1801 COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE - - - Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Saturday, Feb. 28, 1998 11:00 a.m. - - - BILL NO. 980003: An Ordinance Adopting the Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 1999. PRESENT: PRESIDENT JOHN F. STREET, Chairman ANNA CIBOTTA VERNA HAPPY FERNANDEZ JANNIE BLACKWELL DAVID COHEN DONNA REED MILLER MICHAEL A. NUTTER FRANK RIZZO - - - VINCENT VARALLO ASSOCIATES, INC. Registered Professional Reporters Eleven Penn Center, Suite 600 Philadelphia, PA 19103 (215) 561-2220 1802 I N D E X WITNESS: Sue Rosenthal, Chair Community Board ----- 1805 District Public Health Center 6 Robert Bridget, ACORN Field Inspector ---- 1814 7 Anne Dixon, Private Citizen -------------- 1816 Chestnut Street Plan 8 Rocco Stezzi, Private Citizen ------------ 1820 9 Plan to Improve City Services, Reduce Budget 10 Esther McCrea, 8-Year-Old Activist ------- 1824 Feltonville Rec. Center Mike McCrea, President ------------------- 1825 Philadelphia Recreation Advisory Council Thomas Grabe, Private Citizen ------------ 1832 On Behalf of Rec. Centers Sheila Harper, Board Chair --------------- 1835 Health Center No. 9 Scott Maits ------------------------------ 1848 Citizens in Business on Chestnut Street Philadelphia Public Access Coalition: Joan Preston ----------------------------- 1854 Keith Brand ------------------------------ 1858 William Goldsby -------------------------- 1860 Inja Coates ------------------------------ 1862 Louie Massiah ---------------------------- 1863 Denis Doyen ------------------------------ 1865 Gail Lloyd ------------------------------- 1867 Randi Cecchine --------------------------- 1871 Richard Paul ----------------------------- 1872 Alex Jevons ------------------------------ 1873 Joanne Fischer, Executive Director ------- 1874 Maternity Care Coalition 1803 (Index, cont'd.) WITNESS: Claudia Crane, Mayoral Appointee --------- 1886 Recycling Advisory Committee Solid Waste Advisory Committee Claudia Crane, Community Activist -------- 1886 Chestnut Street Plan Susan Gobretski, Organizer --------------- 1892 Clean Water Action Bob Pierson, Member ---------------------- 1899 Recycling Advisory Committee Alice Hayes, Member ---------------------- 1910 Board of Citizens, Health Center No. 9 Anthony Okafor, Member ------------------- 1917 Board of Citizens, Health Center No. 9 Robert Morris, Vice Chairperson ---------- 1919 Health Center No. 9 1804 P R O C E E D I N G S
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, this is a public hearing of the Council's Committee of the Whole. Today we will take testimony on our budget bills. Primarily, however, we will be taking testimony on Bill No. 8 980003, an ordinance adopting the operating budget for Fiscal Year 1999. There's a considerable list of people who are interested in testifying. I'd just like to assure everybody here that everyone will have an opportunity to testify today, with the proviso that we absolutely have to be out of here by 2 o'clock a.m. in the morning. We cannot stay here any later than 2 o'clock. We can come back on Monday, but we must be out of here by 2 o'clock a.m., and so we would ask you all to govern yourselves accordingly. - - -
Our first witness will be Sue Rosenthal, Sue Rosenthal. (Sue Rosenthal comes forward.)
Good morning. 1805 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET
Please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your statement.
I'm sorry, ma'am. I'm going to have to ask that you pull that microphone closer and speak just a little louder.
No, it's on. No, you just have to talk a little louder and very close.
My name is Sue Rosenthal. I live at 1343 Ascot Place, and I serve as Chair of the District 10 Public Health Center, the Community Board. Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today. District 10 Health Center, which is located at 2230 Cottman Avenue, provides the second highest number of patient visits of all public health centers in Philadelphia. Our 1806 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET 20-year-old building is presently undergoing renovations, which include doubling of the size of the pharmacy. I am here today to ask that a second pharmacist be funded for District because the 7 high volume of prescriptions needed by our clients 8 cannot be provided for in a timely fashion by our 9 one hard-working pharmacist. 10 In a study undertaken over three months in the spring and summer of 1998, not a period of the heaviest prescription demand, our pharmacist filled an average of 200 prescriptions per day. This translates into 33 prescriptions per hour or one prescription every minute and 48 seconds. But there are more than 200 prescriptions requested each day. This means there are always some clients whose medications are not provided on the date their physician ordered them. SO they are not ready till the next day; or if the next day is a weekend or a holiday, the clients will not get their necessary medications for two or more days after their doctors prescribe them. Besides the obvious 1807 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET health problems this situation creates, our client must return a second time. We serve a large number of seniors. We serve a large number of mothers of young children who must be bring their children when visiting the health center. It is difficult for seniors and young families to travel, especially in the winter, for even one appointment. And to have to come second time because a prescription could not be filled is an unnecessary burden on people whose lives are already filled with burden. Under Pennsylvania law in our health centers, a pharmacist must either accept a prescription or be present when a technical assistant receives the prescription. At District 10, that means patients whose visits with doctors are completed between 12:30 and 2 must wait to hand in their prescriptions because our one pharmacist rightfully closes during that time for computer work and lunch. A second pharmacist could stagger lunch hours and breaks so that prescriptions could be received and filled without interruption throughout day. 1808 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET Another problem plagues those who complete their doctor visits after 2 or who come to the health center to renew prescriptions late in the afternoon. They must always return the next working day because the pharmacist is catching up with earlier orders and cannot fill prescriptions submitted after mid-afternoon. When the pharmacist is sick or the pharmacy is closed for any reason, there is rarely prior notice. That means clients who ordered medication the day before may have made a trip to the health center for nothing. A second pharmacist could guarantee uninterrupted service, even if one pharmacist were out. The clients' suggestions placed in our suggestion box and examined monthly always list the pharmacy as a main source of problems to our clients. It's the professional opinion of the person conducting the study of the pharmacy last year that volume will increase by percent 23 during the first month of operations of our 24 renovated pharmacy. It is that person's 25 recommendation that another pharmacist will be 1809 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET immediately needed. We concur with this recommendation and strongly urge City Council to provide the funding needed by the clients of District Health Center 6 so that they will receive adequate pharmacy 7 services. 8 Thank you very much. 9
Thank you very 10 much. Is anybody here from the Health Department today? COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Yes, I am.
Can we ask the Commissioner to come forward and please identify herself for the record. (Health Commissioner Estelle Richman comes forward.) COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: I am Estelle Richman Commissioner, Commissioner of Public Health for the City of Philadelphia.
Can you please respond to this testimony. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Yes. We have been aware of the ongoing pharmacy issues. The issues that are described by Sue Rosenthal are 1810 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET comparable to some of the other issues that we've also seen in other health centers. And our plan is to look at -- we have been studying this. And we would hope, with the allocation that we are receiving from Council in this budget, that we will be able to remedy those problems.
Well, I know now Councilman is going to say, "What do you mean when you say you 'hope to remedy this?'" I can see him now. He's leaning forward, he's like a cat ready to strike. (Laughter.)
So you could save us a lot of time if you could just tell us that you don't dispute the testimony, and you're going to put another pharmacist in there so these people won't have to be inconvenienced. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Well, the only reason I hedge is whether it's a full-time pharmacist only for Health Center 10 or whether we'll be able -- whether we may have to rotate it to a couple of the health centers. But we do recognize the problem. We 1811 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET are going to try to correct, but it's not the only health center with that problem. And while we hope to add at least one pharmacist to address this one, there may be a time where we have to also use that pharmacist in a couple of health centers. I would hope it wouldn't be more than a couple.
Councilman, rather than speak here this morning and take up the time, I did speak to people in the Health Department, but not to the Commissioner. And I asked about this, and I was told that there were not funds. Now, since I spoke with them three or four weeks ago, there may have been a change, and I would be very, very happy to see that happen, but I didn't come here just to, you know, take up your time.
And we understand that, we appreciate your coming. I think what we need from the Commissioner now is a commitment that the situation will be remedied, as well as your own 1812 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET suggestion. We don't want to take credit for it. But we appreciate your pointing out that this kind of condition might exist in other centers and where it does. We'd just like to have -- I mean, we don't want senior citizens coming and not being able to get the service that they need. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Right.
It doesn't make sense to us. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: That makes a lot of sense, and that's the condition we're trying to remedy, to make sure someone doesn't have to come back to the health center for a prescription that was prescribed on that day.
The President has short-cutted (sic) one of my questions. How soon could we expect an answer from you as to the situation in District 10? I always have difficulty dealing with 1813 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET situations that have not arisen, that may exist. And if they exist, I think they ought to be taken care of too. And I don't see any reason why today citizens, particularly seniors, shouldn't get prompt service, you know, with respect to their medical needs. And if you need more everywhere, I think they ought to be provided. But the one situation we're dealing with right now is District 10. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Okay, yes. One of the solutions that we're trying to come up for 10 is to -- we have what we call "a pharmacy contract" where when a pharmacist is out sick or on vacation, or a pharmacy is not going to be available for a period of time, we could use our pharmacy contract to be able to bring in pharmacists who can fill in. That's the one that we're trying to activate right now, to be able to relieve problems and issues. And I actually thought that that was actually beginning to get into effect. And I will verify immediately Monday that the pharmacy contract is in place and will be 1814 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET there to relieve some of the issues currently at 10.
All right, thank you. And we'll expect sometime by-mid week some kind of a response. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Okay.
Thank you very much. COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: Thank you very much. - - -
Karess Lewis. (Karess Lewis is not present.) (Robert Bridget comes forward.)
Good morning. I'm not Karess Lewis, obviously. My name is Robert Bridget, and hello everyone. And hello to you, Mr. Street. I'm from ACORN, and I'm a field inspector in ACORN.
Okay. On Thursday, February the 26th, at Whalen Temple, ACORN and a group of 400 supporters and heads of various City departments encountered each other, only to realize that nothing has changed in regard to the housing crisis in Philadelphia for low-income people. For the past two years, ACORN has been involved in a campaign to provide housing for the very low-income people of this City. Our purpose is to rehabilitate existing vacant, abandoned buildings. Our method is to make these houses available to the most needy and deserving of our population by involving them in the whole process. We cannot do it without assistance. So far, the City has vacillated and deceived us, but our purpose is strong and we're resolved to continue to struggle. At present, there appears to be an increased effort on the part of some City agencies to demolish as much of the housing stock as possible, without regard to its salvageability. And we hope, with the aid of the City 1816 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET and its stated commitment, to revitalize our community by providing home ownership and making the continued maintenance less of an economic burden for the people already financially limited. We see our mission as a three-pronged attack on the largest, most devastating problems confronting us: housing, lack of economic opportunity, and community devaluation and disintegration. The City must consider people already residing in the besieged areas when it comes to erecting new housing, that it's fully aware of that the people living cannot afford. I want to thank you for your kind attention.
Please identify yourself for the record. 1817 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET
The City plans to redesign the streetscape of Chestnut Street in Center City. The $992,500 in federal funds for a new Chestnut Street plan and the approximately $250,000 of City funds for the same plan is a lot of money. Anytime a large quantity of money is spent, the rationale behind the spending should be examined closely. I have examined the City's plan for Chestnut Street and found it lacking. The City plans to widen Chestnut Street between Sixth Street and Eighteenth Streets. There will be a shared bus/bike lane, a car lane, and a parking loading-lane. No right turns will be allowed, and traffic will flow east. There are some problems with this plan. It does not provide any input for public involvement, it brings increased traffic pollution and noise, and it relies heavily on law enforcement. A shared bus/bike lane is unpleasant and unsafe for bicyclists. It reduces sidewalk, 1818 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET thus pedestrian space. It also doesn't do anything to attract pedestrians. The Center City District counts show that there are now more people walking on Chestnut than Walnut, and Walnut has cars. It negates businesses from having warm-weather sidewalk cafes. And it also contradicts a national park plan, which the park plan includes closing Chestnut to traffic at Independence Mall. And it kills 20-year-old trees in the process. Chestnut Street does have problems. The second stories of many buildings are vacant, and delivery trucks remain parked all day. The Meridian Building fire took out a large section of the street, and there has also been a problem with absentee landlords. Twenty years ago, there were plans to make improvements by running electric shuttles on it; this never happened. Instead diesel buses were put on the street. Making the street pedestrian-friendly is a good idea. Pedestrians can enter stores and make purchases; cars can't. Pedestrian-friendly 1819 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET streets allow for more possibilities such as sidewalk cafes. And cafes add vibrancy to a street but won't work in places with loud traffic, because no one wants to eat outside, next to it. One idea for making the street more pedestrian-friendly would be to use a trolley instead of buses and to add a bike lane. These vehicles would quietly bring people to Chestnut Street. At night, the street would be open to auto traffic. Cutouts could be made in the sidewalk on one side in order to allow vehicles to get front-door deliveries. This would also allow the road to be used for commuters driving home. Cross streets would be used for delivery parking during the day. Another idea is to make the whole idea a pedestrian mall and only allow car traffic at night. This is a less expensive, less destructive plan. People can easily walk the two blocks from Market, where there are lots of buses. People would want to come to the only pleasantly auto-free street in town. Think of South Street without the traffic jams and car 1820 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET stereos.
Good morning, President Street and City Councilmembers and citizens. I am here today to present a four-step plan to improve the City services and reduce the budget. The anticipated savings are in the neighborhood of a $100 million to a quarter of a million dollars immediately. The plan was arrived at after an intensive investigation of the five-year fiscal plan presented by the Mayor of Philadelphia, audits from the State, audits from the City of Philadelphia. The Fiscal 1999 operating budget -- I couldn't get a copy of the 1998 budget, detailed budget that is. The plan is simplicity in itself. The four-step plan is very simple: audit the agency, 1821 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET investigate the failings of the agency, deny the budget request, and stipulate that the agency audit recommendations be implemented. This will reduce the waste, the loss, the misuse, and will increase the efficiency, productivity, and accountability of the City agency agencies. The expenditure of time and money that's required for this four-step plan is none. The City agency audit recommendations, Jonathon Saidel, and Mr. Scaparatta have done a very good job. I have the recommendations for the last ten years from many agencies. Each year, City Council passes the budget of agencies similar to the last year in which the money has been wasted, lost, and misused as determined by the City Auditor. City Council permits the inefficiency, the lack of productivity, and the refusal of the agency to be held accountable. The savings expected immediately is 5 percent. There will a dramatic increase expected long-term. As an example, I have chosen the Register of Wills budget. The Register of Wills 1822 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET requested $2.6 million. For years now, Jonathon Saidel and Mr. Scaparatta have made all the recommendations that this office has ignored. For instance, one audit recommendation was that he reduce the probate clerks from to 7 2.4 -- 3 of course. The savings here is 132,000 or an immediate 5 percent of the total budget. This is just one example of the amount of savings that could be realized if you implement this very simple four-step plan. And it's already been done for you. The only thing that it takes is a little bit of courage and for the Councilmembers to exercise leadership. Mayor Green, Mayor Rizzo, even Mayor Goode had laid off people, frozen assets, frozen personnel. And I have read the labor union contracts. There is nothing about layoffs. And the most important thing is the automation of the City government. Every single year, Jonathon Saidel tells the Register of Wills and other departments to automate. In fact, in this particular department, he recommended a $1,800 personal computer and $100 software that will save -- that will enable the 1823 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET City to realize hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional revenue, in addition to personal savings. I thank you. If there are any questions, I have read the budgets, I have looked at the labor contracts. I even looked at the First Judicial reorganization -- unification. I'd be glad to answer any questions.
Mr. Stezzi, thank you very much for coming. What I will do is ask that Mr. Certo here to my right, who is our Chief Budget Officer, get in touch with you. And if we have any questions -- I would like him to get some more information on the details, and if we have further questions, we can get that information through him.
The information is available in the Municipal Service Building, 12th floor. And the City Comptroller is more than happy to give you the audits, which seem to be gathering dust year after year.
Okay, thank you very much. 1824 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET - - -
Mike McCrea. (Mike McCrea and Esther McCrea comes forward.)
Please identify yourself for the record, young lady, give us your name. MISS MCCREA: My name is Esther McCrea, and I am 8 years old. Many of my friends and I spend a lot of time at the Feltonville Rec. Center. Every day we can get help with our homework, use the computers, get a snack, and we play lots of games or arts and crafts. We also go to the library. In the summer, we go to camp, we get to swim every day, and we do lots of fun things like pie-eating, bubble-gum-blowing, Follow-the-Leader, scavenger hunts, and arts and crafts, and all kinds of games. We get lunch every day, and it's always good. We go on trips to the Franklin Institute, the Zoo, miniature golf, Dorney Park, 1825 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET Penns Landing, the Please Touch Museum, and the Library. We also get visits from the Police, Fire Department and the SPCA. When camp is over, we practice with the swim team for one hour each day. Every Saturday, we play baseball. Other kids also come to the Center for basketball, football, soccer, and hockey. Thanks to Mr. Ed, Miss Lisa, Miss Terry, Miss Dorian, Tom, Mary, Helen, Tyrone, Peggy, Michelle, Charisma, and especially our moms and dads, who are always there for us. We understand that many kids are not as lucky as we are, but all kids should be able to have as much fun as we do. Thank you for letting me tell you how important the Rec Center is to us.
Thank you. I was -- it's a hard act to follow. My name is Michael McCrea, I'm President of the Philadelphia Recreation Advisory. Members of City Council, as President 1826 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET of the Philadelphia Recreation Advisory, I represent 138 volunteer organizations, each of whom represents their own neighborhood recreation center. We appreciate the support from City Council last year and again this year pertaining to after-school programs. It's nice to see that all of us are at least in the same chapter if not on the same page. Although modest on the surface, it will enable us to serve almost 3500 children after school. It would be unsupervised without it. From 62 this year, it would increase to over 100 next year. As great as that may sound, almost every one of our existing programs does have a waiting list. At Feltonville, for instance, where I come from, the need is so great, we could double the size of our program, fill every spot, and we probably would still have a waiting list. That being said, we are making progress. In this proposed budget, though, I again have to ask key questions about the Administration's priorities. 1827 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET When the SEPTA subsidy's more than twice the Recreation's operating budget, when just the increase in human services from last year to this is almost two times this department's operating budget, and when even the Convention Center's subsidy this year is more than this department's operating budget, I have to ask, Where do our children rank on the priority list of this Administration? 18 a day to keep a child in an after-school program or a summer camp, the question must be asked, Can't we do better than this? Personally, I don't think we can do better; I know we can do better. We must make our children our top priority. And to this point, we just have not come close to meeting that goal. My position takes me all over the City, from Northeast to Southwest, from South 1828 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET Philadelphia to Chestnut Hill. I cover it all, and I see thousands of people who work or 4 hours a day and then come home to volunteer or hours a night at their local recreation center because the services offered there are that important, not only to them, but also to their community. And we would like to feel that the delivery of these services is as important to you as they are to us. We would like to see the Administration work as hard as we do to enhance the delivery of these services. And, to be real honest, we haven't felt that way in a long time. As individuals, some of you have come out and publicly supported what we in the Department of Recreation are about. But as a group, I think you've fallen short of meeting the basic requirements. I should not have to remind you that this is a partnership. We really believe Recreation Department has succeeded in doing the best with what it has to work with, and I think things have improved greatly over the last six years. But, as volunteers, we feel the past and present 1829 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET Administrations have left much of the burden on our shoulders to carry. We don't mind doing our part, but we also don't like being taken advantage of. This brings me to my next question: How much more do you want from us? We're not looking for a free lunch, just a helping hand, and we really don't think that's too much to ask. I was surprised when listening to the Commissioner's testimony this past Monday that the question came up about what would happen to money left over from the Activities Grant Fund. I find it extremely hard to believe that with all the applications that were received, you could not find enough worthy organizations to give out all of the money that was available to you. Of the 742 qualifying organizations that applied for this grant, 55 got nothing, and 148 got less than $1,000. I really know we can do better than this.
This is not rocket science, ladies and gentlemen, it's just plain common sense. To put this in perspective, however, we cannot not lay all of this at your doorstep, 1830 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET because part of the failure has been ours. If, as parents and adults, we did our jobs better and set the right examples, some of these services would not be in such demand. And part of the failure is also mine because it has been my responsibility to bring this message to you each year and convince you to come on board us. Every year that's gone by with little or no action from the Administration has been a reflection on how well I deliver this message. I think we have made some progress, but we still have a way to go. The Recreation Department has come a long way over the last six years under this Commissioner's guidance. I think it's time for the entire Administration to journey down the trail that has been blazed. I have always believed that there's room on this bus for everyone, and I look forward to the day when the Administration can catch up with us and we can fill every seat. Thank you.
Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman 1831 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET Blackwell.
Mr. President, I work regularly with Mr. McCrea, and I just want to acknowledge all of the good work that he does in the community. You heard him mention about all the activity effort and the amount of effort he and many others, and also the involvement with his daughter, Esther, to get her at a very early age involved. So I just want to thank you, Mike, for all you do.
Thank you very much. Mr. McCray is almost like a fixture here. When we see him, we know he's going to talk about the 1832 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET Recreation Department. We always appreciate your testimony and you shouldn't -- it is at least in part because of the case that you make that this Council makes sure that we do something for the Recreation Department. I thank you very much.
We really do. And I have seen you here and you have seen me see you here.
You've seen me enough times; not just here, all over the place. I catch up with everybody.
Identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Good morning, Members of City Council. My name is Thomas Grabe, and I am 1833 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET an attender at Germantown Friends monthly meeting. And we have been involved through the Peace and Social Concerns Committee of the Meeting with the Northwest Recreation Network. And we have been working for about the last year in paying close attention to the recreation centers in our area, with the hope that some of the results of our effort might have some effect Citywide. What I'm here to say today has solely to do with us. And what's more important to us than our children. Our children, they're our bloom, they're our blossom, they're our seed. Children deserve everything they can get. We must give it all to them who will shine when our light dims. But how? We spend lots of money irresponsibly -- my opinion -- but irresponsibly on their education. We can no longer squander precious time. We must see the summer of '98 as the Renaissance summer, the summer that Philadelphia began to shine as a beacon into the millennium. 1834 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET The most efficient way to show the true meaning of urban existence is the Rec. Department; but not just the Rec. Department, but the volunteer council. Volunteerism, we've heard a lot about it lately. Volunteerism is the most efficacious means to cultural magnificence. And no group of volunteers exceeds the Philadelphia Recreation Council in its size, in its strength, in its spirit, in its humility, and its true concern. With a truly unified effort, we in Philadelphia can tap resources never before imagined. We can see our recreation centers become cultural centers, neighborhood centers, day care centers, after-school centers, athletic centers, senior centers, education centers, enrichment centers, art centers, technical training centers, meditation centers, ethnic identity centers, health education centers, and fun centers. Now, let's consider our neighborhoods. Neighborhoods are our villages of the past. Much more needs to go on in the neighborhoods. They must become more diverse, their richness must 1835 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET grow. When you view the recreation centers in the context of the neighborhoods, the function that emerges is the volunteer councils. They are neighbors. Let's bring neighbors together. The Rec. Department budget stands at 1 percent of the City budget. If 0.5 percent of the current Fiscal Year '97-'98 budget were reallocated to the Rec. Department for the summer of 1998, we could have a quality in life in Philadelphia never before dreamed of. We could have neighborhood residents going to rec. centers, some receiving a stipend, others simply volunteering. But one thing is for sure. Thousands of our children would receive what they need: attention and time. Thank you.
Sheila Harper, Sheila Harper. (Sheila Harper comes forward.)
Good morning, Council 1836 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET President Street, City Councilmembers, Health Commissioner Richman. My name is Sheila Harper, and I'm here on behalf of Health Center No. 9. We're located at 131 East Chelten Avenue and we service the northwestern area of the City. Health Center No. 9 has been in existence since 1958, which was prior to public health being implemented around the City during the sixties. We are housed in a building also that was built at that same time, at which time we were providing care to TB patients, chest clinics, dental clinics, and immunization. Since that time, of course, subsequent to the closing of PGH, we began to serve a lot of outpatient primary care patients. As a result of that, our original facility that was built was not designed to provide the level of services that we're providing currently. You figure if we're providing basic immunizations and walk-in chest clinics, now we're seeing 12,000 patients who average approximately 40,000, 45,000 visits per year. Our old facility is a little bit outdated. We have no 25 child care play area, our children sit in the 1837 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET waiting room with the adults who are sick. We have been scheduled for renovation since I originally became Board Chair two years ago. I believe that those renovations were supposed to begin originally in 1996. Every few months, we are told, Okay, the renovations are going to start in September, okay, they're going to start in September of '98, the following year, six months subsequent to that. It has not occurred. The last time we were told that there were going to be renovations, they were scheduled to occur, I believe, beginning in March, this coming March. At the hearing on Monday, I understood that that has now been delayed until August again. We have attempted to work as best as possible with our community and with our Health Commissioner, and she has been extremely helpful. However, the delays that we're consistently receiving in terms of beginning the process is a problem. The unemployed, the self-employed -- which I have been for the last twelve years -- the 1838 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET future unemployed, along with the thousands of people that are going to be coming off of medical assistance, we have to plan some alternative means for their care. When they're off of medical assistance, obviously, they cannot come into the health centers and be seen, unless they go to public health center. My vision -- in terms of having been Board Chair, I have this vision that once this welfare reform takes place, that we're going to have thousands of people who are going to be needing care who will not be able to get care because the priority ones are going to be the ones that are already within the system. Physically, our facility is unable to house any additional exam rooms. I personally have been a patient at Health Center No. 9 during periods of time when my health insurance lapsed. I have had my medical records lost on numerous occasions. It's not because of the inadequacy of the staff; it's because of the physical limitations. It's impossible to house 12,000 active patient records on ten shelves, okay, without something getting lost. 1839 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET I am here today to request that City Council, first of all, look at the scheduled renovation, see what can be done to expedite the process, hire some additional staff. We have been understaffed for some time in terms of clerical assistance, which is important to things like paperwork and maintaining the paperwork on the 12,000 patients that we see. We need assistance in the area also of a pharmacist. Our pharmacist is frequently pulled to go to other health centers. We also recently also lost a dentist.
We need those additional staff members and we don't need the process where once the position is vacant for longer than a year, it's eliminated off of the approved staffing list. Likewise, in terms of our rest rooms, ventilation is really important. Our rest rooms actually have a real severe odor. I would not take my daughter and put her on that infant changing table. It's dirty and it smells. And, again, it's not because the janitors don't do the best that they can. If you have one and a half janitors that are cleaning up 1840 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET an entire 17,000 scare feet, I'm certain they're doing the best that they can. However, we need additional janitorial assistance so that the rest rooms don't smell like that. Health Commissioner Richman has been very helpful, her and Mariette Buckman from the Capital Budget Office. One of the first things, when they came out to meet with us, I took them on a tour. I wanted to take them to the rest room, and no one wanted to go in there. I don't know how many of you have ever been in Health Center No. 9, on Chelten Avenue, but if that was your only alternative -- which it is for a number of people -- I don't think that you would want to go there for care. The ventilation systems need to be improved. If the Health Department can go in and close our facilities because of inadequate ventilation, what is it that indicates that we have to have inadequate ventilation? It doesn't make any sense to me. Likewise, in addition to our staffing issues and the delayed renovation problems, along with the ventilation problems issues, I feel as 1841 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET though we need additional space. The more doctor exam rooms that are available, the more patients we can then see. In preparation -- although we've been extended for one additional year for the medical assistance program, in other words, those that will be coming off of the welfare rolls in March of 1999, once they begin work, they will have an opportunity to get one additional year of medical assistance benefits. However, once that's over, which will be in March of the year 2000, they will be saddled with -- unless they have a job which pays for medical coverage. And I've had an opportunity to listen and talk to some of the women who are coming off of the welfare rolls through these various training program. Frequently, they do not have insurance benefits on their jobs. 50 an hour. Yes, we do have the CHIPS Program; however, that's based on a sliding fee scale. So therefore, if you make money, that does not necessarily cover every -- all of your health care needs. 1842 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET What I'm here today to ask City Council to do is to see if you can expedite the renovations. Do a study -- which Miss Buckman has already initiated -- to determine whether our physical plant can house additional people, which I know it can't, but I know it's a process that has to happen before a new or an expanded facility is needed. Also, I'd like you to begin to take a look at the thousands of dollars, the millions of dollars that the State of Pennsylvania is saving as a result of welfare reform. They have saved million of dollars off of the medical assistance program. I think that because they've saved millions of dollars, what they need to do and what we need to do is initiate the process to get additional State funds to focus on providing public health services. Additionally, there's a lot of alcohol and tobacco-related diseases that many of our patients exhibit. I think that we need to make a move towards these alcohol and tobacco companies to have them offset some of our operational costs, 1843 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET okay, because many of the people that we see, of course, have alcohol or tobacco-related illnesses.
The other thing I would like to look at is have a basic planning session to determine exactly how our dollars are currently being allocated, are allocated amongst the various health centers. Okay, basically at this point, from what I have been able to garner information in terms of the budget, the expenses, the revenues -- well, the revenues are broken out, the expenses are not, therefore I do not know if there is equitable distribution across all of the health centers in this City. I would like to take a strong look at that. If Health Center No. 9 serves a larger percentage of uninsured, which we do, we have 75 percent Citywide, the percentage is 61 percent. I can only imagine that that 75 percent is going to worsen after welfare reform begins to actually have its full effect. The 75 percent that I'm quoting to you is prior to welfare reform. I think that since we do serve people from Chestnut Hill, Mount Airy, East Oak Lane, 1844 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET lower North Philadelphia, particularly after the closing of Health Centers No. 7 and 8, that we need to consider allocating additional resources so that we can look at providing a better, improved quality of care. And with our physical limitations and with the consistent delayed renovations, that's going to be a little bit more difficult to achieve. As a taxpayer, as a Board Chair, as a health professional in the field for years, I 12 basically am imploring City Council to take a look 13 seriously at this matter so that in the year 2000, 14 there is not going to be a massive crisis that we 15 are ill-prepared to address. 16 I'm going to leave the health care of 17 our citizens in your hands and in God's hand. 18 Thank you. 19
Thank you very 20 much. I have to tell you that many of the questions that you have raised have already been raised by a number of Members of City Council, particularly the welfare reform questions and where we will be, you know, as this program is systematically implemented. 1845 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET And much of the -- many of the questions have been raised. And the Department, in all fairness, is working on a response to those questions and is very much concerned about these issues. So you are right on the money. And if you stay tuned, I think you're going to find that City Council agrees with most of what you've said and is determined that we're going to be prepared for this crisis.
I'm sorry. So what are we going to do? I know that's Citywide, but what about these delayed renovations that consistently get delayed? You know, two, three years --
Is the Health Commissioner here? Maybe she could give us word on this record about the delayed renovations. There may be a good reason for it, there may not. So, hopefully, we'll get some response from the Health Commissioner.
Okay, thank you very much. (Commissioner Estelle Richman comes 1846 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET forward.) COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: My name is Estelle Richman. I'm the City Health Commissioner. Actually, I just sent someone out to make a phone call to find out the exact date. We have been working very closely with the Capital Budget Office. Many of the projects have been delayed. My understanding is they are getting on track now as the Capital Budget Office is working with us. We have two centers that are to be finished in June of '98, and I think that Health Center 9 is in the second round of programs, and I think the due date is in December of '98. But I need to get that confirmed, and I will get back to you.
Okay. Well, Miss Harper is here. And if you get that information, maybe you can get it directly to her. I'm sure she'd be more than willing to talk to you about the details of the renovations of the center. Is that all right with you, Miss Harper? 1847 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET
I'm saying that the Commissioner has made a phone call to get the real detail and the specifics. And what I would ask her to do is, if she gets that information, that she makes sure that she gets it directly to you so that you'll be able to know exactly what the situation is.
I understand. She will be able to give you all that information.
(Inaudible/off mike.) COMMISSIONER RICHMAN: I don't have the date, that's why I'm trying to find out.
We don't know what it is. I mean, we'll be glad to work with you on it. Okay?
The Chair recognizes -- Councilwoman Miller, did you have questions?
A comment. The 1848 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET Chair recognizes Councilwoman Miller.
Okay. I want to thank Sheila Harper for coming down. She's really a proactive, very interested Advisory Chair. And some of these issues were issues before I came to Council. I was on a committee of people that used to go to Health Center No. 9. So, you know, we've been working to do what we can, but I didn't know about this delay, well, since it just happened Monday. But I just really wanted to take the time and thank Sheila for coming down. Thank you.
Council President Street, ladies and gentlemen, my name is Scott Maits, 4230 Regent Square in West Philadelphia. I'm of Citizens in Business for Transit -- I'm sorry, excuse me. It's Citizens in Business on Chestnut Street. It's a coalition of groups, individuals, and businesses that are interested in improving Chestnut Street. 1849 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET Currently, the City has some plans that we feel do not address the real shortcomings of the street. They want to widen and return it to former state, similar to Walnut Street today. The feeling with City planners is that Walnut Street is the way to go and that this would greatly improve Chestnut. Well, we feel that most of the people -- we know that most of the people arrive by transit into Center City, and we feel that improving the amenities for transit riders, for pedestrians, inviting bicyclists in a good way down to Chestnut is the way to bring more people down there. As another person from our group, Ann Dixon, pointed out, Chestnut Street already has more pedestrians than Walnut Street. I'd also add that I don't think Chestnut Street could ever become Rodeo Drive for Philadelphia, as Walnut Street is. There are several reasons for the differences in them. What we need to do with Chestnut is to create its own niche, to restore it to its former glory as the leading regional shopping area for 1850 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET the entire tristate area really at one time. What we can do -- and we've done some art work to show you what that might look like -- is to bring light rail, to bring a bike lane, to keep the sidewalks wider but to improve them with really taking care of maintenance on them so that the sidewalks don't look deplorable. We have some of this art work to hand out to people. We also have a cross-section of a typical block of Chestnut Street in what is now considered the closed transit section. We feel that this plan could bring those people in. We'd like to bring people from the train stations, from the subways, and we'd like to have them connect directly to Chestnut and to be brought down there. We'd like to have a Center City loop like SEPTA is trying to do to Chestnut Street. They want to have a loop that goes down to South Street and Penns Landing. Well, this is an improved design for one. I wanted to point out also that cars were the original reason that Chestnut Street was going down in the fifties, sixties, and seventies. 1851 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET The busway had been brought in in the first instance because the street was going downhill, it was declining. Well, the buses were not able to stem that decline because they were a poor substitute with what had originally been intended, which was to have trolley cars on the street, as Ed Bacon in the 1963 plan had intended. Now, we have a slightly different design, one that goes to the Convention Center by returning on Arch Street. We've invited bicycles down there. Many people in our group are bicyclists, and we also see that there's many bicyclists adding every day. There's going to be a bicycle network through Philadelphia. However, there's going to be no downtown connection for them to ride on. Chestnut Street could be that downtown connection and could have a lot of people. I think the true key to Chestnut is to do something that has been done for the hotels in this City, which is to encourage them through various incentives like we've done, and we're now 1852 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET having a hotel boon. We need to do the same thing for apartment buildings. That's one of the keys to Chestnut, to bringing it back. But we need to make it a pedestrian way too, something that people will love to come down and see and something that will be a tourist attraction known in other cities. And this plan can address that. I'll be available to come by City Council chambers and talk specifics about the plan.
I don't want to bore everybody with many, many technical things and reasons why this would be a better plan. And there is also some written testimony, which I'm not going to -- it's a two- page thing, I'm not going to read the whole thing here today. But I will say that I will be available to come around in mornings and meet with people, take off from my day job and from my other duties to come see you and talk about this project. I think it's very important that we look at Chestnut Street very carefully before we make this big decision, which was done behind 1853 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET closed doors for the large part and very quickly for the other part. While Chestnut Street has been languishing for many years, all of a sudden, there's a plan, and there's been no public debate on it at all, about whether it's going to work or not. And I might also point out that modern democracy in America and in the world started on Chestnut Street. We might need to introduce some debate and some give-and-take on what might be needed for its future.
Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Fernandez.
Thank you, Mr. President. As Chair of the Transportation Committee here in City Council, I know I've started to get a number of letters around the Chestnut Street proposed plan. And I assume, Mr. President, that it affects your district and also Councilman DiCicco's district. I would like to suggest that we try to figure out some way to make sure there is clear 1854 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET public discussion of what the Streets Department is proposing to do. And whether that be in public hearings or some round-table discussions, maybe we could look at that, but I think it affects not only those districts, but this is a major thoroughfare for our whole City.
Thank you very much. That's a good idea, Councilwoman. We'll make sure that we get more people involved in the discussion. - - -
Joan Preston. Joan Preston. Sorry, she wasn't here, can't talk. Just kidding. (Joan Preston comes forward.)
There are a number of people who all wish to speak. And I understand, Miss Preston, you're interested in the Public Access Media.
I think that's the same issue as the Cable Public Access. Is that the same issue?
Well, Louis Massiah, William Goldsby, Keith Brand, Alice Hayes, are all of you here for the same issue? Can we get everybody, all of those witnesses who are all here for the same issue up at the table? Because it will facilitate -- it's a whole lot easier when we read the notes of testimony because then we can have, you know, the Public Access part of the notes. And sometimes we take the stuff home with us and we won't have to take a big book. We might even be able to take just a section of the notes and have all the testimony right at our fingertips. So those people who are all here for Public Access, can I ask you to identify yourselves. We have Joan Preston --
And who else is here for Public Access? Can you give us your names.
I live in the 1500 block 1856 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET of North 16th Street.
My name's not on the list. My name's Inja Coates. I'm with all these folks in the Coalition.
Spell you name and come closer to the microphone. The stenographer cannot hear you.
My name is Inja Coates. I'm with members of the Coalition for Public Access and I live in West Philadelphia.
No, that's good, that's very refreshing. I mean, some witnesses come to the table and they say (speaking in a very soft voice), "My name is. . ." And we can't hear them, you know. 1857 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET Okay, is Alice Hayes here?
Oh, I thought you were with Public Cable. So you're with Public Health, okay, no thank you. All right, is there anyone else here for Cable Public Access?
Okay, let's get all the Cable Access people right on the rail here, right here on the inside 'cause we'll do you all at once. And maybe what we can do is have people just make a brief statement. And after we hear all the statements, we can entertain whatever discussion we need. Is that all right? Any Councilmember have a problem with that? I think it helps organize this whole thing. Okay, Miss Preston, we'll start with 1858 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET you.
Thank you very much. Regarding Public Access, we deem it not only a need but a must for our citizens and for our City. We envision this access to be a resource that will bring a broad range of education for our children and an awareness to the general public. For now, Public Access is like a mystery. And also the consensus is that our City is the only large city in the nation that does not have Public Access. And today, what we are asking is that City Council will vote yes to make this a part of the 1999 budget. (Keith Brand comes forward.)
My name, again, is Keith Brand. I'm an adjunct faculty member in Communication Arts at Temple University and Ursinus College. And for the last ten years, I've been doing my dissertation on Public Access Cable Television, not only here or the lack of it here in Philadelphia, but also in other cities around the country. And I'm here to say right now that it works, as witness the cameras that do broadcast 1859 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET the Council hearings live. Also, the educational channels have been up and running for nearly ten years, but we have not had the Public Access channels up and running. So, again, we're asking you to let's finally get this thing on the move. I'm sure -- I know everybody, all Councilpeople here in this chambers have their problems with the media. City Council President Street, you've mentioned a number of times that you're disappointed with the way that the media covers certain issues in the news. Well, somebody came up with the brilliant idea about or 30 years ago that we 15 should turn over some of these new channels on 16 cable in the cable systems that were just 17 springing up around the United States to the 18 community. 19 We have a very rich community history 20 here in Philadelphia, and we'd like to be able to give those people, the people that live out in our neighborhoods, the opportunity and the access to the tools and technology of television so that they can make their own stories for other people here in the City of Philadelphia. 1860 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET That's what was negotiated for back when the franchise agreements were signed, back in 1983. And for reasons we're not all too sure of, Public Access has never been instituted by City Council here in Philadelphia. And we believe that now with the franchise renegotiations that are probably going to happen soon, that we need to deal with this issue and we need to deal with it now. Thank you.
Thank you very much. (Applause.) (William Goldsby comes forward.)
My name is William Goldsby. I'm a registered voter in North Philadelphia and I'm strongly advocating for Public Access because it's an opportunity to give voice to those who are voiceless. Specifically -- I work with a number of projects in North Philadelphia, but the two that really comes home to me is the one where at least 8 to 12 young people between the -- well, under 14, meets every Tuesday to learn how to break down and build computers, computers that are given to 1861 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET us by different organizations. And these young people volunteer to come every Tuesday, at 4 o'clock after school. The objective is to get them at some point prepared to build and create and serve the Web wage. Many of these young people are voiceless. The other group that I work with is a group of young fathers who meet just to support themselves, to keep themselves out of jail, to help deal with crisis, dramas, and other issues, to help deal with child support. Again, this group is voiceless. They are great projects, and it would be good that other Philadelphians realize that there are positive things going on out there in the City. One last thing. It's an illusion that African-Americans, women, and other disenfranchised population have a voice these days. We do not have the voice that we deserve. And to deny Public Access is another way of denying that voice. So, again, my emphasis is to -- well, actually, my expectation is that we facilitate 1862 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET this Board of Directors so that Public Access could provide the voices for the people in this City. (Applause.) (Inja Coates comes forward.)
My name is Inja Coates, and I don't have any prepared speech, but I just want to make a brief comment. I work in North Philadelphia at a community-based arts organization with education programs that target at-risk youth and particularly teens. And I also am an independent media maker. I document a lot of social issues and stuff and events that go on at that particular place and other places around the City. And every time I'm there with my video camera, the teens come running up and beg to be able to hold the camera. And these are kids that very little else motivates them to want to learn. And they don't -- they're not rooted in their own sense of identity, and they do not have a voice. And I think I've seen just in my time working with these kids that this is a really 1863 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET powerful tool, and it is powerful enough that it gives them a reason not to be standing out on the street corners and getting involved in a lot of the illicit activities that take place in neighborhoods like that. So that's all I wanted to say. (Applause.) (Louis Massiah comes forward.)
Thank you. My name is Louie Massiah. I am the Director of Scribe Video Center, a media arts facility where we teach individuals and members of community organizations how to use film and video. And I'm also here with my colleagues from the Philadelphia Community Access Coalition. As you can see, we're a diverse group of about a hundred people, and growing. Our mailing list is well over a thousand. And we really carry on the tradition that was sort of started by many people who work in City Council maybe about 15 years ago, specifically John Anderson who really pushed very hard for Public Access. And there are a number of people on City Council now who were also a part of 1864 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET that effort. Now that it seems like two of the cable franchisees are discussing renegotiating contracts, it's very, very important that the ordinance which was passed in 1983 finally be enacted to finally set up Public Access. A nonprofit corporation, which is described in that ordinance, was to be chosen by City Council and the Mayor. And funding which comes from really the revenues of Public Access -- of the cable system was to fund this Public Access Corporation. The capital expenses were to come directly from the franchisees. So we really want to push for this to happen so that we don't lose this very, very important opportunity. And the other thing is, as these new cable agreements are being drafted, it's important that Public Access not be lost, nor that we lose educational access or government access. These channels are extraordinarily valuable, but they're also valuable to the citizens of the City, and we don't want to lose them, not because of any fault on our own part, but because of just sort of having sort of drifted 1865 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET off the agenda. And the other thing is that, you know, Public Access is more than just a voice. It also, as many of us have talked about, is part of community-building and skills-building for young people and old people in Philadelphia. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
Thank you. Can we ask the people who have already testified to step aside and let the others come up who would like to testify so we can make sure get everybody on the record. (Denis Doyen comes forward.)
My name is Denis Doyen. I live in West Philadelphia. And I'm a small business owner in a small video-production company which specializes in production of videos for nonprofit organizations in the City. And what I've discovered in the course of my work is that there's a great need for a number of nonprofit organizations throughout the City to use video as a way of getting their message, their news about their work and their 1866 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET services and the issues that they address to their constituents. And many -- particularly those who work with young people find out that a brochure or printed material is not going to communicate that message. Video is the best way to reach public, whether it's on public health issues, whether it's on education issues, whether it's violence prevention issues, whether it's community development. Whatever that organization is working on, video is a very important and effective way to get that message across. Even though, as a small company, I try to make my rates low enough so that nonprofits can utilize that and create videos, and there are other places that people can go for that, it's really still prohibitive for many of the smaller groups that are finding that their resources are very stretched. And with Public Access cable, they would be able to go into a studio funded -- where the equipment is funded by the cable companies who have franchises here, get training, produce shows, and get them on the cable networks so that people 1867 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET could find out the information that exists in the community. There's a great deal of expertise and information and talent in the community, and cable access can allow that to be shared with others through the community. It can really be a very important element of any strategy for community development in Philadelphia. (Applause.) (Gail Lloyd comes forward.)
My name is Gail Lloyd. I live in the Mount Airy section of Philadelphia. And I just want to make this brief 'cause, actually, I have to go 'cause my meter just ran out, but I just --
Well, maybe we'll be able to get some financial help here today. (Laughter.)
I just wanted to repeat what was said earlier about Philadelphia being one of the -- or I should say the last large city to have Public Access. I'd like to appeal to you to 1868 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET really consider that. I think Philadelphia is a world-class city, of course, and there's a large independent film community here. And, actually, I was in Cambridge earlier this year, which is a very small town, and they have a wonderful Public Access station there. And I really think that Philadelphia could -- could also, you know, be well served by this.
You know, I'm very impressed by this testimony. And what I would like to do is make the following recommendation. I would like to make a commitment on behalf of all the Members of Council, because everybody understands that this is a very important issue. I would like to make a commitment on behalf of all the Members of Council to volunteer the services of the Chairperson of Council's Committee on Public Property, which is Councilwoman Clark. She's not here so she can get an assignment today. That's what happens when you're not here. Councilwoman Clark's mother is very, very 1869 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET ill, and this is a difficult time for her. She's at the hospital every day, sometimes for long periods of time. And so she can't be here, but I know how interested she is in this, and her committee is the committee that's responsible for this issue. Now, what I would like to do is ask those people who are here on the Public Access issue, to make sure that I get their names separate from this record. 'Cause this record, it will take us some time to get this record. I mean the stenographer does what they do, and we finally we get it. But I would like for you do is to get a list of your names, give it to Ms. Diaz here. And what I will do is have a separate meeting where you all can come. I will ask Councilwoman Clark to be there. All Councilmembers will be notified when that meeting is, so if a Councilmember can be there, that's fine. If a Councilmember can't be there -- Councilmembers are very busy -- he can send a staff member. And I'd like to, in a less formal 1870 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET setting, under Councilwoman Clark's leadership as the Chairman of that Committee, just have a little more in-depth discussion about this so that before these budget hearings are over, we can have a much more specific plan. Now, every member here is very sympathetic to the testimony, and I think we want to do the right thing. But I think that we maybe need to put this other little side process into effect so that we can make sure that we get the level of the detail that we need and we can get the action steps necessary to make sure that this happens in a fair, reasonable way. I think if we do that, you know, it's much, much less likely to kind of get caught up in all of the budget discussions and all, because it really is something that's above and beyond just the budget. This is something that's coming up, it's coming up in other ways, and I would like for us to be organized in order to effectively deal with it.
I think that sounds like a good proposal, and I'm seeing people nodding here. Now, would you also be attending that meeting 1871 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET yourself?
Great, sounds great. I just wanted to add one thing. I actually live in New York. I grew up in the area, and I --
She lives in New York, strike that testimony from the record. (Laughter.)
Unless she makes a clear and unequivocal commitment to come back to Philadelphia.
But I would like to invite Council and anybody else present to come to New York to see the access centers in New York, which are really wonderful centers. In Manhattan, they've had Public Access for over 17 years. They've had the channel, and they have a brand new facility.
That's not a bad 1872 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET idea. If you attend that meeting, maybe we can have Councilwoman Clark and/or one or more of our technical staff do that.
Hi. My name is Richard Paul. I'm a local artist in Center City. I grew up in East Falls, my father was born and raised in Kensington, my mother was born and raised in East Falls. My grandparents were Italian immigrants. Growing up in East Falls in the seventies, I'm aware of the need for community- building and diversity, and how important it is for all of us to know that we all have something to share. I feel that Public Access is a wonderful way to tell the stories of my relatives and your relatives so that we all get to know each other and, you know, in that sense, we can all live together in a better way. That's all I wanted to say.
Thank you very much. Yes, sir. (Alex Jevons comes forward.) 1873 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET
Hi, I'm Alex Jevons. I live in Center City. I'm an artist and AIDS activist and, until recently, a Board Member at the William Way Community Center for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community. Television is really, really, really important in this society. And in an age when the ownership of the media is being concentrated into fewer and fewer hands, things like Public Access television become even more important. It's really vital that we have it in Philadelphia. Thank you. (Applause.)
Thank you very much. We look forward to seeing all of you at the meetings and, I will tell you, the meeting will probably be at 6 o'clock in the morning.
I know you will. I have come to understand that whenever we're willing to meet, you'll be there. Thank you. - - -
Joanne Fischer, Joanne Fischer. Going once, going twice -- just 1874 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET kidding, take your time. (Joanne Fischer answer comes forward.)
Hi. Thank you for allowing me to testify today. My name is Joanne Fischer. I am the Executive Director of the Maternity Care Coalition, and we run the Mom-Mobile Program, a community-based outreach and family support program.
I was going to say I'm very curious about that 'cause I never heard of the Law Mobile.
No, no, we're the Mom- Mobile, and we are now in nine sites throughout Philadelphia, in schools in Strawberry Mansion and Overbrook, at health centers in Strawberry Mansion, and Health Center 4 at 44th and Haverford. And we're also at three (sic) 1875 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET community-based sites: the Latino Mom-Mobile on Fifth Street, the Germantown Mom-Mobile, the South Philly Mom-Mobile, and the North Philly Mom-Mobile. And I'm here today to bring to your attention some trends in the Health Department that are of deep concern to me and to some of the City's most vulnerable citizens and to those of you who are trying to see social services in the context of economic and community development. And I brought this book with me that I'd like to recommend to all of the Members of City Council. And it's called, "Common Purpose: Strengthening Families and Neighborhoods to Rebuild America," by Elizabeth Shore. And --
You have? Good, I'm glad to hear that, and I hope that you're remembering the same sentence that made me want to come testify today, which is --
All right. "If we are to 1876 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET move beyond discovering one isolated success after another, only to abandon it, dilute it, or dismember it before it can reach more than a few, we must identify the forces that make it so hard for success to survive." And my sense is that what's we're doing. As you may or may not know, our Mom-Mobile program is the result of hearings at City Council in 1987. You asked us what we needed. We told you that we needed a community-based outreach effort. We brought people in from around the country who ran successful programs, and you said, Tell us what to do, tell us how to do it, do it, and we have. We have created public-private partnerships, and we've grown to serving over 3500 families in 9 sites throughout the City. And our brightly-colored Mom-Mobiles, yellow, are seen throughout and known in the neighborhoods where we've been for a long time. For example, in Strawberry Mansion, one of our first sites, I don't think there's anybody who gets pregnant who we don't know about. We're 1877 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET a part of the fabric of the community. I would like to see the City as a strong and eager partner, working with us to extend these programs in effective ways. However, and I want to share one other piece with you because I'm so proud of our program at Strawberry Mansion High School. Some of you may know the school community coordinator at our open house told me that at Strawberry Mansion High School, they begin with ninth-grade classes and they end with 6 13 senior classes. A hundred percent of the pregnant 14 and parenting teens in our program at Strawberry 15 Mansion High School have graduated from high 16 school. 17 (Applause.) 18
And where we are at 19 Overbrook High School, 98 percent have graduated. 20 Unfortunately, we're only at two of the high schools as a subcontract for Project Elect, and I would like to see us at every high school, because we're there during the summer, we're in people's homes, and we have a program that really works. 1878 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET I understand when the Health Commissioner was questioned last week about the Mom-Mobile and programs such as ours, that she responded that she is working with managed care to get programs like ours funded. And I need more time than we have today to explain why and how managed care will not cover all programs previously funded by the Health Department.
But this is what you have to -- I need you to understand a little bit about how this Council works.
You come here, you give this testimony. We can't engage you the way we'd like to, but what you have to do is go and see Councilwoman Tasco. 1879 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET Councilwoman Tasco is the Chairman of Council's Committee on Health and Human Services, and she and her staff are the people who need every level of detail that you have, because she would be the person -- and I'm the Vice Chairman of that Committee too, by the way. She would be the person who would be able to work with you and with the Commissioner and with the Council in making sure that your case got the consideration that it needs as we move beyond the public hearing stages of this testimony. And I wanted to -- 'cause if I didn't say that now, I might forget.
Thank you. And we've been meeting -- we met with your staff, we've met with a variety of City Councilpersons, and we've been working to get an appointment with her staff. And I know that Councilwoman Tasco also has a sick family member right now, but her staff promises us we will have an appointment.
Thank you. 1880 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET I believe that the Health Department, School District, managed care organizations, health systems, and private money are all required to put these programs in place in a way that will truly support families and communities. I am not aware of the efforts and successes of the Health Department in making this happen, but I do want you to know that we have been successful in getting managed care contracts; and, in fact, we have had contracts with every managed care company currently working in the Health Choices Program. And we have now two contracts. And, again, they're long stories, which I would love to go into with you at some other time. But currently, we do not have contracts with Oxford, Oak Tree, or HMA Health Plan. I do want you to know that I have become a national expert on community-based maternal/child health organizations contracting with managed care and have been asked to write a chapter of the book that the Annie Casey Foundation is putting together around community health workers and their integration in the 1881 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET managed care system, so that it's -- and have been asked to present around the country on this topic. But, once again, if managed care can pay for half of those services, I think that we will be doing well. What has happened is that we have been given another $75,000-cut in our Title 5 Health Department contract. Over the past five years, we've gone from funding of $689,000, and we're now at a point where our funding is 330 -- I'm sorry that's the cuts. We've had $337,000 worth of cuts over the past five years. And we're now at the point -- I've cut staff and I've cut staff and I've cut staff. I've raised new dollars, and I'm at the minimum number of staff you can have for a program at each health center. So I'm in a situation where I've been using -- when the City cuts funds from us, I've been able to leverage other dollars so it's two or three -- every dollar takes away two or three other dollars. So I'm in a situation now where I've just gotten an agreement with Huggies to buy us a 1882 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET Mom-Mobile for West Philadelphia, and I don't have the staff to staff it. And the William Pennsylvania Foundation has given us a $465,000 grant for our infrastructure support so that we have state-of-the-art MIS and case management. We're way ahead of anyone in the United States in this regard so that we can bill, so that we can do the quality assurance and the valuation that's needed. Once again, we need the staff and we need the programs to do it. We're not going to give up. And I want you to know that where I've been successful is in raising money in the suburbs, in Camden. They're contracting with us around the country. But where we got started, in the heart of the City, we're now being cut, so that I'm either going to have to cut a site, which is probably what I'm going to have to do in order to survive. And --
Miss Fischer, I'm going to have to ask that you summarize.
I will. And, again, I'm hiring people from the City. We hire people from the neighborhoods we serve, so we're taking jobs 1883 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET away from City. And, finally, I have asked again and again that there be programs in the Northeast part of the City. And it hasn't happened. And yesterday, at my staff meeting, my North Philly team tells me that they continue to get calls for people who need help in the Northeast part of the City, and there is no -- there's nothing for them. And I would really like this City to partner with us to make these programs available in a public-private partnership throughout the entire City so that I don't have to take all of my programs to the suburbs and to replicate them around the United States. Thank you.
Thank you very much. You're going to be meeting with Councilwoman Tasco?
Well, I can help you get an -- actually, I think I can easily help you get an appointment Julia Danzy of my staff, if you 1884 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET haven't already met her.
Okay. But I need you to -- I don't know whether she's here. Is Miss Danzy here? (Miss Danzy is not present.)
Okay. I will talk to her, and we will look into this very carefully, okay?
Thank you, Mr. President. Ms. Fischer, can you tell me at what site in South Philadelphia it --
We're at Belmont, the YWCA -- I mean, excuse me, it's the Belmont Community Center there. And I understand from my frontline staff after we met that they work very closely 1885 BILL NO. 980003 - FY '99 OPERATING BUDGET with your office for referrals.