Stated Meeting, March 27, 2025

COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA STATED MEETING Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Thursday, March 27, 2025 10:00 a.m. PRESENT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT KENYATTA JOHNSON COUNCILWOMAN NINA AHMAD COUNCILWOMAN CINDY BASS COUNCILWOMAN KENDRA BROOKS COUNCILMAN MICHAEL DRISCOLL COUNCILWOMAN JAMIE GAUTHIER COUNCILWOMAN KATHERINE GILMORE RICHARDSON COUNCILMAN JIM HARRITY COUNCILMAN CURTIS J. JONES, JR. COUNCILWOMAN RUE LANDAU COUNCILWOMAN QUETCY M. LOZADA COUNCILMAN BRIAN J. O'NEILL COUNCILMAN NICOLAS O'ROURKE COUNCILMAN ANTHONY PHILLIPS COUNCILMAN MARK SQUILLA COUNCILMAN JEFFREY YOUNG, JR. ELIZABETH McCOLLUM NAZARIO, CHIEF CLERK

Members, please take your seats. Good morning, everyone. (Good morning.)

I note that the hour has come and that a quorum of this Council is present. I will ask for all visitors to please retire to the seats outside the rails. Please take all side conversations outside of the Council chambers. And before proceeding, I'll ask all those present to please set your cell phones to silent or vibrate. Thank you very much. To give our invocation this morning, the Chair recognizes Elder Morris M. Singleton, Sr., Pastor of Victory Community Baptist Church of Germantown. He is here today as the guest of Councilmember ask all members and guests to please rise. (Councilmembers, visitors and guests rise.)

Good morning. I want to thank Councilman Cindy Bass for this opportunity. All Councilmembers, City officials, dignitaries and to the City of Philadelphia bring greetings from the Victory Community Baptist Church of Germantown where I serve as a Senior Pastor. And during tough times, it's still a blessing to be alive. Can you do me a favor and just clap your hands for life. Thanks. If everyone can bow your heads in a word of prayer. Father God, in the name of Jesus we thank you, Lord, on life, health and strength. Before we ask you, God, for anything, we thank you for everything. We come to you not as the last resort but the only choice, for the word of God says that the government is on your shoulders. God, on today we ask that you allow this agenda to be your perfect agenda. Allow the decisions to be made for the betterment of our city. God, on today we need you in a time like this. Come into this room, God. Come into our city. Cover our city. Go to Harrisburg. Cover Harrisburg. Cover this entire United States of America. God, we trust you on today that things will get better. We thank you, Lord, on today for how life already is, God. you, Lord, and we trust you that the reduced crime rates shall come. We thank you, God, and we trust you for protection over our citizens. We thank you, God, and we bless you, God, for protection over our officers. And, God, we trust for equality. And, God, we trust for peace, joy and happiness. We thank you, Lord, for the love that's in our city, the love that's in this room on today. God cover us and comfort us in a time like this and we will give you all the glory, all the honor and the praise. And we magnify your great name on this great name for your word says that this is the day that you have made, and we will rejoice and be glad in it. Thank you, God, for it's already done, already done. In Jesus name we do pray and everyone says Amen. (Amen.)

The Chair thanks the Pastor for the invocation. Council will be at ease. (Council at ease.)

The next order of business is the approval of the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, March 20, 2025. The Chair recognizes Majority Deputy Whip Councilmember Cindy Bass.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, March 20, 2025 be approved. (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and properly seconded that the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, March 20, 2025 stand approved. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it and the Journal is approved. The next order of business is a request for leave of absence. The Chair recognizes Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson.

Thank you, of the Majority, a leave of absence is requested for our Coach, Councilmember Thomas.

Thank you, Councilmember. The leave will be granted. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Brooks.

Thank you, Council President. On behalf of the Minority, there are no requests for leaves of absence.

Thank you very much. The Chair now recognizes Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson for a motion regarding certain legislative matters that may arise during this course of today's Council session and that listed on the Calendar circulated prior to today.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move that any of the following matters, if considered today, may be added to the agenda for this session of Council, and as required by law, subsequently published on an amended agenda after the consideration of those matters: resolutions authorizing hearings, amendments to bills on first reading, the reconsideration of a bill vetoed by or re-called from the Mayor, amendments to bills re-called from the Mayor, resolutions taking substantive action to be voted on in this session, a motion to withdraw a bill or resolution that is not on the Calendar, and a motion placing or resolution on or returning a bill or resolution from the Suspension Calendar that is not listed on today's Calendar. The purpose of this motion is to provide the public with notice concerning possible actions by Council that arose too late to be included on the Calendar that was published prior to today's session. (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and properly seconded that the legislative matters stated by Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson may be added to the agenda for today should those matters arise during the course of this session of Council. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it and the motion carries. The Chair will dispense with the regular order of business to recognize the guests and visitors joining us in chambers this morning. On behalf of all members of City Council, I welcome you to our Council session. We appreciate you taking the time to join us as we attend to the legislative affairs of our great city. We certainly invite you to come again. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Dr. Nina Ahmad.

Thank you, Council President. take a quick opportunity to recognize my special guests here today, Dr. Arlene Bennett and Dr. Carl Bennett. We are honoring Dr. Arlene Bennett, who was the first Black woman to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania's Medical School and has been engaged -(Applause.)

My friend and mentor is still practicing psychiatry at the young age of 91, so let that be a lesson to all of us. (Applause.)

Thank you, Council President.

You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Dr. Anthony Phillips.

you, Council President. I am pleased to be starting a series called Recognizing our Youth-Serving Organizations in the City of Philadelphia. And this month, I had the opportunity to recognize who are here today the Read by 4th Initiative and their commitment to early childhood education. So if they can stand. Read by 4th is here today. We want to say thank you for your presence. And also, another youth organization is here today. Beyond the Bars is here today celebrating their 10th anniversary. (Applause.)

So thank you to Beyond the Bars and Read by 4th for all of their work and helping young people here in the city of Philadelphia. Thank here today.

Thank you, Dr. Phillips. Most people may or may not know that I am a reading captain so -(Applause.)

At this time, the Chair recognizes Councilmember Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson.

Thank you, Council President. Before we dispense with the regular order of business, I wanted to also recognize Suhayla Cornwell, who is in 4th grade at Quba Institute. She is my guest here in City Council chambers today and will be shadowing me for the duration of the day. of our future members of Philadelphia City Council and I wanted to welcome her today. So stand up, Suhayla. (Applause.)

Welcome to City Council. Come on over, Suhayla. She's in 4th grade so we're going to give her a resounding welcome. She's on spring break. (Applause.)

And today she is Councilmember-to-be Cornwell. So thank you so much. (Applause.)

Thank you, Member Gilmore Richardson. Always inspiring to see our young people on the path of doing great things. At this time, the Chair O'Neill, who will present a resolution honoring and congratulating the St. Joseph Preparatory High School Football Team. (Applause.)

Would Head Coach Tim Roken and those accompanying him please join the Councilmember at the podium. (Councilmembers and guests approach podium.)

I will hope that Member Phillips is a part of this presentation. (Laughter.)

While the seniors are coming up, there's 25 of them, I should preface this was supposed to be a rebuilding year. And because of gentlemen, they took it in a different direction. They won the entire State Championship at the highest level. For the third year in a row academically The Prep -- as I've told some of my staff, you don't have to say St. Joe's Prep in Philly, it's The Prep -- they are known nationally and have been for years for the academic excellence. But in the last decade, they have also become nationally known as a football powerhouse. And I'm very proud to be here. And I want to ask -- I'm fortunate enough that I have a Temple, almost a graduate now of Temple who's been an intern interning with me for a while and going to hate to lose him. Finn Killion. Finn, I want you to the football team. Finn is not only a graduate of The Prep -(Applause.)

His dad and his four brothers are also graduates, and he made sure all this was put together. And also, a lot of people don't know it but someone that I have always had a fondness for because he's the nicest guy in City Hall and also fairly brilliant as a broadcaster and as our Council President's Director of Communications who's a Prep grad, and that's Vince Thompson. Vince, get up here. (Applause.)

Okay. So first, I just want to introduce the four people who came with the team. Principal Andy Cavacos, Coach Tim Roken. You can applaud. (Applause.)

Athletic Director Dan DiBerardinis, who many may know his father Mike and his brother Justin, who served in this body as staff for several years, and Director of Communications Bill Avington. (Applause.)

And Councilman Young's up here with me because The Prep's in his District. So honoring and congratulating St. Joseph's Preparatory High School Football Team for their success in winning the PIAA 6A State Championship. (Applause.)

And our Education Chair Coach Thomas would have been up here with me, Hershey, Pennsylvania trying to win a state title in basketball. Should mention that. (Applause.)

The St Joe's -- whereas, the St. Joseph's Hawks beat Pittsburgh Central Catholic in a landslide victory, kind of like the Eagles, 35 to 6 on Saturday, December 7, 2024; and

I just want to say before I get started I'm proud of you guys. I went to a neighboring school to the west, Girard College, so I used to come down to The Prep to practice with you all when I was on the wrestling team there. So I know how hard you guys work in every athletic endeavor at that particular school. Whereas, after winning finals, St. Joe's Prep Hawks won their third straight championship title. Just give that up, three in a row. (Applause.)

Securing what is their sixth out of the last seven PIAA 6A titles; and Whereas, in a display of teamwork, talent and execution, the Hawks ran the ball 80 yards for a touchdown on the very first play of the game; and Whereas Khyan Billups ran the ball seven times for 155 yards in 2 touchdowns in the first quarter alone, helping to lead his team to a score of 28 to 6 over Pittsburgh Central Catholic by halftime;

So what Councilman Young is saying is that The prep has their own Saquon. Whereas, the team's hard work, dedication and commitment secured the Hawks their ninth State Championship state title in the school's team history; and that's all very recent history; Whereas, the St. Joe's Prep's mission is as a Catholic, Jesuit, urban college preparatory school. Their mission is to develop the minds, hearts, souls and characters of young men in their pursuit of becoming men for and with others -- and that is really what you leave with when you graduate -- and has demonstrated this with excellence in both athletics and academics; now, therefore, be it Resolved, by the Council of the City of Philadelphia, we Hereby honor and congratulate St. Joe's Prep High School Football in winning PIAA 6A championship title. Further resolved, that an Engrossed copy be presented to the St. Joe Prep Football Team, further evidencing the sincere admiration and respect of this legislative body that's signed by our Council President and most members of Council. That's an inside baseball thing -- football thing. But I'm very proud of having been a graduate there and that they're still going strong. And just as a little aside, when I was a junior most of the school burned down over the Christmas holidays. It was a terrible fire. And this, a many times-told story but not so much recently, a wealthy graduate developer offered a lot of land in I think it was Montgomery County to The Jesuits said, no, we're in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city, we have a mission. And the Jesuit church is right next to it. And they stuck it out. Had an easy chance to go out and become a suburban school. And I might mention the importance of that is I don't think it's any different than when -there's no campus. In terms of the teams they're playing against, almost always have because they're going national and they're going statewide they have campuses with football stadiums and all that. The Prep football team gets on a bus and goes out to Belmont Mansion. They play home games at somebody else's field. This is not an easy chore for And what these young men start as all different backgrounds, they all leave with the same level of excellence for life, sports. Whatever may come, they are ready for it and they've earned it. So I really want to congratulate the school and the Jesuits as well as this football team for sticking it out with us. (Applause.)

The Chair recognizes Coach Tim Roken for remarks.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Thank you, President, Council and thank you, Councilman O'Neill, and everybody here this morning. Thank you, Finn, for putting this together as well. It's an honor to be up here today in front of you all. Obviously, we are at St Joseph's Prep at 17th and Girard. My name is Tim Roken. I'm the Head football coach there, been there since 2010 and just finished my sixth season as a head coach but have been a part of this program for 15 years now and this community. And Councilman O'Neill spoke about in unbelievable ways what the mission of the school is and us as coaches within the building and coaches within our staff. We strive every single day to develop these young men. Not only -- they obviously get developed and held to a high standard in the classroom, but we strive to do that as well on the these young men develop and want to see them develop and move on to not only just go on and potentially have an opportunity to play football, but to use that and the lessons, the life lessons that they learned through this great game, to be able to help them in their life and become future husbands, better husbands, fathers and leaders of our country, which hopefully like Councilman O'Neill and others around the country have. It's a very special place. This is the City of Brotherly Love. And at St. Joseph's Prep, the brotherhood runs very strong and it runs throughout the alumni. And I'm very honored to stand up here in front of you today and accept this recognition. So thank you all. I thought it was unanimous, but I know there is one La Salle guy out there today, but that's okay. We won't hold it against him. And we just got another victory so we'll take that, that's fine, when it came down to it. No, but thank you all for this. This is an honor for myself and our seniors. This is over 20 of our -- 29 seniors within our program. And this is just an unbelievable group. This senior class went 36-4 in the last three seasons with three state titles and they have passed on a ton of knowledge and leaders and led in a very unbelievable way this year to be able to pass on to this next group. And hopefully, we have an opportunity to stand up here same situation. And I wish all these young men behind me the best in their future. And I hope you at some point get an opportunity to meet them because in being a part of their lives as a passenger in their ride here throughout St. Joe's Prep in the last four years, it's been an honor to get to know them and watch them grow up as young men and the relationships that they built. They'll figure out the scoreboard and things like that, but the relationships that they built and the life lessons that they learn at The Prep and within our program will last them a lifetime. So thank you again all and I hope everybody enjoys your day. Thank you.

Council will be at ease. (Council at ease.)

At this time, the Chair recognizes Councilmember Jones who will present a resolution honoring and recognizing the Overbrook High School Girls Volleyball Team for winning the 2024 American Conference Championship. Would Principal Julian Graham and those accompanying him please join the Councilmember at the podium. Joining Member Jones are the following: Majority Leader Gilmore Richardson, Minority Leader Kendra Brooks, Councilmember Jim Harrity, Councilmember Jeffrey Jay Young, Councilmember Rue Landau. (Councilmembers and guests approach podium.)

Well, President, I'm honored to be up here after The Prep did their thing, but I'm here now to represent The Brook. I was asked, did this represent the colors Gratz or any other school like that. I said, no, make no mistake about it I'm from Overbrook. You may have noticed on the news yesterday that we had another alumni come down. His name is Will Smith, who came back to his alma mater who joins on the Wall of Fame people like Wilt Chamberlain, Wali Jones, Walt Hazzard, great Ws that came from there. And it is -Hightower, yeah, you got it. And it is impressive to me that we are continuing this, Principal Graham, tradition of people who come through those hallways and are forged into great things. According to No. 47, he said bad things happen in Philly. Well, yesterday we renamed the bridge, Good Things Happen in Philly and Great Things Happen at Overbrook High School. (Applause.)

So the brief message I would give all of you today is the kids from the young men from The Prep had it hard. They got to get up, they got to go to practice, they have to have good grades, they have to achieve their goals on and off the field. It is hard for the doctor over there that we are recognizing at a young 91. It was hard to go to medical school to make it every day and be able to survive while she did it. It is hard for the members of SCI Phoenix every morning to have to walk those tears. What we get to do as our hard. Hard is going to happen. Will Smith said it yesterday. It's the choices you make for the outcomes you want in this life. And I'm so very glad that you're on the right track to do the right thing. And therefore;

Thank you again, colleague Councilmember Jones. What an awesome and amazing week it's been for the Overbrook High School where I was proud to be a math teacher in the 2005-2006 school year, teaching in the 9th Grade Success Academy, Transitional Math and Algebra 1. So we are so proud to have the ladies of Overbrook High School here, our alumni and also Principal Graham. And today we are honoring and congratulating the Volleyball Team for winning the 2024 American Conference Championship. (Applause.)

And whereas, the Overbrook High School Girls Volleyball Team, under the leadership of Head Coach Carly Dunbar and Assistant Coach and alumni Teresa Graves, has achieved an outstanding 12-0 record in the American Conference during the 2024 season, securing the title of American Conference Champions; and Whereas, the teams --

(Inaudible).

Thank you.

And whereas, the team's victory over on October 16, 2024 is a prime example of the resilience and perseverance. In this thrilling match, the team triumphed 3-2 in sets; and

Whereas, Captain Kimora Locke and her twin sister Keyanna Locke put Overbrook in a strong position with a 25-22 win in the first set, showing the excellence of twins; and

Whereas, Shaniya Hall led the team in the second set, scoring key points to help secure a 25-23 win; and

Whereas, despite Gratz winning the next two sets, Overbrook rallied in a decisive final set. With the score tied 8-8, Victory Fennell's service led the team to four points; and

And whereas, Shaqeuah Henry then scored on all three of her serves, guiding the team to a 15-8 win in the final set; and

Whereas, Justice Williams Turner, Deijah Taylor and Aniyah Wood also made significant contributions, adding valuable points during all sets of the game;

Whereas, the team demonstrated tremendous skill, determination and sportsmanship throughout the season, ultimately finishing with a 12-1 overall record, with the sole defeat coming in a playoff match against upper division schools; and

Whereas, the Overbrook High School Girls Volleyball Team exemplified teamwork, dedication and hard work with each player contributing to their own collective success, and every match serving as a testament to their commitment to excellence; and

And whereas, the support of the Overbrook community, school faculty and families has been invaluable in helping the team achieve its remarkable success; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, by the Council of the City of Philadelphia, That Overbrook High School Girls Volleyball Team is hereby honored for their outstanding achievement of becoming the 2024 American Conference Champions for their impressive 12-0 conference record and for their athletics and sportsmanship; and Further Resolved, that an Engrossed copy be presented to the Overbrook High School Girls Volleyball Team with the utmost respect and admiration of this legislative body. (Applause.)

The Chair recognizes Principal Julian Graham.

Aw, man, I wasn't expecting to say anything to be honest. But just give it up for these young ladies, y'all. (Applause.)

And so, I just want to say one thing that we have to stop doing is painting our public school students as desolate. They come from some challenging situations, but they are great. lot of difficulties, things in the communities that they have no control over. And often times our schools get a tag that they do not deserve. So I will say this: Do not give up on our public school education system because I'm a product of that and I earned a full athletic scholarship from that and with minimal resources, which forced us to have the grit that we had to have because the equity was not the same. The investment was not the same. And so, these young ladies showed that level of perseverance. And I think I have four seniors that will be going on to college, whether it's to play. But the one thing I hope that they took from playing sports, the academics. It promoted getting to school and it also promotes good health, mental health, spiritual health and physical health. And these young ladies encompass and embody that. And one of the things they displayed that I mentioned yesterday, in my office I have a brick. I don't know if anybody's paid attention to it. It's probably one of the most precious bricks I've ever owned, because it was an example of what Will Smith stated in his book about building your foundation, building your brick-by-brick. And that's what they did to get to the level that they're at of being 12-0. One, a sport that is not dominated by Black women. We know that. Two, they did the thing a team. And I saw them communicating for a couple of games I was able to get to. And I'm like, wow, look at this communication. Look at that. And I don't know if they understood that and understood what that means. When they go on into society and what they have to deal with and how you have to communicate with the people and how you have to learn how to negotiate and have those navigation skills and also emotional intelligence to survive those things, those adversities that come your way in society, and that's what's being built at the castle on the hill. There's a lot of greatness that comes out of that. Great things come out of the castle, right. And so, that's what we're building. And I'm working my landscape of our programs, both academically and athletically, because Overbrook will be a contender in a school that you don't want to face in the near future when it comes to sports. And I mean that because I come from it. And I'm dead serious about it. I take this work very personal. Challenge me if you want to. I take this very personal when it comes to academics, when it comes to student performance, when it comes to student success. My girls know it because they hear me bark and they look at me, aw, man, why he got to -- because I am responsible for a portion of their life. And you don't understand what it feels like to lose a student on your watch or a student say, hey, thank you, because I remember what you said to me in those hallways and you changed my life, you saved my life. So that's what this work is about and that's what this greatness is about. And these girls deserve all the honor that they can get, because this they will carry with them for the rest of their lives and they can give it to their children. So we thank you. They thank you, Councilman, everyone, Councilwomen. Listen, we couldn't -- Overbrook is ecstatic. Overbrook's community is ecstatic about this. And the girls, they've been smiling.

I had never seen them smile so much. Oh, and Councilman Council President, thank you for the donation that we know is soon about 100,000. )

All right. So we know it's coming. I told him I know where to find him at. But, no, we appreciate that, because a lot of times it gets lost. But we appreciate everything. I'm lost for words now, but thank you. Thank you so much.

Council will be at ease. (Council at ease.)

Before the next presentation, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the presence of State Representative Andre Carroll who's joining us today. (Applause.)

At this time, the Chair recognizes Councilmember Quetcy Lozada, who will present a resolution honoring and recognizing impactful women in the 7th Councilmanic District in celebration of Women's History Month. Would Darlene LaTorre and Crishtbel Mora and those accompanying them please join the Councilmember at the podium. Joining Member Lozada is Councilmember Cindy Bass, Councilmember Dr. Nina Ahmad, Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson, Councilmember Quetcy Lozada, Councilmember Rue Landau. (Councilmembers and guests approach podium.)

Good morning. As we get settled in, I'd just like to say that over the course of the last month I've had an opportunity to recognize just in my District but across the city of Philadelphia who are doing all they can to make sure that as women we have all of the support that we need to continue to live in our communities and in our families. And often times we don't take time to sit back and soak in all of the good work that we're doing. Sometimes we don't have an opportunity to say thank you the way that we should and express gratitude to the women around us, and we wait until tragedies happen before we give women their flowers. And so, I want to thank all of my colleagues who throughout the month of March have recognized the good work that women do in our communities and in our families. And if you haven't said thank you or I appreciate you to a woman in family, I encourage you to do it today. A hug, just a simple thank you sometimes go a long way. Today I recognize four or five more women who are selfless. They just keep giving and giving and giving and giving and often times don't get the recognition. So we are going to wrap up Women's History Month with this resolution. Whereas, Women's History Month began as a national celebration in 1981 -- you believe it took folks until 1981 to recognize the contributions of women -- when Congress passed Public Law 97-28, establishing the week of March 7th as the start of Women's History Month; Whereas, in 1987 Congress passed Public Law 100-9, the entire month of March officially designating March 1987 as "Women's History Month"; and

Whereas, since 1995 Presidents have issued annual proclamations recognizing March as "Women's History Month," celebrating the numerous contributions women have made to the United States, and acknowledging the specific achievements of women across diverse fields throughout American history; and Whereas, the City of Philadelphia will join the Nation in honoring and celebrating the invaluable contributions and achievements of women, with a particular focus on the remarkable women in the City of Philadelphia; and

Whereas, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, women comprise of 52.6% of Philadelphia's population, reflecting the City's position as one of the major metropolitan areas in the country with one of the highest ratios of women to men; and Whereas, women of every socioeconomic background have made significant, historic contributions to the growth, development and resilience of the City of Philadelphia, shaping its culture, economy and society; and

And whereas, the City of Philadelphia celebrates and acknowledges the diverse roles women play in shaping local communities, from leading grassroots organizations to making significant strides in health care, sustainability; and Whereas, it is important to recognize that the contributions of women in Philadelphia have often been underrepresented and that the ongoing celebration of Women's History Month provides an opportunity to elevate their voices, ensure their achievements are acknowledged and inspire future generations of women leaders; and

Whereas, the City of Philadelphia reaffirms its commitment to ensuring that women's rights and contributions are recognized yearround, fostering an environment of inclusion, opportunity and respect for women in all sectors of society; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the City Council of Philadelphia, That it hereby recognizes March as Women's History Month in the City of Philadelphia. (Applause.)

The Chair recognizes Darlene LaTorre and Crishtbel Mora for remarks.

Good morning.

Good morning.

I received this recognition with deep gratitude, especially during Women's History Month, a time not only for reflection but for action. International. Women's Day is a day filled with history, struggle and dignity. It is a powerful reminder of bad faith by so many women who raised their voices when it was dangerous to do so, who opened doors that were once tightly down to us their responsibility to continuing to playing even spaces with courage and determination. Today Philadelphia is writing an unprecedented chapter with a woman leading the future of this city for the very first time and many other women holding key leadership roles across institutions. This is not a coincidence. It is the result of years of effort, resilience and persistence by women who never gave up, even when the system wasn't built for them. I thank the City Council for this award. It not only honors me, but also makes me feel more committed to my role as a journalist, as an immigrant, a mother and a woman. I know all too what the walls we must climb for heard and represented. And I also know when one woman moves forward, she does not work alone. She clears the path for many more. I received this recognition on behalf of the women we don't often talk about, those who don't make headlines but who change life every day, in schools, in community, in organizations and small businesses and their homes, women who make empathy a powerful force, daily work, a tool for change and leadership, a collective action. I arrived in Philadelphia three years ago. And since then, I have felt embraced in every corner of the communities I serve, listening to their stories, walking their streets, and witnessing their struggles and to be a journalist but to become an ally, because telling what hurts them and what inspires them is also a way to build justice. I'm going to repeat this in Spanish. (Spanish translation). Thank you, Philadelphia, for allowing me to be a part of this transformative time. And thank you to all of the women who through their example inspire us not to settle and to keep fighting for a society where equity is not a privilege but a granted right. Thank you very much. (Applause.) MS. LaTORRE: Good morning, everyone.

Good morning. MS. LaTORRE: I want to thank God and I want to thank team for allowing me to share a little bit about myself. My name is Darlene LaTorre, born and raised at Lawrence and Erie Avenue and born into the automotive industry. But I stand today here as more than a car painter, a tow truck operator or a business owner. I am a woman breaking barriers and building a legacy for me and my boys. Passion isn't enough in this industry. It takes pleasure, courage and purpose. This industry wasn't built for us, but we belong in it. Through the Paint Shop, I teach young girls that cars represent independence, confidence and problem-solving. This is bigger than cars. It's about proving that unconventional dreams are worth chasing. If doors don't open, build your own. If space don't exist, create it. Let's lift as we climb and show the next generation that there are no limits, only possibilities. The road won't be easy, but it's worth the drive. Thank you. (Applause.)

Council will be at ease. (Council at ease.)

Before we go to the next order of business, we also have joining us today former staff member who rose to the rank of Commissioner of Streets, Ms. Crystal Jacobs. Thank you for joining us today. (Applause.)

The next order of business is communications. The Sergeantat-Arms delivers the messages from the Mayor to the Chief Clerk. Will the Chief Clerk read the messages from the Mayor and any other communications in her possession.

To the President and members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, I am transmitting for the consideration of your Honorable body a resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 2942 and 2944 West Wishart Street; 3323 West Allegheny Avenue; 3212 North 33rd Street; and 3216 North Newkirk Street located in the 4th Councilmanic District in accordance with the terms of Chapter 16-700 of The Philadelphia Code. And pursuant to Sections 4-604 and 2-307 of the Home Rule Charter, I am today transmitting to the Council the recommendation of the City Planning Commission on the following bills: Bill Nos. 250147, 250149, 250175 - 45 days; 250176, 250177, 250204 and 250205. Council President, there are no other communications in my possession.

Thank you. The messages will be printed in the Journal. The next order of business is the introduction of bills and resolutions. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Phillips, Dr. Phillips.

Thank you, Council President. I have two privileged resolutions honoring Beyond the Bars and Read by the 4th.

Thank you very much. Will the Chief Clerk please read the titles of the privileged resolutions.

A privileged resolution honoring March as National Reading Month and recognizing the "Read by 4th" Initiative for its commitment to early childhood literacy.

This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.

And a privileged resolution honoring and celebrating Beyond the Bars on the Occasion of Their 10th Anniversary for Their Dedication to Empowering Philadelphia's Youth Through Music, Leadership and Community Engagement.

This bill will be placed -- this resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair recognizes Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson.

Good morning, Council President. Good morning, colleagues. Nothing today.

Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Jamie Gauthier.

Good morning, Council President. Today I have two bills for introduction. COUNCIL PRESIDENT JOHNSON: Thank you very much. Will the Chief Clerk please read the titles of the two bills.

An ordinance regulating the direction of movement of traffic on 47th Street between Chestnut Street and Kingsessing, all under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And an ordinance amending Section 12-701 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Designation of Bicycle Lanes," to authorize a bicycle lane and removal of a travel lane on 47th Street, under certain terms and conditions. COUNCIL PRESIDENT JOHNSON: This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Jones.

Thank you, Mr. President. Today I offer one non-privileged resolution.

Thank you very much. Will the Chief Clerk please read the title of the non-privileged resolution.

A non-privileged resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 2942 and 2944 West Wishart Street; 3323 West Allegheny Avenue; 3212 North 33rd Street; and 3216 North Newkirk Street located in the 4th Councilmanic District in accordance with the terms of Chapter 16-700 of The Philadelphia Code.

This resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at the next session of Council. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Rue Landau.

Good morning, Council President, colleagues and the public. I have two privileged resolutions. And if I could have 30 seconds after the introduction to just acknowledge them.

Thank you very much. Will the Chief Clerk please read the titles of the privileged resolutions.

A privileged resolution declaring March 17, 2025 as "Bayard Rustin Day" in the City of Philadelphia.

This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.

And a privileged resolution recognizing March 31, 2025, as Transgender Day of Visibility in the City of Philadelphia, a day to celebrate and recognize the achievements and contributions of transgender people and to lift up the joy, light and laughter that transgender people experience and bring into our communities.

This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Rue Landau.

Thank you so much, Council President. I just wanted to take a second to acknowledge my colleague, all of our colleagues, State Representative Andre Carroll who's here today. He also introduced a resolution in the State House to recognize March 17th as Bayard Rustin Day. So we wanted to do this to make sure there was a companion bill, especially because we get to recognize and honor our own homegrown hero Colman Domingo later today, who starred in that role so brilliantly. So it's all coming together. And thank you for always lifting up the voices of the LGBTQ community at the state level. (Applause.) COUNCIL PRESIDENT JOHNSON: Good job. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Quetcy Lozada.

Thank you, Council President. Nothing today.

The Chair recognizes Councilmember Jeffrey Jay Young.

Thank you, Mr. President. Today I offer four privileged resolutions.

Will the Chief Clerk please read the titles of the privileged resolutions.

A privileged resolution recognizing Sanaa Rahming, Samiya Rahming and Julissa Ortiz for their middle and high school girls' wrestling accomplishments on the occasion of Women's History Month.

This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.

And a privileged resolution honoring the Life and Legacy of former Heavyweight Champion "Big" George Foreman.

This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.

And a privileged resolution honoring the Life of Eusebio "Bonn" Batan, Fishtown's "Mayor of Crease Street."

This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.

And a privileged resolution honoring and congratulating Chef Kyle Timpson for winning Season 23 of Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen.

This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Brooks.

Good morning, Council President. I have three ordinances and one privileged resolution to introduce today.

Thank you very much. Will the Chief Clerk please read the titles of the bills and resolutions.

An ordinance amending Chapter 19-2600 of The Philadelphia Code ("Business Income and Receipts Taxes") to increase the amount of exemption from the receipts portion of the Business Income and Receipts Tax, under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And an ordinance amending Chapter 19-1100 of The Philadelphia Code, ("Personal Property Taxes") by deleting all existing Sections and replacing them with an annual tax on certain intangible personal property, all under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And an ordinance amending Chapter 19-1500 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Wage and Net Profits Tax," and Chapter 19-2800, entitled "Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority Tax on Wages and Nets Profits," to expand eligibility for wage tax and nets profits tax relief; to further reduce wage and net profits -excuse me, profits tax rates for low-income nonresidents; and to provide for grants to low-income City residents in an amount equivalent to the PICA portion of wage and net profits taxes paid, all under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And a privileged resolution recognizing March as a National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and honoring the work done by advocates to reduce barriers to social and civic participation experienced by people living with developmental disabilities.

This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Jim Harrity.

I have nothing today, Council President.

Thank you very much, sir. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Nic O'Rourke.

Thank you, Council President. Nothing to introduce today.

Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Councilman O'Neill -- excuse me. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Driscoll.

Nothing to report today, Mr. President.

Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilmember O'Neill.

Thank you, Mr. President. I offer one bill.

Thank you very much. Will the Chief Clerk please read the title of the bill.

An ordinance amending The Philadelphia Code by increasing the penalties for the prohibited parking or maintaining of semitrailers and truck tractors at residential properties, all under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee. The Chair recognizes Councilmember O'Neill.

I omitted on that bill that I introduced that it's being co-introduced by Councilman Driscoll. My mistake. Thank you.

Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Squilla.

Thank you, Mr. President. I offer two bills.

Thank you very much. Will the Chief Clerk please read the titles of the bills.

An ordinance authorizing an encroachment in the nature of planters in the vicinity of 322-40 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And an ordinance amending Title 12 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Traffic Code," to revise procedures for operation of an automated vehicle noise enforcement system and creating Section 12-1138, entitled "Automated Vehicle Noise Enforcement."

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Bass.

Thank you, Mr. President. I offer two privileged resolutions and one bill.

Thank you very much. Will the Chief Clerk please read the titles of the bill and resolutions.

An ordinance authorizing an encroachment in the nature of planters in the vicinity of 219 West Rittenhouse Street, Philadelphia, PA 19144, under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And a privileged resolution recognizing the Montreux Jazz Festival and the rich jazz history of Philadelphia and expressing the City's desire to host a world-class jazz festival in Philadelphia.

This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.

And a privileged resolution recognizing and celebrating Sharon A. Powell on the Occasion of Her Official Retirement.

This bill will be referred -- this resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Dr. Nina Ahmad.

Thank you Council, President. Good morning to all our guests and colleagues. I have two privileged resolutions. One is being co-introduced with Councilmember Bass and the other is being co-introduced with Councilmember Rue Landau.

Thank you very much. Will the Chief Clerk please read the titles of the privileged resolutions.

A privileged resolution recognizing and honoring Dr. Arlene Parsons Bennett for her contributions to the City as a prominent community organizer and the first Black woman to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania's Medical School, on the occasion of Women's History Month.

This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.

And a privileged resolution recognizing April 2025 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Celebrating the Extraordinary Efforts of WOAR Philadelphia's Center Against Sexual Violence.

This resolution will be 2ND READING placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. The next order of business, as there are no reports from committees, is the consideration of the Calendar. The Chair recognizes Majority Leader Gilmore Richardson for the purpose of calling up bills and resolutions on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendars.

Thank you, Mr. President. The following bills and resolutions are being called up from the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendars today: Nos. 250245, 250255 and 250066-A. The following bills and resolutions on the Calendar are being held: 250168, 250250, 250251, 250252, 250253, 250254, 240333 and 240665.

Thank you. Before considering the bills and resolutions, we will consider public comment as follows: Your public comments must concern matters on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendars for possible action at today's Council session. All speakers must sign up in order to testify. If you're not already signed up for today's session, please do so now by giving your name to Ms. Hasson at the table outside the rails to my left. Once you have signed up, you will be called in the order in which your name appears on the sign-up sheet. Under ideal circumstances, the commenters each will have three minutes to speak. However, this time limit may vary from session-to-session. The time limit will be today two minutes. In order to be fair to all those wishing to speak, I intend to hold faith to the two-minute limit. When you begin speaking, you will see a green light on the podium. Where there are 30 seconds remaining to your time, the light will turn yellow which is your reminder to conclude your remarks. Once two minutes have passed, the light will turn red and the Sergeant-at-Arms will disconnect the microphone. At that point please yield the podium to the next speaker if you have not already done so. I also reserve the right pursuant to our rules of Council to limit repetitious comments on the same subject matter. I will now ask the Chief Clerk to please read the name of our first speaker.

Representative Andre Carroll. (Applause.)

May Arlene Bennett Ahmad, Kate Perez. (Applause.)

First, we have Representative Andre Carroll. Then our Arlene Bennett Ahmad. Then Kate Perez, Julia Cadwallander and Jeremy Blatstein also make their way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.) STATE REPRESENTATIVE CARROLL: Thank you. For the record, I'm State Representative Andre D. Carroll. I have the privilege of serving the 201st Legislative District, which covers neighborhoods Germantown, Logan and West Oak Lane of Philadelphia. I want to say thank you, Council President, and thank you to the members of City Council for having me here today. I want to thank you, Councilmember Landau, for your exceptional work and advocacy in this space. Thank you for also the companion resolution for the resolution that I introduced in the Pennsylvania State House that would make March 17th Bayard Rustin Day in Pennsylvania and now Bayard Rustin Day in Philadelphia. Bayard Rustin, for many who don't know, is first and foremost a Pennsylvanian born and raised in West Chester, Pa, but he also was the curator of the 1963 March on Washington for jobs and freedom, as well he was a big component in the Civil Rights Movement, which a lot of us are the beneficiaries of that movement. And because of his sexuality, he was written out of history. And as the second openly Black gay State Representative in the state of Pennsylvania, I felt that it was my due diligence to make sure that he's uplifted in this time. And later on today we will be joined by Domingo Colman. I'm looking forward to that as well. I want to thank you also, Councilmember Landau, for your resolution around Transgender Day of Visibility, which is this Monday. My colleagues across the aisle in the Senate, our Republican Senate, Senators, have introduced some anti-trans bills this week that I look forward to defeating when I get back to the State House next month. But I want to in this moment lift up that as we look at our trans-semblance, their existence is not a threat to the existence of anyone else. And we have to remember that these folks deserve to exist as the same as anyone else. So I really want to thank you for that. The late Dr. Martin Luther King said it best, A threat to justice anywhere -- well, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Sorry, I stand corrected. I do not want to misquote him. So I want to thank you for your time today. Appreciate you and thank you for the amazing work. (Applause.)

Good morning, Council President, members of the Council and the special friends of mine, Councilwoman Cindy Bass and Councilwoman Nina Ahmad. Thank you very much for inviting me here today and recognizing the work that I've done over the years. I just have a few things to say. I love Philadelphia. It's my home. It's the home of my parents. I went to public schools. I went to Blankenburg, Shoemaker. I didn't know Wilt Chamberlain, but I could see him. From there, I went to Girls High, Class of 1951. Didn't have the money to go directly into college so I went into the Air Force. I was an airborne radio mechanic, but I attribute this all to my parents, my teachers, the opportunities that I had in Philadelphia. It's my home. It's your home and I love it, and I thank you so very much for having me here today. (Applause.)

We have Kate Perez, Julia Cadwallander, Jeremy Blatstein. And may Autumn Wynde and Megan Malkemes also make their way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.)

I'm Kate Perez. And Trump's policies target marginalized groups, civil rights and threaten all Americans, whether by financially crushing institutions like pausing $175 million to Penn with the excuse of a transgender athlete competing years ago, shutting down research studies for having words like gender identity and ejecting visiting researchers at the border on the basis that messages criticizing Trump's repressive research policies amount to terrorism. How long until passing resolutions puts you on a terrorist list? Hundreds of Palestinian nurses and doctors are being held without charge on suspicion of terrorism, which allows the Israeli Occupation to hold them in torture camps indefinitely, with many reporting coercing confessions through torture. The recent deportations of Venezuelans shows that just suspicion of gang affiliation is enough for the American government to ignore court orders and deport you to a terrorist prison in another country with no due process. Since the beginning of time, Palestinians have told us they will never leave their land and I condemn Trump's use of the word voluntary transfer in place of ethnic cleansing. Beyond cutting waivers and research funding, the President is weaponizing deportation against protected speech, using ICE to disappear political dissenters without ever revealing a badge number, warrant or just cause, where green cards can be revoked for hurting the President's feelings and ICE can hold citizens without charge as collateral arrests. ICE detainees are not entitled to representation like those arrested by the police. We know for a fact that Palestine will be free, and every dollar we give to destroy it is wasted. We should condemn Trump repealing a policy that tried to ensure U.S. weapons were not used in war crimes, especially as we supply 80% of Israel's weapons like the ones used to drop on the Red Cross headquarters in Southern Gaza this week or dropped on the Al-Mawasi safe zone. The Occupation blocked all aid from entering since the 9th and has ramped up their mass casualties, refusing to coordinate rescue operations, leaving thousands to bleed or starve to death on hospital floors. We should call on Congress to support Bonnie Watson's call for the media arms embargo. And the last thing we want to do is normalize the destruction of free speech and promote a sister city that designates children and toddlers as legitimate military targets. Free Palestine. Arms embargo now. (Applause.)

Good morning. My name is Julia Cadwallander. I'm the Managing Director of Read by 4th. Thank you, Councilmember Phillips, for recognizing the work of our campaign today. Read by 4th is Philadelphia's grade-level literacy campaign, and our mission is to ensure that every child in Philadelphia can read on grade level by the time they enter 4th grade. Read by 4th is a coalition of partners across the city who are invested in protecting our children's right to read. The reading captains here with us today, including the Council President, represent hundreds of folks across the city who volunteer to help families in their neighborhood know how to support their children's literacy development. Our partners mobilize their communities to be champions for literacy and we know that the community has always been the heart of hope, resistance and change, and that is so needed in this moment when we see attacks on public education. No matter what else is happening in the country we know that Philadelphia is a city that cares about reading. We will not give up on our children. The City has made significant investment in the science of reading and structured literacy. We boast the area's first teacher prep programs that include this in their training, and we have a growing number of resources for families to access high-dosage tutoring for kids who need more help. We are making progress and we need to continue to invest in evidence based practices for the long haul. Thank you to our partners who make this work possible, to our dedicated reading captains and this City Council who ensure that Philadelphia remains a city that cares about reading and protects our children's right to read. Thank you. (Applause.)

Hello, City Council. My name is Jeremy Blatstein. I'm here in support of Bill No. 250245. It moves land out of the Philadelphia Land Bank. For Turn the Key, right, Turn the Key, let's talk about it. 900 houses have been approved. 450 are under construction. 235 are completed. 195 are sold. 75 of those are sold to City employees, some being your staffers in this room. And 23 are under agreement for sale. That's $13.6 million in Turn the Key mortgages. It's working. But the problem with the Land Bank is the RCO process and their involvement. We're going to talk about a hypothetical situation right now. What if your wife, your aunt, was the head of an RCO, would that be a conflict of interest? So if your aunt was running an RCO and was preventing development from happening and was holding up the process, it should be discussed and talked about. It's just something to keep in mind as we move forward, right. That's the reason why we need to streamline this process so that there's no conflict of interest when this happens. We need to make sure that we get housing built right. Housing, housing, housing, housing, that's what Mayor Parker wants. That's what I care about. That's why I come up here every day or every week, sorry. And I just want to acknowledge Councilman Thomas with his championship game today. Raise your hand, because we're talking about SEPTA, if you rode SEPTA in the last week. All right. Look at these hands. No hands from Council. We got some staffers. I know there might be some people out there that don't want to raise their hand, even if they're riding. But based on this, we know that nobody from City Council except for Councilman President Johnson has rode SEPTA in the last -- this year. I don't think that's true, but Councilman Thomas rode it with me last Friday.

(Inaudible).

In the last three months, this year. You did it last year.

(Inaudible).

It still counts. He's the first, the OG. But Councilman Thomas did ride with me on Friday. So, Councilman Thomas, thank you for that, and ride the ride and grow Philly to 2 millie. Thank you. (Applause.)

We have Autumn Wynde and Megan Malkemes. May Shane Janick, Kysheen Wilson and Denise Anderson also make their way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.)

Hi. My name is Autumn Wynde. Good morning. I'm a paralegal at Community Legal Services, which provides free civil legal assistance for low-income Philadelphians. I'm here today on behalf of CLS to support the resolution opposing the Trump Administration's suspension of income-driven repayment plans for student loans and its attempt to politicize the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. We thank Councilmember Landau for addressing this important issue. Oh, sorry. We thank Councilmember Landau for addressing this important issue to our clients. My work at CLS focuses on helping low-income Philadelphians who are struggling with consumer debt, much of that work involves helping people to navigate their student loans and trying to find the most sustainable and affordable repayment options for them. Here in Philadelphia over 300,000 residents had more than 11 billion in student loan debt. Income-driven repayment plans offer a lifeline. They allow borrowers to make affordable payments based on income and family size, and they open the door to loan forgiveness after a set period. And for public service workers, these plans called IDR plans, are often the only path to qualify for public service loan forgiveness, a program Congress created to support those who dedicate their careers to serving their communities. Most of my clients qualify for income-driven repayment plans and would be unable to afford any other plans. Without an affordable payment agreement, the risks of defaults can include garnishment of wages and Social Security as well as seizure of federal tax returns. The Department of Education's recent actions have thrown these critical lifelines into chaos. In response to a court ruling, the Department of Education went much further than necessary and effectively shut down all IDR plans, including those that were never in question. Yesterday as a result of a legal challenge to this action, the department returned the IDR applications to its website, but they have yet to make commitments for when they will resume the processing of applications. Making matters worse, a new executive order charges the Department of Education with writing new regulations that appear intended to exclude public service workers from loan forgiveness based on the population they serve. At CLS we stand ready to help. If you have constituents, which you do with student loans, CLS is a resource that is open for low-income residents of Philadelphia. Our intake process for new clients is posted on our website. We are also available for information sessions to ensure borrowers of the rights and to help them get the help they need. We urge City Council to pass this resolution and send a strong message that Philadelphia stands with borrowers against unlawful actions and in favor of economic justice. Thank you. (Applause.)

Good morning, City Council. My name is Megan Malkemes and I'm a member of POWER Interfaith representing the Hunting Park Coalition, a growing base of community members in Hunting Park, building our collective political power in both Councilmember Young and Lozada's Districts. And I'm here to testify in support of Bill No. 250245. So I was raised in Boston and grew up in a neighborhood very similar to Hunting Park. And what brought me to Philly besides my love for its people, its culture and its strength was also no longer being able to afford rent in my former neighborhood. And I'm here today because I know what gentrification looks and feels like. And when I hear as I listen to the stories of lifelong Philadelphians deeply concerns me. And as I've listened to the stories of the people of Hunting Park, I hear stories of elders living on fixed incomes, unable to afford rising property taxes. I hear residents express fear as they watch rent in their neighborhood climb hundreds of dollars year after year. I hear stories of homeowners being harassed by developers trying to buy their homes for exploitative prices. And since moving to Philly, I myself have struggled to find housing I can afford. Despite relying on SEPTA and working full-time, finding housing I can afford in North Philly has been a struggle. And my access to housing has consistently felt based on luck, luck that I have been protected by the people of the city when our housing resources have been not enough. And so, City Council, I'm here today because I'm tired. The people of Philadelphia are tired. We're tired of having to use our resources to bridge the gaps between what our people desperately need and what resources the City has to offer. And we're tired of the developers whose profit motive is driving this housing crisis, being asked what should be done about housing before we are. And so, City Council, I'm here before you today with a question, who do you work for? And I ask this question not as an accusation but an invitation. The people of this city are eager to partner with you on creating new housing possibilities and they just want to know if you'll join them. We want to partner with you, Councilmembers Young and Lozada, to try and solve this problem. And so, we'll be hosting a town hall on May 3rd at Gibson Temple Baptist Church. We hope to see you there and begin this partnership. Thank you. (Applause.)

Good morning, City Councilmembers and all guests. I really appreciate the opportunity to speak today. My name is Shane Janick, the Executive Director of The Arc of Philadelphia. We're part of the largest advocacy network for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. And we're here in support of Councilmember Brooks' resolution to acknowledge March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month here for the city of Philadelphia. We want to celebrate that introduction of that resolution. I'm also here to speak on behalf of my older brother David Janick. He has a variety of complex diagnoses that include intellectual and developmental disabilities, and he uses our homeand community-based services system 24/7 to support his livelihood. And I wanted to really celebrate this resolution and acknowledge what awareness really means for the community with developmental disabilities. This is a community that has been historically segregated away from society. We've created institutionalized settings in past generations to actively not be aware of this community. And so, this is a huge stride in the Disability Rights Movement for the City of Philadelphia. And one thing that we can now do with this stride is put that in lockstep with our state colleagues and federal colleagues to start developing a strong homeand community-based services system in order to support our people with develop intellectual and developmental disabilities that are our neighbors, no longer in institutionalized care. And so, I just really wanted to celebrate that and put support forward from the Arc of Philadelphia for the resolution. It's a huge stride and we really appreciate it. And especially with what's going on federally, it's now more than ever we need to create a more inclusive society with the attacks on our home- and communitybased services system, which is entirely funded by Medicaid dollars at the state and federal level. And so, this resolution, is a step in the right direction and one that we fully support. Thank you very much. (Applause.)

We have Kysheen Wilson, Denise Anderson. And may Lurline Jones, Margaret Laramie, Joshua Stein and Karriem Sweets also make their way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.)

Good morning, Philadelphia Council. My name is Kysheen Wilson, the Chairman and founder of the Hunting Park Coalition. I'm here for the Land Bank bill, and I'm here to express why affordable living must be at the forefront of the conversation about affordable housing in our communities. It's not just about building homes. It's about making sure that families can actually afford to live, work and grow in the neighborhood that they call home for generations. I know firsthand how difficult it has been navigating housing in the very community that I care so much about. I've seen families struggle to keep up with rising causes, forced out of their homes, watching as the neighborhood they help build become inaccessible to them. I've watched elderly who have lived in a community for decades facing the heartbreaking reality of being priced out, and I have spoken to young people who wonder if they'll ever be able to afford a home where they grow up. Too often rising costs and gentrification pushed families out, forcing them to start over with little to no resources. When we prioritize affordable living through fair wages, rent control, access to essential services, we create stability, and stability means that our young people can remain in the same school, local businesses could thrive and families won't have to choose between paying rent and putting food on the table. But it's more than -it's more about -- I'm sorry. But it's about more than just stability. A thriving community isn't one where only a few can afford to live. It's one where everyone has a fair shot of success. Prioritizing affordable living isn't just about today. It's about securing a future where our communities don't just survive but they thrive. Let's make affordability a priority and not an afterthought. Our communities deserve that. And lastly, I would like for Council's 7th District and Council's 5th District to come out to our town hall May 3rd, Saturday, 2025. Thank you. (Applause.)

Good morning. My name is Denise Anderson. I'm a member of POWER Interfaith representing Servant Partners and Spirit and Truth Fellowship, which are in Councilmember Young's and Councilmember Lozada's Districts. I'm deeply concerned about the rising rent costs, property taxes and increased displacement in our city. I've had conversations with 20 people in my neighborhood and they're concerned too. I'm a middle-income person living in Fair Hill, which is the second lowest income zip code in Philadelphia. When I bought my little three bedroom rowhome 10 years ago, it cost me $50,000. My mortgage is less than $300 a month. I don't have problems affording my mortgage. But the house I bought was over 100 years old like every other house in my neighborhood because my neighborhood has always been low income. For generations, families have struggled to keep up with repairs on their houses. Houses in my neighborhood are cheap to buy but expensive to own. I've had to put at least $30,000 into my house over the last 10 years to keep it livable for my family, ripping out a moldy kitchen, repairing floors and fixing a leaky roof. Many other friends and neighbors in my neighborhood cannot afford these types of repairs. I have one friend who inherited a house from her mother who had to abandon the house because her floor was buckling. Another friend managed to buy a home through a rent-to-own deal and had to leave hers because a leaky roof made the walls and floors rot. The renovation was so expensive that she abandoned this family asset because she couldn't pay it. A third member -- a third neighbor had to leave her house when she paid a contractor to renovate her kitchen and he ripped out the old kitchen and never replaced it. Houses in my neighborhood are still incredibly affordable. You can buy a threebedroom house for less than $100,000, but they're not livable. There needs to be more robust and well-funded programs in place to help low-income people repair their 100-year-old homes so that they can hold on to family assets and be able to make the choice to stay in their homes, especially in the face of rising costs and new development. In conclusion, we want to partner with you, Councilmembers Young and Lozada, to try and solve these problems. We'll be hosting a town hall in the 5th District on May 3rd at 3:00 p.m., and we hope you'll join us to begin this partnership. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good morning. I'm Margaret Laramie and also a member of POWER Interfaith and my church Riverward's Church, which spans Councilman Squilla and Councilperson Lozada's Districts. I'm deeply concerned about rising rents and property taxes and the increased housing insecurity that they cause. My neighborhood near Somerset and Aramingo, I've talked with more than a dozen people over a couple of years, there's a lot of worry about the future. But it's not much talked about, especially amongst the elderly because it's just too big and scary and there's a sense of what's the use anyway. I recently asked a grandmother across the street if she'd be interested in a low-rent seniors apartment complex nearby, which was just opening up in January. And she whispered, no. Why? Her daughter with a young child can't afford the house rent without her mom's income. What happens next when the elderly person is no longer there? But on my mind today mostly are frustration some friends went through over the last year. One rented from a family friend under the table when she was on the street after a hospital stay. Most of her SSDI went out in cash the first of the month, the land lady standing at the bank leaving little left for phone, laundry, transportation, personal hygiene and other needs for her and her daughter. Lo and behold, last September her Section 8 case came up. I didn't think they ever came up for anybody. They're like a myth. Things moved really fast, but there were very few apartments in her area accepting PHA. She agreed to one, but couldn't get the paperwork done in time and it was given to someone else. Councilman Squilla, between Somerset and Cambria, (inaudible) and Tulip, a whole little affordable community has bloomed. Zillow lists Somerset Station as PHA Welcome. I haven't seen that much. Okay. Also, Grace Townhomes, a WCRP development right there, plus the low-income senior apartments on Janney Street, they were all quickly filled and now the waiting list, the years-long waiting list. In conclusion, we want to partner with you to multiply these affordable housing efforts. I wholeheartedly support the Land Bank bill under consideration, No. 250245. Thank you. (Applause.)

Thank you.

We have Joshua Stein, Karriem Sweets. May Aaron Bonfante and Adelaide Lyle also make their way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.)

Good morning, City Council. My name is Lurline Jones, and I'm a member of POWER. And I represent St. Paul's Baptist Church, which is in Councilman Young's District. I'm deeply concerned about the increase in taxes that's making our neighborhood or making the St. Paul's neighborhood almost unaffordable. As a lifelong Philadelphian and a stakeholder and a full-fledged lover of our great city, I would like for City Council, the Mayor, to make sure better and affordable housing is available and not just for seniors. We hear a lot about seniors and I'm a senior. However, I know that seniors are having a problem. They can't get their house fixed, so big business comes in and takes over the property which means that all as the property goes up better, then also the taxes go up. But I'm also concerned about those young people who are just trying to start out, those young families who are growing. And most important, we need housing that meets the needs of those with disabilities. We cannot afford to allow big business and big money to influence the necessity of affordable living conditions. So, therefore, I invite my Councilperson Young, I also invite Councilperson Phillips to also come out on May 5th to our meeting so that we can understand where you are. We can also back you, and we want to partner with you. We want to be a part of what we can do to solve the living conditions of our great city. Thank you. (Applause.)

Thank you.

Good morning. My name is Joshua Stein, not /Stine/. I am an undergraduate social work student at a university outside the city. I intern at an organization called the Simple Way in Kensington. I'm here with POWER Interfaith as well to express concern about what I've seen on the ground during my internship related to rising rent costs, property taxes, increased displacement in the city. Before I began working in the Kensington neighborhood, I consistently heard a particular narrative or an image about what Kensington looks like and who the individuals are that make up the fabric of this neighborhood. What people told me is a version of the truth that focuses on a sensationalized, albeit real issues this neighborhood faces, a large unhoused population, substance abuse, crime, more. What people don't see though are the countless residents of the neighborhood who have lived there for decades and are now facing the risk of displacement because of rapidly rising rent costs. This is not to mention the alarming rate at which gentrification from Fishtown and, to a lesser extent, Port Richmond is seeping into the community. As I've gotten to know the neighborhood, I've observed a few things during my time there related to housing that concern me. One thing in particular I want to highlight is the presence of vacant lots. Divestment has left many vacant lots, abandoned buildings, old industrial sites and more in the neighborhood, and these become a hot spot for the billion dollar drug trade and drug-related violence. There is a vacant lot just down the block from where I work at the Simple Way. Part of what our organization does is we buy vacant lots and convert them in community gardens to grow fresh fruit and vegetables with the neighbors and turn something destructive into something beautiful. But when I questioned my boss about why we can't buy this particular vacant lot which can be conducive to crime, she explained, a private developer already owns it and is holding it waiting for the value to go up. This is not an isolated incident. Private developers can swoop in on vacant lots and hold the property just waiting for the value to accumulate. This is not only predatory, it destroys communities. It raises housing costs for long-time residents by limiting the availability of affordable housing as well as encouraging crime. So we want to partner with you, Councilmembers Young and Lozada, to try and solve this problem. We'll be holding a town hall. I echo what Meg said on May 3rd at Gibson Temple Baptist Church. We hope that you'll be there. Thank you.

Thank you. Chair recognizes Councilwoman Lozada.

I'd like to recommend that if you all want to invite us to a community event, my office is in 484. Please make sure you stop by and drop off the information so that we know. Because you all have given us the information here, not just me, anybody, right, it's difficult to make sure that I actually can attend and I'm happy to attend. I just want to make sure that you all know that my office is in 484. I'm happy to attend any community meeting. Thank you.

Hello. My name is Adelaide Lyle. I'm a Penn student living in Councilmember Gauthier's District and a member of POWER Interfaith as well. As others have said, I'm deeply concerned about the rising rent costs, property taxes and increased displacement in our city. I've had conversations with other students and residents in West Philadelphia and they are too. I'm concerned because in the three and a half years that I've lived in Philadelphia, I've seen how developers work with universities to push out local residents and destroy communities. Every time I take SEPTA, I walk past 40th and Market and see the empty lot that used to be the UC Townhomes. Two years ago there would have been children, their parents, elders, spending time together outside. I witnessed how my neighbors, the people living in those 70 units, took care of one another and advocated for people across the neighborhood. They created art, built relationships with other West Philadelphia residents and students and brought life to the neighborhood. The eviction of UC Townhome residents not only broke up that community but further gentrified West Philadelphia. For the sake of developers and Penn donors, local residents had to pack up their lives and move all over the city, leaving their homes, schools, doctors, public transportation and other forms of support. The violent displacement of West Philadelphia residents is not unique to the UC Townhomes. Across the neighborhood I see how Penn and its allies continue to expand into residential neighborhoods, replacing people's homes with academic buildings, parking lots and luxury housing. People's homes are being destroyed so that Penn donors can have another place to park. By prioritizing the needs of developers, the City failed all West Philadelphia residents. We don't want more luxury housing, higher rents and more evictions. We want to preserve community. We want a reasonable cost of living. We want to work and go to school in a neighborhood and city that protects us. In conclusion, we want to partner with you, Councilmember Gauthier, to try to solve these problems. We'll be hosting a town hall in your District on May 4th at Salt and Light Church, and we hope you'll join us to begin this partnership. Thank you. (Applause.)

We have Ethan Stein, Kathleen Brindle. May Rebecca Graham, Matthew Kerr, Isaiah Robinson and Shylynn Black also make their way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.)

Hi, all, Councilmembers. My name is Ethan Stein. I am the North Philadelphia organizer for POWER Interfaith. And I am representing congregations like Wayland Temple, Morris Brown AME, Hunting Park Coalition, Gibson Temple Baptist Church, Spirit and Truth and others, which in a combination of Councilmember Young and Bass -- oh, not Bass, and Lozada's District. I'm deeply concerned about the rising rent costs, property taxes and increased displacement in our city. And I've had conversations over the last two years with hundreds of residents and members within these congregations, and I'm concerned not only because I am the organizer for POWER but because I've had personal family members struggle with housing in the city. I have an aunt and four cousins who were homeless and when they went to the City for emergency housing, they weren't able to receive anything. They got a possibility of a waiver in maybe six months. And so, my family had to work to scrounge up money so that the rest of my family wasn't homeless. And we're talking about a woman with four kids that was a victim of domestic abuse. And if someone like that can't get housing in an emergency situation, who can in the city. And so, for that reason and because I myself am a father who wants to have housing for my family and provide for them, I want that for all the residents of North Philadelphia and Philadelphia. broadly. I want to invite Councilmember Young and Lozada to solve these problems with us. And we'll be hosting a town hall on May 3rd at Gibson Temple Baptist Church. We'll get you the information and we'd love to begin this partnership. Thank you. (Applause.)

Good morning. My name is Katie Grendel, and I'm a youth minister from Frankford in Councilwoman Lozada's District here with POWER Interfaith and Servant Partners. Today I want to speak in support of the Land Bank bill and about how the futures of our youth are stifled by the rising housing costs and property taxes. In 2022 I became the first independent woman in my family to purchase a home because of a first-time homebuyers homeowners grant program. Additionally, without the Homestead Tax Exemption program, I will easily experience financial hardship as property taxes increase in our city. When I first purchased my home, I felt proud and hopeful. I enjoyed seeing my youth expand their dreams as I told them that they too could own homes one day. Today I think of the housing futures of two young men I've had the honor of working with. One spent many years in the foster care system and his one dream is to finally have a home of his own. He deserves this hope. But in the City's housing climate, I am fearful he will never be able to afford this dream. The other young man consistently struggled attending high school for three years. He routinely told me he was just waiting for his dad to save up enough money to buy a home so he could have a sense of stability and be able to focus in class. Instead he has bounced around from couch to couch over the past two years and he dropped out of high school this week. Affordable housing has the power to change the trajectory and the legacies of our youth. Today I wonder if my youth can truly afford to dream of their own homes. Without supportive programs, homeownership was impossible for me. And I fear opportunities like these are becoming less accessible every day for the working-class people of Frankford. City Council, I am here today because I feel hope rapidly succumbing to despair. I despair when developers have greater access to properties in my neighborhood than our own children. I despair when I tell the story of how I bought my home and the first words I hear are I could never do that. Hopefully, you don't lose your home to property tax or I never knew that there were programs to help me buy a home. Councilwoman Lozada, are you willing to make changes in support of the dreams and aspirations of our young people when so much is already stacked against them? Please show us with your actions that the futures of our youth matter to you and attend with us at the town hall on May 3rd at Gibson Baptist Temple Church. Thank you. (Applause.)

We have Rebecca Graham, Matthew Kerr, Isaiah Robinson, Shylynn Black. May Talona Coleman and David Alexander Jenkins also make their way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.)

Good morning, Councilmembers, the Beyond the Bars community and guests. My name is Becca Graham, and I'm the proud Program Director for the organization that we're honoring today. I've lived in Philadelphia for almost 12 years. And during that time, I've worked as a bartender, a freelance-teaching artist, an arts nonprofit administrator and a performing artist. I'm grateful to live in such an arts-rich city, one that has provided me with several opportunities to work in nearly every type of community with every type of young person. I've heard the stories of young folks of all backgrounds and experiences about their joys and frustrations to the medium of songwriting and live performance, bravely expressing the full spectrum of their emotions. Since joining the BTB community in August 2023, I've witnessed more beautiful examples of this work that I can count. We meet students at community hubs, trauma centers, clinics, juvenile detention facilities, charter schools, rec centers, places equipped with brand new gear and tools, but in most cases, spaces that are severely underresourced and working with what little they have. If BTB can help augment and expand what is available in these centers, we will. And if it's not within our capacity, we have not hesitated to call upon the awesome partners and leaders within our evergrowing ecosystem to give a hand. After 10 years, 55 music labs built and thousands of youth served, we are very proud of what we've done to open avenues for our students, teachers and staff to expand access to the Philly arts and culture community. We owe it to those we serve, especially our young leaders and artists, to provide spaces of quality, not only in the physical equipment we provide like guitars and IMAX, but with thoughtful and informed culturability and mentorship as well. I especially want to shout out the day 1 members of Beyond the Bars, many of whom are here today. These are folks that started as young students building up their music creation and performance skills. They became student teachers in what was probably their first job in opportunity learning, to lead classrooms and are now part of our talented group of adult teachers and administrative staff. While we're excited for our community members to choose any career path, especially they can remain in our city, it is an example of a beautiful full-circle moment that we celebrate, knowing that there is potential within each and every one of us to grow and give back. Lastly, I want to thank every person that has crafted this resolution. Beyond the Bars is grateful to be acknowledged and be in the company of so many youthcentered organizations that have come before us and exist alongside us. Let's all work when -- let's all continue to do our part because there's no short of work when it comes to providing the young folks of our city, spaces to express themselves through the vehicle of music. Thank you. (Applause.)

Hello. My name is Matthew Kerr and I am a Co-director of Beyond the Bars. Thank you so much to City Council for having us today. 10 years ago Beyond the Bars began in a jail cell, myself and some other amazing community-based teaching artists. My Co-director Chris Thornton, we began teaching some of the most amazing young people we've ever met. Now, this was not just a juvenile facility. It was for youth who were tried as adults. And during that time when we came in on Thursdays and Sundays, we'd work with young people and we'd see the ways in which they thrived when they had access to music, when they had access to a community that supported them where they could just be a young person. During this time, we heard far too often that we were one of their first music programs and how much they wished they had it before as well as hearing of the different systems that didn't serve them in their adolescence. We would hear things like housing insecurity, food insecurity, educational divestment, lack of access to mental health resources when trauma came around. So we listened to our young people. The young people that we taught in jail, they were leaders. They said, we want to have more musical spaces across the city, we want to have more spaces where our little brothers and sisters can learn how to play music. So we branched out. And 10 years later, the amazing Program Director Becca Graham already addressed it, we have 55 music labs. Now, the way we did that every single step of the way was built with our community but also with youth leadership. We started as just one amazing spot called the CEC in West Philadelphia. And during that time, we taught amazing young people, many are here today, but too often we still heard of those same scarcities. We still were teaching amazing young people playing music, but they were still talking about food insecurity or housing insecurity and our young people, they branched out. They said, we want to build more spaces. So today we're in youth shelters, trauma clinics, foster care, rec centers. Wherever young people are, we want to have access to a musical space where they can grow not just as musicians, but also as leaders. So when you go to Beyond the Bar space, know that that's been built by a young person, for a young person and now is being run by former students in the program. But also, none of this would have been possible without our amazing 75 partners. The amount of grassroots orgs that do powerful work in the city, not just music, but all the different resources that we were talking about that is done by countless grassroots orgs that definitely are always in need of city funding. So not just Beyond the Bars but so, so many amazing community-based grassroots, please, please, please, continue to fund. Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Good morning, City Council. I am Isaiah Robinson and I am a program facilitator with Beyond the Bars. I joined Beyond the Bars in 2020 during the pandemic. For me, it was just a zoom class where I can get to learn how to play drums at the time. And surely, I realized how beautiful and loving the community is, and that's why I'm here today to talk on the importance of youth employment and the importance of creating safe spaces for youth. As I was growing up and being in so many different programs, I've realized how important communities are, the connections that we build, the relations that we have, the spaces that we create. These all give youth opportunities to be themselves, to stay out of trouble and to be able to create something that they haven't dreamed of or have. So for that, for me it was always a great opportunity. And then having youth employment is another thing. When going to different spaces and in different places, we hear that kids say they want to have dance classes or they want to be artists or they want to be engineers, but they don't have the opportunities to the finance to find those classes. And I think it's very important to create these spaces so then they can go into these spots and build those skills, because it is very important for us to start to change the future. And for us now to save the future, we have to change today. Thank you.

Thank you.

Hi, guys. So my name is Shylynn. I've been working with Beyond the Bars for three years now. When I first came into Beyond the Bars, I was just a junior in high school at CAPA. This was one of the first jobs where I actually felt more than just a paycheck. It was more of like a purpose where I actually developed personal skills, growth. And now in the process of me becoming a mentor with Beyond the Bars as a teacher, I get to see my experiences take place in other youth that were in my position. It's really meaningful to see how the cycle continues with programs like this and nonprofits like this. Beyond the Bars is so much more to me than just a nonprofit. It's a community that's built to an advancement for not just the students and the people working with it but as a community as a whole. Yeah, I've worked with so many children from so many different backgrounds where I get to see how those children, those needs are very important that they don't always receive from school or home. This is a connection where we can bridge those gaps of resources that we always need as far as friends, people to talk to, mental support, food support, all that. Yeah, as I'll say as a teacher it's really nice to see how as I get older it -- yes. As I get older, the more I teach, the more the children, actually they understand these lessons. But it's more than just the music. They've connected through so many other ways. And also, I just want to add as well we do have Saturday at 8:00 p.m. we have a show for our youth. But, yeah, just to promote how much they've grown. These are student teachers and students that we've taught and worked with and they've also just had the niche of wanting to play music. And from that, they've built so much more than just their artistry. Okay. But last important I want to say, just coming -- I'm so nervous, sorry, guys. The employment aspect of this thing is one thing, but I will say it's definitely more when it comes to the people you meet. There's so many great people working with Beyond the Bars, especially in the state of the world where you don't really see much support given. This is a program where there's undoubtedly enormous amount of support. But, yeah. (Applause.)

Thank you.

We have Talona Coleman, David Alexander Jenkins. May Tawana Fleming, Vanessa Ewing, Lynn Landes, Ogbonna Hagins and Wanda Walker also make their way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.)

Good morning, Madam Chair, Council and guests in the chamber. David Alexander Jenkins. As a point of privilege, a special thanks to Councilmember Jones and to the City of Philadelphia for the dedication of Will Smith Way yesterday. We stood as a unit peacock proud to celebrate the achievements of a man who, even in his perfect imperfections, has left an indelible mark on the society as a whole, at home and abroad. Will is a cultural icon whose achievements surprised me not because I was privileged to receive the same generational wisdom from our forefather Gregory Holly, who armed all of his progeny with the traditional American folk wisdom that Will spoke to yesterday. If a task has once begun, never leave it til it's done. Be the labor great or small, do it well or not at all. Will certainly has done it well. I rise, Madam Bass, in favor of the resolution as brought by Councilmember Landau, 250225. I believe it was Abraham Lincoln, wasn't it, who touted that government should do for the people what they cannot do better by themselves. Nevertheless, this Administration seems hell bent on punishing the morality of they whom stand on the side of dignity and whom champion decency. The decision to suspend income-driven repayment plans and weaponize the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program is not administrative. It is however ideological. It is an affront to those whom serve their communities, those whom teach children, those whom heal the sick and those who defend the vulnerable. To politicize access to debt relief based on who one serves, be it an immigrant, a transgender child or a peaceful protester in opposition to one's own stance on issues of politics or social justice is not only unlawful but is undignified. It is unAmerican. This is an economic retaliation against consciousness. I echo the statements of Representative Carroll. If Mr. Trump wishes, as it seems, to pattern his actions after a king, then let it be the King who reminds us injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Today we rise to condemn a cruel and calculated attack on justice itself. And I beg your conscious and your unanimous vote. (Applause.)

Thank you.

Good afternoon. Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Tawana Fleming. Good morning, City -well, good afternoon, City Councilmembers. I want to thank you for the opportunity to testify today. I've lived in Philadelphia for over 50 years. I've been a homeowner for over three decades. I am also the founder of a nonprofit organization named Family Feed and Family Inc. I am in support of Bill No. 250245, Housing Initiative called H.O.M.E. As a resident, community service advocate and nonprofit founder, I can attest that the population we serve over the years would have greatly benefited and still can from this initiative. Most of our participants were struggling to afford the basic life necessities for survival and wellbeing, which included food, water, clothing and health care. Majority were either in the first stages of being evicted or recently evicted. In most cases, they were employed or receiving some form of income, just not enough to maintain their basic needs. If this bill is approved, the Philadelphia Land Bank would be authorized to dispose of, my understanding, vacant lots for use in the H.O.M.E. Initiative. This could serve as an excellent example of all components of this initiative being utilized due to the positions of the lots in question and adjacent properties. The program would be able to build affordable homes on the vacant lots and assist renters facing evictions, providing existing homeowners with funding for home improvement and removing blight from the city. I am asking City Councilmembers to vote in favor of Bill No. 250245. Let's assist the citizens of Philadelphia that are in need of affordable housing, homeowners in need of repairs that will keep them safe and healthy in their existing homes and the removal of blight as much as possible to beautify our beloved city with this initiative. I want to thank you again for your time. (Applause.)

Thank you.

Good afternoon. I'm Lynn Landes of Lynnlandes.com and a Republican activist. I oppose Resolution 250255, which once again accuses President Trump, and by extension we, his Republican supporters, of being anti-immigrant, anti-trans and anti-free speech. Republicans enthusiastically support legal immigration, but not illegal immigration, particularly when it amounts to an invasion of millions of people from all over the world. Republicans are not against transboys and men who want to be girls and women. Republicans are against boys and men violating girls and women's rights to female sports, female showers and female dorm rooms. Republicans are not against free speech. In fact, it is Democratic-controlled Philadelphia City Council and Democratic-controlled City departments who are against free speech, as they have for years, if not decades, systematically restricted public comments at public meetings to agenda items only, which violates our First Amendment free speech rights and the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act. Other Pennsylvania municipalities such as Pittsburgh do not do this. As a result of this censorship many issues rarely, if ever, get discussed, such as the COVID lockdowns and its repercussion. Lastly, it is a common but disturbing practice to accuse others of what the accuser is guilty of. Unfortunately, such is the case with this unfortunate resolution. Thank you.

Good afternoon, City Council. My name is Vanessa Ewing. I'm a member of POWER Interfaith, representing Second Baptist Church of Germantown which is in Councilmember City Bass' District. I am deeply concerned about rising rent costs, property taxes and increased displacement in our city. I've had had conversations with many people in my community and they are deeply concerned as well. I've grown up in Philadelphia, I've gone to high school and college in Philly and now I work in Philadelphia. Throughout my life here in this city, there's always been housing insecurity, there's always been homelessness. I've grown up seeing people living on the street, asking for food, looking for shelter, asking for money, and I've watched them be consistently ignored. As a kid, this really bothered me and today that hasn't changed. It hurts me to see people living without shelter, a basic necessity in our society that can bring a sense of safety, protect us from disease and harsh weather, bring us comfort, give us a sense of pride and ownership. As a Christian, I believe in God's love, God's abounding love for each person and that our purpose is to love God with all of ourselves and to therefore love each other, to love each person as we would love ourselves and as God loves us. I believe that we are all connected through that love. And while others suffer homeless, hungry, lying cold on the ground like they do every night in our city, being constantly ignored by their own human race, their own brothers and sisters and treated like they are less than human obviously hurts that person, but it hurts us too. We as the ones who walk by, who ignore, who don't engage because we're told not to, or we think we don't have anything to offer them or don't know how to help, it hurts us. I believe greatly in what Dr. Martin Luther King said that we are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. And you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be. Our brothers and sisters who are homeless can't be what they ought to be living in the injustice of homelessness. I'm going to cut through a lot of what I wrote because I'm running out of time. But I invite Councilmember Cindy Bass to please join us for a town hall that we will be hosting in your District in the late spring and we will get you that information to your office. I invite City Council to join in partnership. (Applause.)

Thank you. We look forward to the invitations. Awesome.

Ogbonna Hagins, fourth generation chattel slavery survivor. I just want to let Council President know that I bought the whole Jackson Five here today, including Jermaine. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program is designed to help individuals working in public service roles such as government or nonprofit organizations by forgiving the remaining balance of their federal student loans. And, yes, income-driven students loan repayment plans have been temporarily suspended but not by Donald Trump. This decision stems from the court ruling that blocked the Biden Administration saving on a valuable education plan, which was introduced in 2023 to provide more affordable repayment options. The ruling expanded to include other income-driven repayment plans. Trump had nothing to do with it. He wasn't even in office. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program itself has not been suspended. Recently, President Trump signed an executive order limiting eligibility. This order targets certain nonprofit organizations deemed to have a substantial illegal purpose. Those nonprofits are the ones that make it their business to aid and abet illegal aliens. Simply put, if you want loan forgiveness, stop breaking the law. Stop conspiring with nonprofits to harbor illegal aliens. Stop laundering money under the guise of the Powers Act. Stop intentionally deceiving the public, committing ethics violations and stop the nonfeasance of the 13th and 14th Amendment. And to the public, if you vote not knowing the political philosophy of the people you vote for, you're responsible for more deaths in Philadelphia than gun violence. Ogbonna Hagins, President of the Philadelphia Reparations Coalition. Over and out. Thank you. (Applause.)

Thank you.

And we have Wanda Walker. (Witness approached podium.)

Good morning, beautiful people. My name is Wanda Walker. And as always, I'm going to talk about generational wealth. So we're going to go with 250245, the Land Bank. I guess maybe I'm for it, but I need the Land Bank to have more transparency. I've sat here since September of last year and watch certain City Councilpeople give a lot of properties to the Land Bank, and yet we only have about 250 affordable homes that were built. So I'm sort of getting tired of saying the same thing. We have to protect our seniors. Our seniors are the ones that allow people to come back home, but they can't do that if they don't have a home. After 30 years of paying taxes, they shouldn't have to pay taxes. I know that sounds sort of crazy, but I did some research and found that other cities and states are starting to say the same thing. I also picked out three articles I would like everybody to look up and read from WHYY, and it explains what Philadelphia is about to do. Someone suggesting that developers should have 20-year abatements if they're going to rehab the properties downtown, that parking lots downtown should pay less taxes and that PPA should be able to charge more money, those are some of the things that are coming up. We know about Mayor Cherelle's proposal for $2 billion for housing and that sounds wonderful, but it's not until we have a workforce that can do that work and it's not as long as developers come in and build stuff that's not affordable. So we have to worry about home first, the citizens here first. And the articles I want you to look at for WHYY, Philadelphia Mayor Parker's budget proposal, you'll find a lot, WHYY. Four things to know about the Philadelphia Reform Commission, that is very powerful. Then you have Pew, how property is taxed in Philadelphia. So if you read those three or four articles, you will start to understand exactly what's coming down the pipe. And we have to start coming together to say no about this. We need a workforce that is of Philadelphia that can build these houses so that we stop outsourcing everything. That's what's making us go broke, one of the things. Thank you very much. I want to give a shoutout to our Sheriff Rochelle Bilal because she is one of the people that is trying to by court order stop banks and developers from just coming in and getting everything. 3/27/25 - STATED - 2ND READING So she's doing it by court order. And when you read an article about a particular politician and it might be negative, go have a conversation with them and ask them their side. Thank you. (Applause.)

Thank you, Wanda.

There are no further names for public comment.

We will now consider the bills and resolutions on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendars. Will the Clerk please read the title of Resolution No. 250245.

A resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose 3/27/25 - STATED - 2ND READING of 708 North Shedwick Street, 710 North Shedwick Street, 714 North Shedwick Street and 723 North Shedwick Street located in the 3rd Councilmanic District in accordance with the terms of Chapter 16-700 of The Philadelphia Code.

The Chair recognizes Councilmember Jamie Gauthier for a motion regarding Resolution No. 250245.

Thank you, Council President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and properly seconded that Resolution No. 250245 be adopted. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying 3/27/25 - STATED - 2ND READING aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. The motion carries. The resolution is adopted. Will the Clerk please read the title of Resolution No. 250255.

A resolution condemning President Donald J. Trump and his administration for their decision to suspend income-driven student loan repayment plans and for politicizing the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program to target advocates working to oppose his anti-immigrant, anti-trans, antifree speech agenda. 3/27/25 - STATED - 2ND READING

The Chair recognizes Councilmember Rue Landau for a motion regarding Resolution No. 250255.

Thank you, Council President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and properly seconded that Resolution No. 250255 be adopted. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. The 3/27/25 - STATED - 2ND READING motion carries. The resolution is adopted. Will the Clerk please read the title -(Applause.)

Will the Clerk please read the title of Bill No. 250066-A.

An ordinance amending Chapter 11-200 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Openings and Excavations in the Streets," to impose additional penalty penalties on violators of underground permitting requirements, under certain terms and conditions.

This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. 3/27/25 - STATED - 2ND READING Will the Chief Clerk please call the roll.

Councilmember Phillips.

Aye.

Councilmember Gilmore Richardson.

Aye.

Councilmember Gauthier.

Aye.

Councilmember Jones.

Aye.

Councilmember Landau.

Aye.

Councilmember Lozada. 3/27/25 - STATED - 2ND READING

Aye.

Councilmember Young.

Aye.

Councilmember Brooks.

Aye.

Councilmember Harrity.

Aye.

Councilmember O'Rourke.

Aye.

Councilmember Driscoll.

Aye.

Councilmember O'Neill. 3/27/25 - STATED - 2ND READING

Aye.

Councilmember Squilla.

Aye.

Councilmember Bass.

Aye.

Councilmember Ahmad.

Aye.

And, Council President Johnson.

Aye. The ayes are 16. The nays are 0. Majority of all members having voted in the affirmative the bill passes. Will the Clerk please read any additional resolutions on 3/27/25 - STATED - 2ND READING today's Calendar.

A privileged resolution honoring March as National Reading Month and recognizing Read by the 4th Initiative for its commitment to early childhood literacy. Introduced by Councilmember Phillips.

The Chair recognizes Councilmember Dr. Phillips for a motion on the resolution.

Thank you, Council President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor will 3/27/25 - STATED - 2ND READING signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. Will the Clerk please read the next title of resolution in her possession.

A privileged resolution Honoring and Celebrating Beyond the Bars on the occasion of their 10th Anniversary for Their Dedication to Empowering Philadelphia's Youth Through Music Leadership and Community Engagement. Introduced by Councilmember Phillips.

The Chair recognizes Dr. Anthony Phillips for a motion 3/27/25 - STATED - 2ND READING on the resolution.

I enthusiastically move for 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 saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted. Will the Clerk please read the title of the next resolution.

A privileged resolution declaring 3/27/25 - STATED - 2ND READING March 17, 2025, as "Bayard Rustin Day" in the City of Philadelphia. Introduced by Councilmember Landau.

The Chair recognizes Councilmember Rue Landau for a motion on the resolution.

Thank you. I move for 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 saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it and the 3/27/25 - STATED - 2ND READING resolution is adopted. Will the Clerk please read the title of the next resolution.

A privileged resolution recognizing March 31, 2025, as Transgender Day of Visibility in the City of Philadelphia, a day to celebrate and recognize the achievements and contributions of transgender people and to lift up the joy, light and laughter that transgender people experience and bring into our communities. Introduced by Councilmember Landau.

The Chair recognizes Councilmember Rue Landau for a motion on the resolution.

I move for the adoption of the resolution. 3/27/25 - STATED - 2ND READING (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. Will the Clerk -(Applause.)

Will the Clerk please read the title of the next resolution.

A privileged resolution recognizing Sanaa Rahming, Samiyah Rahming and 3/27/25 - STATED - 2ND READING Julissa Ortiz for their middle and high school girls' wrestling accomplishments on the occasion of Women's History Month. Introduced by Councilmember Young.

The Chair recognizes Councilmember Young for a motion on the resolution.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption. (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.) 3/27/25 - STATED - 2ND READING

The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. Will the Clerk please read the title of the next resolution.

A privileged resolution honoring the Life and Legacy of former heavyweight champion "Big" George Foreman. Introduced by Councilmember Young.

The Chair recognizes Councilmember Young for a motion on the resolution.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and 3/27/25 - STATED - 2ND READING properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. Will the Clerk please read the title of the next resolution.

A privileged resolution honoring the life Eusebio "Bonn" Batan, Fishtown's "Mayor of Crease Street." Introduced by Councilmember Young.

The Chair recognizes 3/27/25 - STATED - 2ND READING Councilmember Young for a motion on the resolution.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move for its adoption. (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. Will the Clerk please read the title of the next resolution.

A 3/27/25 - STATED - 2ND READING privileged resolution honoring and congratulating Chef Kyle Timson for winning Season 23 of Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen. Introduced by Councilmember Young.

The Chair recognizes Councilman Young for a motion on the resolution.

Thanks, Mr. President. I move for 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 saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? 3/27/25 - STATED - 2ND READING (No response.)

The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. Will the Clerk please read the title of the next resolution.

A privileged resolution recognizing March as National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, and honoring the work done by advocates to reduce barriers to social and civic participation experienced by people living with developmental disabilities. Introduced by Councilmember Brooks.

The Chair recognizes Councilmember Brooks for a motion on the resolution.

Thank you, Council President. 3/27/25 - STATED - 2ND READING I move for 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 saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted. Will the Clerk please read the title of the next resolution.

A privileged resolution recognizing the Montreux Jazz Festival and the rich jazz history of Philadelphia 3/27/25 - STATED - 2ND READING and expressing the City's desire to host a world-class jazz festival in Philadelphia. Introduced by Councilmember Bass.

The Chair recognizes Councilmember Bass for a motion on the resolution.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of this resolution. (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.) 3/27/25 - STATED - 2ND READING

The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted. (Applause.)

Will the Clerk please read the title of the next resolution.

A privileged resolution recognizing and celebrating Sharon A. Powell on the Occasion of Her Official Retirement. Introduced by Councilmember Bass.

The Chair recognizes Councilmember Bass for a motion on the resolution.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of this resolution. (Duly seconded.) 3/27/25 - STATED - 2ND READING

It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. Will the Clerk please read the title of the next resolution.

A privileged resolution recognizing and honoring Dr. Arlene Parsons Bennett for her contributions to the City as a prominent community organizer and the first Black woman to graduate from the University of 3/27/25 - STATED - 2ND READING Pennsylvania's Medical School, on the occasion of Women's History Month. Introduced by Councilmember Ahmad.

The Chair recognizes Councilmember Dr. Nina Ahmad for a motion on the resolution.

Thank you, Council President. I move for 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 saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.) 3/27/25 - STATED - 2ND READING

The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. Will the Clerk please read the title of the next resolution.

A privileged resolution recognizing April 2025 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month and celebrating the extraordinary efforts of WOAR Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence. Introduced by Councilmember Ahmad.

The Chair recognizes Councilmember Dr. Nina Ahmad for a motion on the resolution.

Thank you, Council President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.) 3/27/25 - STATED - 2ND READING

It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. Will the Clerk please read the title of the next resolution.

Council President, there are no further resolutions in my possession.

That completes our Calendar for today. Are there any speeches Minority? The Chair recognizes Councilmember Kendra Brooks.

Thank you, Council President. Today I'm introducing a resolution to recognize March as National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. The goal of the month is to shine a light on the barriers people with living with disabilities experience on a daily basis. If you have not already, I encourage you to check out the artwork on display on the 3rd, 4th and 5th floors of City Hall. All of it is created by individuals with autism or neurodevelopmental disabilities. Also today in partnership with my Minority Whip Councilmember O'Rourke, I are calling the People's Tax Plan. The plan takes recommendations from both the Tax Reform Commission and the Tax Advisory Commission, and it aims to protect working families and small businesses from uncertainty and cuts of the Federal Administration. Over the last decade, corporate taxes have been cut at the federal, state and local level with promises of growth by these same corporations, only to see shareholder profit become larger. The federal and state level are already promising to cut corporate taxes this year. When ask locally, small business owners rank taxes low on the other concerns. They want better City services, less poverty like all of us. We need growth for business owners. That's my focus this budget season. First, we have a bill to make more people eligible for the wage tax refund. City Council created this tax refund in 2020 to help low-income families. Let's build on a successful growth and sign up for the current wage tax refund we heard yesterday from the Parker Administration. My legislation makes more families eligible and expands it. That means we're putting money in the pockets, enough to pay a bill or to buy things your children need or just to help with rent. The package also includes an update to the BIRT tax exemption. This is a strategic tax investment we can make ahead of 2026. This will bring hundreds of around the world. We need to set them up for success on this world stage. Let's have this conversation publicly. Without the exemption, about 80,000 small businesses are affected. We owe it to them this year so that next year we are not explaining to them on why they have to pay it for the first time. For the third part of the plan, we are reintroducing the wealth tax that I proposed in 2022. We made changes to protecting working- and middle-class families by exempting educational savings accounts, retirement savings accounts and mutual funds. It would raise $200 million for the City and help shield us from the Trump Administration. I welcome any questions or discussions about this proposal as we work towards to the people's needs and meet the challenges of the moment. On a different note, I want to celebrate my two brothers are in competition right now today for this state championship. We have Mayor Ed Gainey out of Pittsburgh has a son at one school and our own coach, Majority Whip Isaiah Thomas. I wish them both well as they fight for this championship basketball game. So shout-out to that. And lastly, I want to take a point of personal privilege. This week has been really hard for my family, and I would be remiss in not taking the time to talk about or if anyone has seen -- someone stole my dog. So my dog was stolen on Saturday, March 22nd at 12:15 at 15th and Wingohocking -- I'm so sorry. Okay. Buzz is a light brown Miniature Poodle. He has a chip. And I'm just asking if you have my dog, you can drop him off at any animal shelter or hospital and he will be reconnected with our family.

If you have any information about his whereabouts or just have a tip, please feel free to call my office at 215-686-0461. Thank you. )

Thank you, Member Brooks. And we all will be as a Council family making sure we put the word out regarding the return of your dog. The Chair recognizes Member O'Rourke.

Thank you, Mr. President. the Minority today and that word is reclamation. Reclamation, just continuing on from the thought that Leader Brooks lifted around our newly proposed People's Tax Plan. Just seeing this as one of those things where we're claiming monies, reclaiming monies for the people through the People's Tax Plan, just tax policies that put money in working people's pockets by reclaiming it like through the wage tax refund I think is good business. This plan prioritizes working-class Philadelphians by ensuring that our tax system is fairer and more inclusive rather than favoring the ultra wealthy who contribute little to our city's well-being, as has been lifted up hearings. Just as tax policies should find ways to keep money in working-class Philadelphians' pockets, something that I set out in this chamber to want to do, put money back in people's pockets, our City's budget decisions should also reflect that same commitment to equity, particularly in a time right now when we pretend that equity doesn't matter. Yet the choice to cut the Zero Fare program does the exact opposite. So I want to lift that up as well. We have Mr. Blatstein come every single week, as he told us, to talk about SEPTA, but my brother didn't lift up Zero Fare today. Zero fare isn't just about free rides. It's about economic mobility, access to opportunity and ensuring that no choose between affording transportation and meeting basic needs. It is literally a lifeline in the built infrastructure of our city and in the life of our citizens. While the fight to protect essential programs like Zero Fare continues, there are also moments of progress worth celebrating. And so, in that reclaiming not just Zero Fare I want to take the time out to lift up the victory won by faculty and staff at CCP. I think them folks was up to fo a.m., 4:00 in the morning. That's early, but I believe that what they were able to accomplish, this agreement is a testament to the power of collective action and the importance of standing firm in the fight for fair wages and for appreciate the claps. And if y'all can send them some cookies or something just to congratulate them for their work, I think that's worth it. That haven't been said, Mr. President, again, the word today was reclamation and I hope that we got that spirit in the work that we do. Have a good one. Thank you, sir. (Applause.)

Thank you, Member O'Rourke. And I also want to acknowledge in that same spirit a late-night phone call. The young lady was in the mix of the negotiations and calling back and forth with the Administration, and that's Majority Leader Gilmore Richardson as well as our Majority Thomas, keeping me up while I'm watching Netflix, keeping me updated on how they were trying to make sure that the next day it wouldn't be a total shutdown. And so, for all the Members who showed up at the press conference and showed up at the rally and supporting the faculty at Community College, I just want to also commend all of you for standing up for working-class people. So continue to keep doing the great work of this body. (Applause.)

Speeches on behalf of the Majority. And I see this young man is taking a cue out of the book of the senior member Councilmember Curtis Jones, because his light was on since like 10 o'clock, Dr. Anthony Phillips. The floor is yours, sir.

I had to learn something. Colleagues, today I rise to recognize, lift those who are making a real difference in the lives of our children and families and those who dedicate themselves to this work, not for recognition, not because it's trendy but because they believe in the power of education, the arts and the community. Now, all too often individuals and organizations doing the most impactful work are overlooked, but today I want to shine a spotlight on two organizations that are truly changing lives. That is why today I've commenced the children and youth spotlight. Read by the 4th and Beyond the Bars are doing people. Read by the 4th is a citywide initiative dedicated to ensuring that every child in Philadelphia is reading at grade level by the end of 3rd grade, by mobilizing schools, community organizations and policymakers. Read by the 4th provides essential resources, training and support the children and families and educators. Their efforts laid a foundation for academic success, opening doors for future opportunities and long-term achievement. Thank you, Read by the 4th. Beyond the Bars is a transformative program that uses music education to empower you, especially those impacted by incarceration and systemic barriers. What started in 2015 10 students inside a correctional facility has grown into a movement establishing 55 music labs across the city, graduating 75 student teachers and mentoring over 800 young people through music. Beyond the Bars is giving our youth a voice and a purpose and a path forward, the power of education, the power behind the arts, the power of mentors and community leaders right here in Philadelphia. That is why I will continue to highlight and uplift those who dedicate themselves to this work, and it's also because I come from a background where I ran nonprofits that were dedicated to helping young people and I want to recognize the organizations that are doing that today. So with that being said thank you, Read by the 4th, and thank you, Beyond the Bars. Lastly, I also want to take a moment to recognize someone within our own office who's a young man who embodies the same commitment to service, Brandon Chism, who is right behind me, began his journey with us as an unpaid volunteer intern. And thanks to you, Council President, we were able to bring him on as a paid intern later on. But because he started off with us unpaid, he believed in the work that we're doing, he understood the experience that he was gaining, the knowledge he was absorbing and the impact he was making far outweighed the fact that he wasn't yet being paid. And so, we're so thankful that for the past year or a dedicated professional and he's been willing to challenge, go challenge, you know, get challenged and also push himself. And none of that has gone unnoticed. You have been an integral part of our team. And as you move forward on your path to your first professional gig after graduation from Temple, I have no doubt that you will continue to be a trailblazer. Philadelphia needs more people like you. And, Brandon, you have set a great standard in office, and we know your future is right, and we wish you the best of luck. Congratulations. Brandon, please stand and be recognized. (Applause.)

All right. Thank you, Council President.

Thank you, Member Phillips. The Chair recognizes Dr. Nina Ahmad.

Thank you, Council President. Today I rise to honor two incredible forces in our city both doing the work of healing, both shaping a better future for all of us. First, I'm proud to recognize Dr. Arlene Parsons Bennett, a pioneer psychiatrist, a proud graduate of Philadelphia High School for Girls and the first Black woman to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania's Medical School. She enrolled at Penn Med from 1960 to 1964, a time when racial tensions were high and doors were still being closed to women of of only six women in her class. To even get to college, Dr. Bennett enlisted in the military to afford her education. Her journey took great brilliance and unwavering purpose. But what makes today's recognition especially personal for me is this: Dr Bennett was my neighbor. She's a friend and mentor to my daughters, one of whom is also going into medicine, and she continues to be a practicing psychiatrist at 91 years young, showing up every day with wisdom, care and a deep commitment to her patients and her community. Dr. Bennett has never stopped advocating for women, for families, for equity, and that is why I chose to honor her during Women's History Month. She is living history, a legend in our midst, an icon living. And I want to do my part and give Dr. Bennett her flowers now. I also want to just acknowledge our intern, Amaya Madarang, who actually wrote this and researched it. I'm very grateful to her. She's a senior at the University of Pennsylvania. We are also lifting up WOAR - Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence, a cornerstone institution in our city for more than 50 years. As the only rape crisis center in Philadelphia, W-O-A-R, WOAR has provided survivors with free 24/7 crisis counseling, therapy, legal advocacy and educational outreach that impacts tens of thousands of people each year. As we approach April, Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we survivors and to supporting the critical, compassionate work that WOAR needs every day. To Dr. Bennett and WOAR, thank you for showing us that healing is not only possible, it is powerful. You are the soul of Philadelphia. Thank you. (Applause.)

Thank you. The Chair recognizes Member Jones.

Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you colleagues that joined us yesterday at the street renaming for Will Smith. In 40 minutes, I will be at Shepard Recreation Center finally doing a groundbreaking. We passed Rebuild and the beverage tax 2017. I mentioned in budget that we have a 10-year backlog in capital projects that I'm praying our mayor, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker will work on. I have had recreation centers in my District where a young man 7 years old said, Councilman, I want a skate park because I do my thing on the skateboard. We finally got that park built as he was a freshman in college. It shouldn't take this long. It does not take two hours to watch 60 minutes. We should be able to do it faster. So as we enter into this budget process and as we finally break ground -- thank you again, Mayor Parker, thank you again, Recreation Commissioner -- we have to get better at providing because if we do the math, by the time you center, 10 more are ruined. And so, we have to kind of put a little bit of our organizational skills to cut down those times that it takes to move these projects through the ship. I love what we've done for PreK, but we can do better for our brick-andmortar rec centers. Thank you. (Applause.)

Thank you, Member Jones. The Chair recognizes Member Rue Landau.

Thank you, Council President. Today I introduced a resolution recognizing Monday, March 31st as Transgender Day of Visibility, a day not only of recognition but of joy, resilience and celebration. Monday is an opportunity to honor the countless who have shaped our history and continue to lead us into the future. It's a time to remember the leaders who paved the way, Jaci Adams, Charlene Arcila Moore, Janis Stacy, Ebony Ali, Celena Morrison and more. Their courage and advocacy have brought us closer to true equity. We also see Trans Day of Visibility as a moment to uplift the work of Sylvia Rivera, Miss Major and Marsha P. Johnson who stood at the front lines of the future. But visibility alone is not enough. Across this country, we've seen a wave of anti-trans legislation, bills attacking the rights of trans youth, banning health care and gender-affirming care, policing identities and their homes. It's hateful. It's violent. It's important to speak up and denounce it. Philadelphia is a city where trans people belong, where we will continue to fight for our rights, health care access and protections. So on March 31st in spite of it all, let's celebrate. Let's honor trans joy. Today I also introduced a resolution recognizing March 17, 2025, as Bayard Rustin Day in the City of Philadelphia, honoring a historic member of the LGBTQ+ community whose courage and vision shaped our nation's history. Born in the Philly suburbs, Rustin's commitment to justice led him to become a key strategist in the Civil Rights Movement, mentoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and 1963 March on Washington. His work helped pave the way for the civil rights and voting rights acts. Yet despite his incredible contributions, Rustin faced discrimination not only as a Black activist, but as a gay man. Even when sidelined, he never stopped fighting, becoming a champion for countless marginalized individuals in both the Black and LGBTQ+ communities. I'm honored to commemorate his legacy in Philadelphia and alongside Representative Andre Carroll, who was able to recognize March 17th on the state level. I'd like to take a note that later today Oscarnominated actor Philly native and Overbrook High and Temple University grad Colman Domingo, who Netflix movie, will be joining us in the building. My staff has invited all of you, my Council colleagues, here to join us and meet Colman. You'll recall that we honored Colman's contribution to the film industry along with his recent Oscar nominations a few weeks back. I hope you join me and welcome him in City Hall. And thank you all so much for your time.

Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Bass.

Thank you, Mr. President. So just a couple of things I wanted to mention. The first is, I want to thank Councilwoman Nina Ahmad for the Bennett, who is just really a gem and has been a mentor to me for many, many years and has really looked out for African American women in the community and supported. It wasn't just lip service. It was real full true support that was tangible. And so, she will always have a place not just in my heart, but in the hearts of so many other women of color that she's reached out and touched. I also wanted to follow up and piggyback on what Councilman Jones said about being able to build our rec centers faster, because any time we can -- and I used this example the other day during the budget hearings, but any time we can rebuild I-95 in less than two weeks, then we can do things better. We can do things faster, and it really does require us to do so to be able to keep our young people safe. So I just wanted to mention that as well. I also was honored today to introduce a resolution recognizing Sharon Powell, who is a true champion for the city of Philadelphia. Many of you know her work because Sharon has dedicated her life to public service through her work in broadcast media, local government and corporate philanthropy. From her time as a community voice on the radio to her leadership roles in elections, voter mobilization and Comcast Internet Essentials Program, Sharon has left an inspiring mark on our city. She has served on many boards, earned many awards, and above all, has tirelessly worked to resolution honors her remarkable legacy and celebrates her profound impact on Philadelphia. And for those of us who have been here in these chambers for a minute or two, Sharon we know was here on behalf of Comcast for many years, sitting right behind the rail and here faithfully every week to check in, to talk to us, to work with us, to connect with us. And so, she's just always been a joy and a pleasure to work with. So we really did want to carve out some time and give her her flowers as well and recognize her. And more to come on that in the future. I also briefly wanted to say that I was proud to introduce a resolution recognizing the Montreux Jazz Festival's global impact and proposing a similar world class As the birthplace of jazz legends like John Coltrane, Billie Holiday and Dizzy Gillespie, Philadelphia has a rich musical legacy that continues to thrive through its vibrant local scene and cultural institutions. This festival would celebrate our City's contributions to jazz, foster new talent and create an exciting opportunity for cultural exchange and economic growth. With collaboration from local artists, institutions and City officials, we can bring this vision to life and further solidify Philadelphia as a global hub for jazz music. And I also wanted to make note that as you know, Mr. President, we've been hosting our Jazz Funk Soul Music Series every summer at Morris Estate for more than a decade now. And so, it we would want to welcome, recruit and bring the Montreux Jazz Festival here to Philadelphia, as they've gone to other cities as well like Miami and here and there. We would love to welcome them here and the hundreds of thousands of tourists that they bring with them. And the last thing that I just wanted to say was in reference to Councilmember Brooks' situation with her dog. Anybody who knows me knows that -

You love dogs.

-I'm a dog lover. I have four fur babies of my own. And so, I just wanted to say as a Board member for Animal Care and Control Team, which is a city agency which handles animal care, we have that. And Pennsylvania SPCA. But ACCT is a city entity. And I can't tell -- I'm enraged about the theft of any dog because I know on any given basis, any given day, we probably take in between 12 and 20 dogs that are coming back out. So if you want a dog, don't steal somebody else's. Go and get your own at ACCT, 111 Hunting Park Avenue. Go get a dog and there's plenty there. They will waive the fees for you. But if you want a dog, you don't have to steal someone else's. You can go get one for yourself. Thank you, Mr. President. (Applause.)

Very well said. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Young.

Thank you, Mr. President. I want to echo the words of Councilmember O'Rourke today and congratulate the faculty and staff at CCP for winning this historic contract. I want to thank my colleagues today for also passing resolutions, I'm honoring the life of Fishtown native Eusebio Batan, also honoring George Foreman and congratulating Chef Kyle Timson. But the crux of my speech today is going to be talking about the resolution I introduced honoring three young women here in the city of Philadelphia. So for those who don't know, the NCAA Wrestling Championships were held here in Philadelphia this past weekend at the Wells Fargo Center hosted by Drexel University and University of Penn. They are the offer D1 wrestling. It's estimated that that NCAA Wrestling Championships could have an economic impact of up to $20 million to the city of Philadelphia. And according to the Philadelphia Convention and Business Bureau, 80% of the fans came from out of town representing 42 states and Canada. So on this last Council day of Women's History Month, I felt it fitting to honor three history-making young women from the city of Philadelphia in the sport of wrestling. Across the country, Pennsylvania is known as probably the top wrestling state in our union. And Sanaa Rahming is a 7th grader at Andrew J. Morrison School. She won the Keystone State 11- and 12-year-old divisions. Julissa Ortiz is a junior at Mariana Bracetti Academy, and she is the first girl to win a Philadelphia Public League Title. And along with Samiyah Rahming, who's a junior at Northeast High School, both Julissa and Samiyah are two-time Public League champions back-to-back, again wrestling against boys in the Public League, mind you. And so, they also are both two-time PIAA a state runnerups in the Girls Wrestling Championships. And so, according to a March 2024 article by AP News, girls wrestling is the fastest growing high school sport in the country, which is now sanctioned in 45 states. So thanks to the efforts of organizations like Girl, the Police Athletic League and Beat the Streets Philadelphia, girls wrestling and the sport of wrestling in general is on the rise. So for those who don't know, I'm a fan of wrestling. I started wrestling in middle school and fell in love with it then. It gives opportunity for our kids to experience discipline and hard work. And a lot of kids who are from these innercity neighborhoods, it gives us a chance to let go of some aggression that we have in a positive manner. You can just slam somebody and not get in trouble for it, right. So I encourage everyone, all our youth, to just take a look at that sport. It actually creates great football players as well. a little bit just to let folks know. And some other athletes who are boxers also wrestled. So it's a foundational sport that can help you throughout life -- sorry, Mr. President. But before I end, I definitely want to give my condolences to my cousin Tiffany, who lost her son Zahkir Whitfield aka DJ. He was a 15-year-old. He would have turned 16 a couple days ago. And, you know, my heart goes out to her, another mom, another Black mom in this city who had to bury their son due to gun violence. And so, I just want to bring that to the forefront of everyone's mind here in the city of Philadelphia, that that is still considered to be the number one issue that plagues our city.

You the city, from any corner of the city that that will continue to come up to be the issue that we really need to pay attention to. And I also want to give my condolences to the Community News and Engagement Bureau of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The Inquirer slashed that bureau. I don't know if it's following trends of DEI cuts that are going on throughout the country, but this further silences the voices of Black and Brown communities in our city, in a city where Black and Brown communities again are dealing with gun violence, gentrification, critical issues of our public education system. Sometimes we need that those good news stories so we know that everything that's happening in negative, right, so we can see that there are some positive things happening. But unfortunately, The Inquirer decided to cut this particular bureau, with half of those reporters cut being Black or Hispanic. So I just want to put that out to our communities that we have to continue to show our own stories to shed light on what's happening in our communities in positive ways. And so, hopefully we can use other news outlets to like The Tribune, like WURD to continue to show things that are happening in our communities. So thank you, Mr. President, for allowing me that time.

You're welcome. You're welcome, sir. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Jim Harrity.

Good afternoon, everyone. I just wanted to start off by thanking everyone for voting for my pothole bill, in lack of better terms, unanimously today. While this isn't the first bill I passed, this is definitely the bill that I've worked on the longest. I thought I knew a lot about construction and construction holes until I got into this. I started this bill when I first got here after the special election two years ago, but I believe this bill is now done in a way where we will not upset progress, but we can still go after the bad actors that are tearing up our city streets. As Councilman Young just said, gun violence is the number one problem in the city of Philadelphia. The fact of the matter is when I was running, there was a poll done and of course, the first two were what you would think which was gun violence and education. But the No. 3 concern on people's minds, which blew No. 4 away, was potholes. And being a highway worker and knowing that there's an actual definition for a pothole, and I won't explain it again. You guys probably heard me tell you this definition for a long time, but this year was so we can go after the people that are digging up our streets illegally without getting a permit and then causing our residents to have issues with their car when they drive over this massive hole and it bottoms out they contact the City of Philadelphia saying their car was messed up by a pothole. And they say, okay, send us a picture. And they send a picture and they say, oh, no, that ain't no pothole, that's a construction hole. So this now gives us the opportunity to go after these bad actors by not only finding them, but to also suspend their license when they have multiple offenses until they rectify the situations that they have going on, which would be to redo what they did so it can be inspected and made sure that the people getting these services into their homes. This is their water. It has to do with pressure, gas, all that stuff like that. We have to make sure it's done right. That's why we get it after you do work like that, the City comes itself to fill those holes in because it has to be done a special way. So I thank you all, and I definitely thank my staff because they've worked hard on this bill and had extreme amounts of meetings with different people and different stakeholders. So I thank you all. And also, just a shoutout. I will be in the Council President's District tonight with your little brother Anton Moore at his Iftar celebration. Looking forward to that. So hopefully I'll see you later on tonight. Thank you all.

You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Majority Leader Gilmore Richardson.

Thank you. Thank you so much, Council President, and just thank you very much and to all the colleagues. Today we want to take an opportunity to wish our colleague, our Majority Whip and our coach here in Philadelphia City Council well as he leads Sankofa Freedom Academy, their boys basketball team to their PIAA Class 1A boys basketball championship game today. And Councilmember Brooks mentioned the game and the rivalry we have with Pittsburgh right now, but we want to wish Coach Councilmember Isaiah Thomas and the team well at 2:00 p.m. today for the PIAA Class 1A Championship game.

Thank you very much. (Applause.)

As there are no more speeches, the Chair recognizes Councilmember Bass for a motion to adjourn.

Thank you, Mr. -- sorry, wrong one. I make a motion to adjourn until Thursday, April, 3, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.

Is there a second? (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and properly seconded that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, April 3rd, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. Thank you very much. ) C E R T I F I C A T I O N I, hereby certify that the proceedings and evidence noted are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me in the foregoing matter, and that this is a correct transcript of the same. m. E. m. S.