who is not full hi dedicated to the preservation and strengthening of the School District. We want our kids to be educated, we've been working very hard on that for many, many years. Yet, we have to know where money is coming from, and no one knew. When Councilmembers raised the question of where it's coming from, the Mayor's representatives had no answer, they did not know. They did say this, that they would later discuss it with the Mayor and try to find out what the thinking of the Mayor was as to where the money would come from. I suggest that such flip dealing with respect to where the source of money comes from is totally unacceptable. I understand and support fully Councilman Nutter's request for these hearings SPEECHES because I don't know where the money that's been talked about for the stadiums, the needs of the Gas Works, the needs of the schools, and many other needs are coming from. And I think it is urgent that the Council be part of the of all discussions that take place if Council is later expected to participate in the necessary legislation with respect to funding. And I urge the Mayor to be open to discuss fully with City Council his plans, and that we get away from the concept of conceptual agreements and begin to deal with real agreements with specific facts. I don't think we've lived now for a number of months under the new administration with the thought in mind that all the needs to be presented to City Council is something called "a conceptual agreement," which means, with respect to information as to the details of the agreement, it means that Council gets no information whatever and that we have to trust the judgment and the decision-making of the Mayor. This is a government in which the Mayor and the City Council each play a part, and I'm ADJOURNMENT urging Mayor Street to begin to recognize that fully and to make all information available to the City Council that we have. We ought not anymore live in the days of the practice field not knowing day-to-day what the facts are. So, Madam President, I would like to support Councilman Nutter's request for public hearings because I think that the time of just going on faith has passed. Thank you, Madam President.
Thank you, Councilman. Are there any other speeches on the part of the Majority? (No further speeches.)
Seeing none, the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco for a motion to adjourn.
Madam President, I move that Council be adjourned till Thursday, June 1, 2000, 10 a.m.
It has been moved and seconded that Council stand adjourned ADJOURNMENT until Thursday, June 1, 2000. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it, and Council will be adjourned until that day. Thank you very much. (Adjourned at 12:00 p.m.) C E R T I F I C A T E I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing proceedings of the Council of the City of Philadelphia of Thursday, May 18, 2000, were reported fully and accurately by me, and that this is a correct transcript of same. RE: STATED MEETING __________________________________, JOSEPHINE CARDILLO, Registered Professional Reporter