Councilman, I will gather the information. I will present it to the Commissioner, and we will get it to you as soon as he feels is the time. I will provide it to him within the next two weeks, and then we will move ahead with that.
So you're going to get it to Commissioner in two weeks? Two weeks from today, Commissioner Johnson is going to have this information?
He will then make his determination once he's had chance to review it. And then, Commissioner, you will then get it to me? COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: Yes, sir, we'll get it to you. Two weeks -- we'll do our best to 1171 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings get it to you.
This is going to be a sampling of different streets in different parts of the district, and you're going to be able to tell me what the foot candle rating is on that particular block because that's what I asked for. COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: If it would be acceptable, I'd like to make sure that I understand the scope of what your question and that it's reasonable to get it to you within two weeks before we commit to delivering it within two weeks. But I will commit to this: That within the next week, we will have sat down with someone from your Office to make sure we understand the scope of this request, and then we'll get back to you with a date -
And I'll be glad to do that, and I will also give you a copy of the Notes of Testimony from last year because I don't think that I could have been more clear. It was a long discussion with examples. But I'd be glad to go back through that. I'm just making a request. I don't necessarily know that it's the most complicated thing in the world, but 1172 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings I've never done it. But I don't think it takes this long. Thank you, Commissioner. And, Madam Chair, I know the timer has gone off, and I'll come back.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Miller.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Good morning, Commissioner Johnson. COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: Good morning.
And welcome to Philadelphia and your first budget presentation. I'd actually like to thank you too for the cooperation of your Office and the Streets Department. You've always been very responsive, and I'd like to particularly thank you and your staff for the efforts regarding snow removal. And I was so glad to hear that one of the areas of the areas that you were targeting with extra effort and extra force was the Northwest because we certainly do get a whole lot of snow in that section. 1173 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings Sometimes when I leave my house, I need boots, and when I get to Center City, I don't need boots. So I'm really glad that there was particular attention paid to parts of my district. My questions are pretty much primarily regarding enforcement in neighborhoods, people that are putting trash out on the incorrect days or just throwing debris out. And they just think it's a normal way of life. I just happened to be sitting outside one day and someone was getting ready to put their trash out on a Sunday. And I said, "You can't do that." And they looked at me like I was nuts and said, "Why not?" I said, "Because it's not trash day." So this continues to be an ongoing issue, and lots of residents are speaking up. On my block we kind of keep watch, and people will take it back in when it happens. I was wondering, do you really have enough staff to do enforcement in neighborhoods regarding people that are putting trash and other debris out on just any day? And I know we can call 1174 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings the Sanitation Office. But sometimes I think it's going to take more than that particularly as it relates to neighborhood transformation. The City can come in and do demolitions, and we can do a lot of things, but if people in neighborhoods are really getting back into the habit of putting trash out on regular days, I don't think it's going to make much of a difference. So is there a need for additional people? Does SWEEP or will SWEEP be going out more as it relates to neighborhood transformation activities? I'd like to understand the role your Department will play in neighborhood transformation. COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: Yes, Councilwoman. We are projecting in the current year, in 2001, we wrote approximately 14,400 citations, if you will. We're projecting that number to go up to increase by about percent in 20 the next year's budget. 21 In looking at our SWEEP program, we have 22 historically focused on commercial corridors, and I 23 think we have some pilot areas where we're going 24 into residential corridors. 25 In order to expand our coverage, the 1175 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings coverage of the SWEEP officers, we really need to look at and we are looking at ways to improve their ability to get around the City. Many of our SWEEP officers take the bus to get to locations where they're going to work. And then they're primarily on foot walking through neighborhoods. And when I look at what we do in areas of where we're probably most efficient, writing tickets, we have officers who have vehicles at least to allow themselves to cover a larger area. So one thing that we would look at doing is look at ways to get our SWEEP officers to be a little bit more mobile so they can cover bigger areas. But I do agree that this is probably one area where we receive a number of complaints from residents who are conscientious and who are following the rules about residents on their block or in their neighborhoods who are not following rules, who are putting trash out on the day after their collection and it sits out for a whole week and blows all over the streets and creates problems in our neighborhoods. 1176 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings So to answer your question, we can always use more people, but before we start adding people, you want to try and find ways to help the people that we have be a lot more efficient in what they do.
And having a car or vehicle will help with that efficiency; am I not correct? COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: Yes, ma'am. I think if we can find ways to help them be more mobile -- we even looked at some of our officers riding bicycles in some of these communities so they can cover a larger area than you could if you were on foot all day.
Well, I think that's important because sometimes when you just ride the streets of Philadelphia, particularly in the spring and summer, and you see lots of weeds that neighbors should cut and trash on sidewalks that people should sweep up -- isn't there a law that says you're responsible for your sidewalk, for sweeping sidewalks? COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: Yes, there is.
The other thing 1177 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings I'm going to bring to your attention is -- I don't know. This is an issue that I talked to Clarena about as it relates to bus stops and trash, and particularly at a corner like Broad and Erie. And SEPTA -- I know it's the responsibility of the business person, but, also, if there's a bus stop there, then it would seem to me that SEPTA and the Streets Department should also have some joint responsibility. And I do know that the Streets Department will come out and put a receptacle there at some corners. But it's an ongoing problem, and I guess we'll need to talk about that and meet again about it because if the area doesn't have, as most areas don't have, a special service district, then the trash is just an ongoing and ongoing problem. So that's an issue that I'd really like to talk about further. And I'm also very pleased to see in your testimony on that you'll be putting additional money in or increase the funding for materials and supplies needed to support the Philadelphia More Beautiful Block Cleaning Program. Because at times, it is a little 1178 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings difficult or you might call and they run out of trash bags. And maybe some group is going to have some type of neighborhood clean up. So it's really good to know. And, hopefully, you'll be getting more bags so that won't happen. But I'd just like to see more aggressive enforcement in neighborhoods particularly as it results to trash, snow removal and putting out of debris anytime someone feels like they just want to do that. And that's basically my concerns. I think the Streets Department has worked well with my Office, and I hope that we will continue to have a good working relationship for the balance of the year. Thank you. COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: Thank you.
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilman Cohen.
Thank you, Madam President. 1179 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings Just to follow up on what Councilwoman Miller raised, in many areas of the City, community organizations try to help and get neighbors to work together in cleaning their pavements and steps and front porches. It would help us a great deal if Councilwoman Miller's position could be supported because it would then help the community organizations in their other activities in building a clean neighborhood. If neighborhoods see City enforcement on the City's part, it helps the neighborhood organizations then take it even further. So I think her proposal is a very important one to try to carry out. Now, on bicycle paths, coming from somebody who is a strong supporter of bicycle paths, I'm flabbergasted at seeing the streets painted for bicycle paths in areas where I never see anybody ride on bicycles, where I see suddenly traffic jams forming because people don't ride in the bicycle paths where the two-lane streets become one-lane streets. And whenever there are busy times, they get very clogged up with traffic. 1180 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings And I kind of don't understand. I favor bicycle paths. I think bicycle riders have rights. But to put them everywhere where they're not being used, I wonder what is driving that? What is causing that to take place? COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: The City is currently working on a bicycle network that's a plan that was laid out that was starting a year or two ago. And as we go through and resurface streets where it makes sense, we're installing bike lanes. Bike lanes also being installed in communities. We purposely narrowed down the travel lanes for cars -- or reduced the number of travel lanes for cars in order to help slow traffic down. Often, in response to communities, the people that live in those communities or to businesses or to people who work in those communities who have asked us to look at ways to slow traffic down -- and we do that often -- as an alternative to installing more stoplights or stop signs in areas where those devices are not warranted or where the issue is not really controlling traffic but more calming traffic. I know that there are some specific 1181 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings corridors, one in particular right now is Ogontz Avenue where I received I can want tell you how many E-mail messages and letters from persons who want to see bike lanes on Ogontz Avenue. And there's probably another coalition of drivers out there saying, 'Well, gee, you're creating traffic jams.' So we get comments from different, I guess, groups with different interests often when he look at installing bike lanes. So we really look at those as part of our policy. We want to install them wherever they make seasons and where they're going to be used. We don't want to install them in areas where they don't make sense or it's going to actually be more unsafe. But we've been fairly successful in doing those around the City.
Well, excuse my cynicism, but over many years, I find that the stated reason is not always the real reason. So let me first go after, is there any special funding the City gets from any source that's tied in with these bike paths? COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: Yes. I'm going 1182 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings to ask Larry -- he left? Councilman, the person that I had here to answer questions about our funding sources for a lot of your bike lanes and the bike network has stepped away, but I will get the answer to that question over to your office. We receive monies.
The reason I ask that is my concern is where there is the existence of bike paths that seem to make no sense. That you get complaints, I think that's easy. The bike lobby is a healthy lobby, and we like that because it's important that there be bike paths. But the residents in Ogontz area all along Ogontz Avenue are bitterly complaining. Sometimes the traffic is so heavy, it's hard to get out of a parking spot that you're in. The lines of traffic are very long all-day long and not moving. Would there be a way if we inquired, what was the reason on Ogontz Avenue so it makes some sense? We don't see anybody. I can understand the safety measures, but it seems the residents would like those flashing lights that Councilman Nutter took leadership on beginning to provide near 1183 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings our schools. But we don't see real energy by the City often moving ahead to provide children's safety in that line. So it's a little hard to take without a lot of salt, the story that these are being put in to slow drown traffic near schools. But would your Office be able to identify the reason for the specific bike paths in areas? We'd like to know on Ogontz Avenue. It just jams the traffic up terribly. And there are almost no bike users on that road. I lived there for forty-eight and a half years. I've never seen a bike rider on Ogontz Avenue. I assume there may be some on occasion, but it must be extremely rare. It's my home area where I travel a great deal, and I don't see a need for it there. There are other places we drive around. We see bike paths on York Road, further north, say, as you're heading outside the City going north, north of 66th Avenue. The lines of traffic on York Road headed toward Jenkintown are often very heavy within the City because of these bike paths. There are other places, and I don't see 1184 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings any bike riders. So I would like to get that information on the funding source to know whether or not there is a funding source. That's something I can understand, if there are grants that are made available for purposes which carry the requirement of funding for bike paths. COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: Councilman, there are grants. I just don't have the exact amounts for you.
If you furnish it to the Council President then, we'll get it. Second, you talked about the clean-up areas near business strips. And the Broad and Olney area where the Fern Rock Olney Boulevard Community Development Corporation has been very active in trying to promote the cleanliness for that area, can anything be gone to beef up that area? It's a very heavy area. It's also very messed up. Occasionally, you see one person cleaning, and by the time, I guess, that person finishes their tour of duty, the mess is all there again. Could I ask you to look at that area 1185 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings and see if there's any way of beefing up the support given to that area? We're trying very hard to re-invigorate that commercial strip. It begins about a block south of Olney Avenue and runs up toward Chelton Avenue. COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: Councilman, our department is actively working with Mrs. Rice and the community group there looking at --
Shirley Stevenson, Mrs. Rice, Elizabeth Rice? COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: Yes.
Whatever you can do on that be would be appreciated. Is there a policy on posting of No 17 Parking signs on the street near a park? Are there any special requirements to get them? There's a place where there's been a lot of trailers parked on Lindley Avenue right on the side of a park. And what happens is there are all kinds of dumping of trash. People can't see who is doing it because these trailer trucks are parked there. Is there a provision which says -- which 1186 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings bars the printing of signs of No Parking? What would be needed to achieve that? COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: What usually happens is we receive a request for No Parking signs with some idea of a specific location. And then our traffic group will go out and review it. And usually within a few weeks, we know whether or not we can issue a work order to post signs there. So if you have a specific location where you would like to see us posting No Parking signs, we can definitely take that request.
And you know of no 14 special rules prohibiting those signs near parks? COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: In some areas or some cases, there may be rules, but we usually can take that request and review it and let you know within a week or two whether or not we'll be able to post one and when that sign would actually be replaced.
Here's one easier question. Your employees are covered by the City's health plan, right, employees of the Streets Department? 1187 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: That's correct.
Are there any Streets Department employees who have anything to do with helping to carry out that health plan? Is there someone in the Streets Department, say, if a person has a problem getting a prescription or they're told that somebody is in the hospital and it's not a covered condition, is there any one in the Streets Department who can give advice to the employee who has a complaint of non-responsive coverage? Is there anybody who can take up the issue on behalf of the employee? Is there anybody that the Streets Department employees who takes as a duty that kind of work, or do you just refer to people to personnel, or do you do nothing? Are you familiar with that aspect? COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: If I'm understanding your question, I think we would provide the employee with information on what is covered and not covered through the service provider, through the health care provider, depending on what specific plan the then employee selected. And then from there it's really between 1188 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings them and their health care provider and discussing what items are covered and not covered. We don't have a specific person in-house that would be like the advocate for the employee to go and work with insurance companies on their behalf, if that's what your asking.
Well, I'm asking because health care providers are notoriously restricted with respect to coverage because that means dollars out of whatever funding they have. So that in many cases, employees find that there are problems. And having that employee talk directly to the health provider is often a fruitless effort. They'll get an explanation as to why the health provider says no. 18 Wouldn't it be helpful if there were an advocate? Do you have a separate personnel department in the Streets Departments? COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: Yes, we do.
Do they accept any responsibilities in that area? COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: They basically provide employees with information on the different 1189 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings types of coverage available. And the employee makes that decision on which health care provider they're going to select. And then that relationship becomes between them and their health care provider as opposed to the City being like a third party between them and their health care provider.
So you're saying the time that comes into play is the end of the year when employees have to pick which plan they're going to have for the following chronologic year beginning January the 1st? COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: That's correct. And I think there are two or three different providers that they can select from. And in a lot of ways, if a provider has been difficult to work with during the course of the year, it's almost like election time comes around again and people get to vote with their dollars to move and go with a different provider that may be more responsive.
Well, in the City we only have one provider for health care, and that's Blue Cross/Blue Shield. And prescription coverage is through Rite Aid and an assortment of so-called independents. We're not clear exactly how that 1190 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings works. But there's nobody in the Streets Department really to assist the employee? If there's a dispute, it has to be ironed out between employee and health care company? COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: To the best of my knowledge, that's correct.
Is the head your personnel department here, do you know? Would there will be somebody in your department who has firsthand knowledge? COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: Yes. Mike Zaccagni is our HR director.
Councilman, Michael Zaccagni. With those types of issues, normally, if there's any type of intervention that comes from the City, it's usually from our central agency who really manages the benefits. So what we're there for at the department level is a source of information. But any type of normal -- the Commissioner is correct. If you're having problems, as most of us probably have had throughout our careers, you usually deal 1191 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings directly with the provider. However, if there's any issues, that's usually handled by our Central Personnel Agency who manages the benefits structure. And there are actually several choices for people who are in City-administered plans to choose from as to provider cares. There's point of services; there's HMO's. So there is some selection there they can have --
Yes. For anybody in a City-administered plan, that's correct.
But if during the course of that year there is a problem --
Again, they would deal primarily with the provider. If any intervention occurs, that is normally through our Central Personnel Office, not the departmental.
If there is some problem, we could refer someone to one of the central 1192 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings agencies and they would get involved. But I would not be able to speak directly to how they manage that.
Linda Seyda is the personnel director, but she has a unit under her that deals with the employee benefits.
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilman Rizzo.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Commissioner, I have a question going back to the cleanliness of the business districts and the City in its entirety. I've discussed this before, and I think that even a resolution or a bill was introduced to deal with the situation. I notice personally that on trash day, on collection day, people just toss out in the business districts and residential districts a plastic bag. 1193 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings And that commercial on television about the drum, it's not true. Those bags break open. Dogs get into them, spread the trash all over the neighborhood. Where you came from, in your experience -- and I know there are municipalities that have a rigid container requirement. And I know there's production losses when you have to actually physically empty a container. But is there a payback in that loss of productivity? Have you thought about a pilot program? I know prior to you, we had a truck that had a little arm, and people were given this big cumbersome container to put out that was provided by the City, and I don't know whether that program died or is still in place. But the communities that have a rigid container requirement seem to be cleaner places. And I know that there's a process where you have to have a sweeper or people sweeping up behind your people that collect the trash. But I'm talking about even before your people get there, the situation that develops when trash is just thrown 1194 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings out at the curb in these plastic bags. COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: Yes, Councilman. Your observation is correct, that there are communities that have container requirements and communities that actually provide in some cases a rigid container with a lid. And what it does is it literally takes the trash off the sidewalk. There are communities who are exploring the possibility now of going to containers that have historically not had containers. The City of New York is looking at the possibility of adding containers in their community as a way of combating the rats and rodent problem that they've had recently that you heard about so much in the news. The City of Philadelphia -- one of my first observations when I got here was people literally put trash on the sidewalk in plastic bags. Some of the bags are the little small grocery bags. People throw them out of second-story windows, and they just break open on the sidewalk, and people just seem to walk past those like it's just part of life here. We as a department are looking at the 1195 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings possibility of piloting or testing containers. In some communities, it's in the very preliminary stages. And we know that a City like Philadelphia will have some areas where that might be viable and some areas where we're going to have to do more research to figure out what type of container or where people would put a container if we were to propose a program like that. So we're moving quickly but deliberately in evaluating the possibility of doing something like that in the City of Philadelphia. And from a productivity standpoint, this City is really not conducive to what we call a fully automated collection system where a mechanical arm would go out and lift a container and dump it simply because there's so many problems with on-street parking in the City of Philadelphia. And people don't have alternatives, really, to move their cars and park anywhere else. So we would have to look at what we call semiautomated collection. And that would mean a container, but it would also be a little more labor-intensive than a fully automated system. So to answer your question, yes, we are 1196 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings looking at all of these things, and we do think that it could go a long way in cleaning up the appearance of litter and trash on our streets and sidewalks in Philadelphia.
Thank you for that. That's my personal observation, when I drive through Center City especially. Many of the businesses just toss out the trash bag. And you come by a couple hours later, especially if it's a rainy day, there's the bag broken all over the street. The other issue, when you talked about the coordination with the various utility companies, Commissioner, when PGW investigates a leak of gas, they send out a crew, and that crew drills holes and in some cases to locate the leak, dozens of holes that are maybe two, two and a half inches in diameter. I believe that there's a requirement that they put a plug in there. Could you tell me from your experience if those holes are not filled, what can it do other than create a dangerous situation for someone to trip in? What does it to the streets if all those dozens of holes are left uncapped, and what happens to that street after two years, three years, four 1197 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings years? COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: Well, as you know, the City of Philadelphia is an older City. It has an aging infrastructure. And oftentimes, our utility companies have what we consider emergencies, and they have to go out and open the street in order to alleviate a washout or gas leak or some emergency related to the supply of electrical power. But every time that street is opened, it deteriorates the useful life of that street. We are trying to coordinate for all scheduled street openings with all utilities to try and minimize the number of times we go in and actually open up the street. But every time that a street is opened for whatever purpose, the useful life of that street is deteriorated, and we're looking at introducing some legislation down the line in cooperation with the Managing Director's Office, the Law Department and Public Property Department to help the City address this issue of utilities that have to open the streets and what kind of requirements we should really have to try to preserve the life of the street or at least have the City be adequately 1198 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings compensated so that we are in a position to go back and resurface that street and bring the life of that street back up.
Commissioner, maybe I didn't make myself as clear as I could have. When PGW responds to a gas leak, they have a test device as you're aware of. It has a rod that goes in the ground and determines whether there's a gas leaking. They'll come into a neighborhood and drill a hole in the street two and a half, three inches in diameter. They'll drill a hole. They'll put that probe down there. If that doesn't detective gas, then they'll drill another hole three feet away, another two and a half inch hole. They put the probe in there. If they can't locate the leak -- they could drill in any one neighborhood -- and many of you in this room walk through your neighborhoods and you see all these holes drilled in the street, and that's what it is. It's the gas company drilling to investigate -- From what I understand, they're required to put a wood plug back in that hole they drilled. And if they drilled 20 of them, they're required 1199 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings before they leave to put a wood cap or whatever they are supposed to hammer into that hole -- My question is: I've been told, 'No big deal.' I know a person that fell. A female with a high shoe on fell in one of holes crossing the street. But because it's only two and a half inches in diameter, it's a clean hole, in my opinion, it's got to eventually after water cascading into that hole month after month, year after year cause undermining of that particular street. I'm hoping, I guess, as a result of this conversation that somebody really says to PGW that they need to make those repairs of after they drill that hole in the street. Again, the main concern is pedestrian safety, but, secondarily, what is it doing after two or three years of that whole being there? COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: Well, Councilman, you're correct. Anytime a penetration takes place in the street, it creates an avenue for water and moisture to get into the street. And as we go through severe freeze/thaw cycles here in the City, 1200 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings it creates havoc anytime water can get into that street. So it's very important that those holes be plugged and sealed. And we should take a closer look at our coordination with PGW and make sure that those things are being done. We have inspectors available to go out and check and look at the work is being done, and we probably need to coordinate that a little better.
Thank you, Commissioner. And, again, the new reporting system is working real well. My Office also reminded me to tell you the great response we're getting with the constituent requests. Thanks. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Commissioner, there was some discussion earlier about -- I know you have a contract with PECO. You may have some with others. A lot of that discussion revolved around Kelly Drive and maybe 1201 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings some other areas. In terms of regular residential streetlighting, when a light is out, we used to dial what I'm virtually certain was a non-City number. And was there a change recently to a City number for streetlight outages, and are we doing that work, or are you centralizing it all to a kind of a Government location and then you're farming it out? What is going on with that? COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: I know that we do some of the work, but we do have a third-party contractor that we do a lot of work through. I'll let Joe Doyle again respond to that question.
Councilman, on September the 1st last year, our maintenance contractor changed. Previously it had been PECO Exelon for the four years prior to that, and, subsequently, it's Asplundh, a tree expert company in Willow Grove. As part of the maintenance contractor's responsibility, he takes all customer service calls and then directs his forces to investigate the problem. And there's a process that follows from there. 1202 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings But, basically, all customer service calls are directed to the maintenance contractor. Now, there's --
So do we call them, or do we call this 685 number? Who do we call?
The maintenance contractor has their own telephone number, and, traditionally, this number is used for publication in the phone book and to your office and to everyone else. This has invariably resulted in a problem anytime the number changed. If the contractor changes or relocates his office to another area of the City, the phone number changes. To avoid this problem, what we implemented in September was a one-call number or continuously-called number that would be a 686 number. It's actually 686-5610. Now, that number was established with out communications people as basically a call-forwarding system. And so that effectively 1203 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings that number will be always the complaint intake number. The actual electronic system or the telephonic system is it passed that caller through directly to the maintenance contractor, whoever they may be at any time in the future. And so that it's much like they advertise from Bell Atlantic. It's a call-forwarding system. We've had a couple glitches with that system. If that's what you're referring to, where there's been a long number of rings and the call doesn't get --
Do you get patched through to a live person, or are you on a voice mail, voice loop system?
Depending on the time of day, it's a live person. But late night it's actually an answering service. It's not intended at any time to be a voice mail system except if there's an occasional backup.
The change in the phone number? 1204 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings
Yes. It would have been. The initial problems with the 686 number, because it wasn't working very well, kind of created a little bit of an impasse. I was hesitant to give you a new system if the new system wasn't working, but that system has -- we've been in discussions with communications to get the glitch corrected, which was a long ring. It was taking too many rings before it would pass through. Just in the past week, we've talked to them. So once that's clearly established -- I apologize for not passing it through, but we really wanting the new system to work really well before we advertise it. But shortly it will be. So what we hope now is one phone number will be the continuously used phone number for all streetlighting complaints.
I appreciate that. and if you could, let us know what the new number is and maybe little information package on what the 1205 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings system is, who we're calling, what it's all about. And I would just mention to you off to the side that we did have an occasion where it became apparent that the number at the time, which I believe this was back in the fall, had changed. We sought to find out what it was, and a Streets Department person also did not know the change had been made and I think dialed into a message saying that this number has been disconnected, end of discussion. It may not seem like it especially under these circumstances from time to time, but I do operate on the basic philosophy that we are all on the same team and if all the team members get all the information, we can actually help each other in what it is that we're doing. So whenever the information comes through, I would appreciate it.
Thank you. Councilman Cohen had raised an issue. This is not in my district, but it's an area that I travel through on a fairly frequent basis. This 1206 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings goes back to striping and lines and bike lanes and the like. It's just a wonderful experience when you're going west on Market Street and it's two lanes past the Post Office and all that area out there. And then when you get to 38th Street, I believe, virtually, without warning, it all of a sudden becomes one lane for vehicles. And then, naturally, there's a new bike lane; and as the Councilman said, at a place where I've never seen a cyclist. I travel the street numerous days, numerous hours. I never see anyone. And I guess I'd just like to understand. I mean, unless Councilman Blackwell asked for it, what was anybody thinking in taking two lanes of traffic on Market Street down to one at that particular location? COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: The best answer, really, at this point to all the questions regarding specific locations where bike lanes -- there may be some disagreement on whether or not there should be a bike lane there. Our Office is open to sit down with you and talk to you about how the design came 1207 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings about, who was involved in making the decisions, whether we were working with the universities or whoever and also talk about if it's a situation that just does not work, what can be done about it.
Again, I don't have anything against cyclists. I might take that up this year. I believe in fitness a great deal. But, I mean, there are some places. I mean, Lancaster Avenue seems like a fairly wide street. It is for the most part. But after 52nd Street or so -- I mean, there's a trolley out there. I don't think it's that great of a street to be on a bike when you're competing with cars and trolleys and whatever else -- a lot of trucks and whatever other traffic may be out there. So we can have that discussion.
Traffic calming. No. It's called getting run over. Commissioner, I understand there was also some discussion earlier, and I want to clarify one point with regard to flashing lights. I do know that there is a list, and I also know that there's $500,000 in the Capital 1208 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings Budget for flashing lights. What's not crystal clear to me is, is the current list and its implementation waiting for that $500,000, which you won't effectively have at the earliest until July 1 and actually later? Or are there dollars available presently to deal with the current list, and the $500,000 is pretty much going to be for going forward? COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: There's a list that was scheduled under this year's contract, this physical fiscal year's contract, that we're continuing to work on through this fiscal year's dollars. There is a list or backlog of schools that are on a list that would be funded under the $500,000 that's been requested for the next fiscal year. So to answer your question, there is a list already for that that exceeds the total dollars that have been appropriated for the next fiscal year.
In terms of the $500,000, that's in this year's Capital Budget. That's going to be, I guess, a ballot question in 1209 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings November. You might have the money next February, March, depending on when they go to market? COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: That's correct.
So you're not going to be doing anything with the $500,000 that's in this year's Capital Budget until next year. How many lights are going to get done, and how does that affect the ability to deal with the backlog for either what we have now or the request that comes in next week? And, naturally, people want their lights, obviously, as quickly as possible, but there are some key points in time that we really try to get these kinds of projects done either prior to school opening in September, or, often, you might be able to sneak a few in for January when the kids return. Tell me what you think is actually going to happen in the course of -- let's not talk about fiscal years; let's talk about calendar year 2001 -- how many lights get done and what's the impact of not having access to the $500,000 until calendar year '02. COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: Councilman, I'm 1210 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings going to ask Charlie Trainor to respond to that particular question.
Councilman, what we're doing right now, we are doing schools as an 6 amendment to the FY2000 contract using money that 7 was rolled over from that year into the current 8 fiscal year. We have 11 schools that we are 9 presently laying out. The contractor is ordering 10 equipment, and we will be installing those 11 11 schools. It's approximately one school per district. The reason why there's 11 is there's one location where there are two schools across the street from each other. So we're picking up on both.
How many are on the current list? How many applications are sitting in front of us presently including the 11?
So you're going to get the 11 done by the end of the summer prior to the September '01 school year? 1211 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings
I believe we're on hold until somewhere in April, end of March, for material. The layouts have been done or are in the process of being done. Some of the schools are going to be installed before the end of the school year. The rest should be installed before the beginning of the new school year of those 11.
And you won't have any money until February of '02. So I just want to make sure I understand this. You're going to do the 11. Hopefully, they get done in the course of the current school year or before the September '01 school year. That's the 11. Then we're done. Then we have no money for 42 schools on the list, and we won't have any money until February, if we're lucky, '02. Then you have to order materials and supplies. 1212 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings
You can't order it until you have the money available.
I understand. Now, how many schools get taken care of with $500,000?
Approximately 35 to 37. COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: It's approximately 15,000.
Got you. Now, are you going to be able to do that number of schools -- you get your money in February, buy supplies, equipment, personnel, just the physical amount of time it takes to do this. When do you think the 35 get done? Are they ready for September '02?
Because it's too much? 1213 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings
It's too much, yes. It will probably take months to finish them off. 4
Let me ask this 5 question. 6 Maybe I'll get the guy who will give the 7 most confusing answer. Maybe I'll get Rob Dubow up 8 here. 9 Is there any way to either move some 10 capital dollars around in order to keep activity 11 going? 12 I mean, you, basically, are literally going to be out of business for six to eight months on flashing lights. When you're done the 11 in September, you're finished, right?
Again, we would be finished until we receive the funding. You're making the assumption that we wouldn't have the money until February. Whether we would have that money in July or August, I'm not sure when we would have that funding available to us.
Well, I'm dealing with February because you have $500,000 in the '02 Capital Budget. The voters won't approve that 1214 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings offering for going out into the market until November. Then they'll do a bond offering somewhere in the November/December time period, right?
Rob Dubow, the City's Budget Director. It's correct that we would have to wait for voter authorization. I think once there's a voter authorization, there's enough cash on hand from the issue that went to market in January that we'd be able to start funding projects. In other words, you don't have to wait for the next bond issue.
So if you're saying we don't have to wait for the $500,000, then is there away to just continually keep this activity going?
We have to wait for voter authorization. We can't start spending against that budget until the voters authorize it.
I understand that part. That's why I was asking you, are there any 1215 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings other dollars that are available to move around.
It's a question of projects being authorized. But that's right. We could move around dollars around for any projects that are authorized. If they've run through all of their authorized projects, then they have to stop. If they still have authorized projects, then can still keep spending against them.
And are you saying that these 11 are the only authorized projects?
I don't think the Capital Budget for whatever year got rolled over is site specific. I mean, they don't know.
I think that's right. Charlie would have to answer that, but I think you're right.
So we're in this business, and if we have capital dollars available and if some adjustment or shifting around of capital dollars can be made, which you know you're then going to be able to be pay back once you get the $500,000, we could keep this process moving. 1216 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings We're not doing this work; is that correct, Mr. Trainor? The City is not doing this work, right?
City forces are not doing this work except for the layout and the administration of --
Okay. So what is the real capacity? If money were not an issue or at least dollars available, how many schools could get done in the course of a school year? Excepting out unusual situations and circumstances, two schools nearby, or instead of two sets of lights, you've got some situations with because you've got boulevards and all that kind of stuff, what is our capacity, for instance, to knock out the current list if all dollars were available?
It appears that in calendar year 2000 plus the first month of 2001, we completed and put in operation 36 schools.
Councilman, I cannot 1217 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings answer that. I don't really have that number.
It's a layout aspect. It's a contractor aspect. It's the resources the contractor puts into the job.
A contractor will do as many as we ask him to do if the material and the money is available, right?
I'd really like to have little more discussion about it. We don't necessarily have to have it right now, but I think you know that a lot of us care very deeply about this. This is not criticism of the Department; this is just how can we move something around that we are obviously committed to. For those 53 on the list, do we have signed agreements for all of those schools?
I know we have signed agreements with the 11 that are ready to go at this 1218 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings time. Of the 42 that are remaining, I know we do not have them all because three just came in this morning. The other ones, I don't know if we have signed agreements. As we are moving forward --
But a substantial number of the schools have signed agreements with us?
And they are looking forward to anticipating -- I don't know how long they've had their agreements in, but I think you understand my point. We've got folks out there with a certain level of expectation. It is not an unreasonable expectation. We've fought all the battles about who is who is doing what and what our program is. We have a live program. We have the dollars available. We have contractors. We've got signed agreements with people. I want to keep this thing going, and we 1219 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings can get it over with. At some point, we'll pretty much -- we won't have these kinds of numbers. There are only so many schools.
I think our numbers were 400 schools, so we still have a number of years to go.
Right. Thank you, Madam Chair. Mr. Dubow, we'll continue this discussion with Commissioner Johnson.
Mr. Trainor, can we have a list of where these flashing lights are going to be located, please?
One last question. One question which will probably stretch into two. Commissioner, there was a lot of discussion earlier about recycling. I'm not going 1220 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings to take you through once a week, twice a week. I think Councilman Ortiz covered a lot of that. I continue to utilize my neighbor next door as the best indicator of whether it's my recycling week. When he does it, I put my stuff out. That's the calendar that I'm on. When we have a new housing development in the City, and from time to time we actual do, how does the Department either get any kind of notification about that and make sure that people who are relatively new to the City both get a bucket, whether it's the old ones with the handle or the new super ones -- which when you fill them, naturally, it's too much stuff to carry, but we'll put that off to the side -- how do we make sure that people get buckets especially when we have new housing developments in the City? COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: Just one moment. I'm going to have Clarena Tolson respond to that question. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER TOLSON: Good morning. We're working with the Greater Philadelphia Commercial Recycling Council to get our 1221 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings message about activity for apartment buildings to participate in recycling, those that have City services. For them we'll make available cans and provide collection as we would for their neighbors, single-family neighbors on the block.
The specific situation I was referring to was about a year or so ago, there was a fairly significant housing development in the Roxborough section of my district, and some of the folks got buckets; some people didn't. The houses were being built as demand indicated. It is fully built out. But everyone didn't get a bucket. People are calling -- I think it's actually in a section that has weekly recycling. How do you know that, other than the folks driving up and down the street, that there's 70 new houses here. Who are these folks? What are they all about? I assume that we're picking up their trash, but most of them didn't get buckets. And we can go through some of the details. But I just wondered. I'm hoping this will be a little bit of 1222 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings a phenomenon in the City. And I guess as we talk about neighborhood transformation and those kinds of initiatives, some of us are actually expecting there will be some new housing in the City. And I was just wondering how people know. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER TOLSON: Usually, when we have a new development, the developers contact our offices, first, to make sure that they're eligible for City collection. When they do that, they also advice us when they're ready to start receiving buckets or other services. And we deliver buckets door to door, or we ask them to have the residents pick them up at the nearest location.
I'd like to coordinate with you. Commissioner, my last question is: Can you give us an update on what the current status is of the situation with retaining walls and driveways? COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: Councilman, I think there was a resolution passed on retaining walls. Our department --
It was a bill. COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: Yes. Our Department worked as part of a coordinated team with 1223 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings the Managing Director's Office and the Law Department to come up with a concept of how a program could work. And I believe that we're at a point now where we are still waiting and looking for potential funding sources to kind of prime the pump to start that process. Beyond that, I don't really have anything new to report but I think have a good system, a good theoretical system, that would work if we were able to find resources to start the process.
Okay. Well, one, let me say thank you at least for something. I've asked you a whole lot of questions today. Thank you for the hard work and effort put forward by your Department. And I know Paul Lonie spent a lot of time working on this. Again, many of use have these issues throughout the City and care a great deal about this. And I will continue to work with you and the Managing Director's Office and Finance and Law -- I know the Council President cares about this as well -- to see if we can get that pump primed and work on what is a very, very serious issue in many 1224 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings neighborhoods throughout our City. Some of the City is actually falling apart. COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: We look forward to working with you.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Kenney.
Thank you, Madam Chairperson. First, I'd like to think the Commissioner and his staff. Your ability to respond to constituent requests and complaints is really amazing. We get a quick response. It's not always the answer we want, but at least we have information that we can pass on to people to let them know that at least their issues have been looked at and addressed. And it comes back quickly, and it comes back in a form that we can even actually send to people, and they can understand how the process works. So I really want to commend you and thank you for your interest in that area. I mean, even though I'm an At-Large 1225 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings Member, all the At-Large Members get maybe not as many constituent requests as District Councilpeople, but we do get a volume of it. A lot of our staff is dealing with it on a regular basis, and the response of your Department has been tremendous over the last year. COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: Thank you.
Thank you. I'd also like to thank you for your desire to look at new technology when it comes to traffic calming and traffic control. And one of the things you've done at my request and I think has been very effective at least from a visual standpoint is the installation of the strong yellow green fluorescent crosswalk signs on one of the most treacherous highways in the nation, and that's Roosevelt Boulevard. As I drive up Roosevelt Boulevard from the Roosevelt Expressway, you really begin to see from a much greater distance those crosswalk signs. It's an interesting color. It makes you think. It changes in many ways -- even subliminally, changes the mind-set that you have as you're driving up that highway. It makes you think that people are 1226 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings actually there and you have to take some care. And they do stand out much greater than the traditional yellow signs. And I want to thank you for your openness in dealing with that. I would like to move to what Councilman Nutter was talking about, the flashing lights. I have an opinion these days that red lights, yield signs, flashing lights are virtually meaningless to people. I walk outside here around City Hall, and it's amazing to me that someone hasn't been killed yet. People just ignore the red light and continue on through the intersection on a regular basis. And I know that it's an issue of enforcement. But when it comes to the School District crossings that Councilman Nutter is pursuing, this issue of getting these flashing lights installed as best we can, what's the possibility -- I think we talked about it preliminarily -- of using the strong yellow green school crossing signs in anticipation of the flashing signs being installed but to try to do something quickly? Because I think for a reasonably small amount of money, compared to cost of the flashing 1227 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings lights, we could probably have every intersection around every school signed with the strong yellow green fluorescent signage. Is there a possibility of you pursuing it? What can we do? COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: Councilman, one of the things that we have discussed internally was the possibility of looking at some of those schools that are way down on the list for the flashing light installation and talking to a principal to see if we could test using the fluorescent yellow green signs in lieu of perhaps the installation of the flashing yellow lights. I think when you talk about safety, one of the main keys of safety is a heightened sense of awareness. And as you alluded to earlier, the fluorescent yellow green signs really heighten your awareness as you're driving down the street that, first of all, something is going on. It forces you to really look at those signs and pay attention. And if those signs were to indicate that you were now going into a school zone, would prompt you to slow down perhaps as much or maybe even more than a flashing yellow light. 1228 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings I know that's what we're used to when we see school zones, but it may be worthwhile testing if there were a school out there willing to test it because we think we could do a school with fluorescent yellow green signs for about 2500, to $3000 per school as opposed to $15,000 for a flashing yellow light. When you compare the cost of the fluorescent yellow green signs to the regular signage, it's about ten times more expensive. But when you compare it to the cost of installing instead a flashing yellow light, it's much less expensive and may be equally as effective.
You indicated that a strong yellow green fluorescent is more expensive than the traditional signage that we use, but is that not set off in some degree with the durability of the warrantee that comes with the sign, itself, and do we wind up replacing those signs less? Obviously, if they're vandalized or graffitied in some way, we'd have to replace them. But just under normal use, wouldn't they last longer and have more effect than our normally painted signs? 1229 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: To be honest, I don't have any solid information to support that, but I do know that we are again looking at a very limited Capital Budget. And the fluorescent yellow green signs would be, again part, of our Capital Budget appropriation. And we only have so much money available. So we would really be in a position where we'd look at opportunities to save money without compromising the effectiveness of what we were installing.
When do you think that analysis would be completed as to the use of strong yellow green fluorescent in lieu of or in anticipation of the ultimate installation of the flashing light? COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: Well, I think the way to approach it would be to look at the list of schools that we have appropriated funding for and see if a school might be willing to test it with us if it didn't mean that they would give up the opportunity to get a yellow green sign.
A flashing sign. COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: Yes, a flashing 1230 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings sign. But if the effect were there, it may support us being able to sell the concept to other schools because we'd have something we could point to where we had favorable results.
What kind of coordinations on the same line of pedestrian safety and vehicular safety do we coordinate with the Philadelphia Police Department in issues of enforcement? I listened to Mr. Trainor's testimony, and I agree with the fact that we have certain warrants, certain things that we have to do from a National Highway, State Highway perspective. But it really comes down to somebody enforcing the law. And when people who -- people in general but people who have no respect for the law know it's not going to be enforced, speed limits, stoplights, stop signs, sealed signs just have no meaning because they simply just ignore them. Do we look at intersections that have experienced large numbers of accidents -- pedestrian and auto/auto -- and coordinate with the Highway Patrol and with the Districts as to enforcement 1231 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings procedures, and how is that accomplished? COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: Yes, Councilman, we look at data on the intersections within the City where we have the most accidents and the most problems, and we communicate with police departments and also within our own group to look at what can be done to improve the safety in those areas. When it comes to enforcement, the City as a whole has all of its resources being stretched in a lot of different directions, and traffic enforcement in the City is an area, as are many areas, that can always be improved. What we've tried to do by introducing some new technology concepts and exploring new technology concepts was to find ways to try to supplement enforcement efforts. Some of those efforts, I think we need to do a little more research on. One of the big ones that relates directly to pedestrian safety and to accidents that occur at intersections has to do with the red light running concept. We've been working closely with the State to explore our ability to introduce something like that in the City of Philadelphia. We have been 1232 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings coordinating with a number of agencies, talking to law enforcement, to the Law Department, to attorneys about the pros and cons of how it's done and doing a lot of research on how those things are accomplished in other cities. For example, in San Francisco I know there was a huge problem related to pedestrian safety specifically due to people who were running through red lights. And if you get caught, you get a ticket if a police officer were there. More often than not, because resources are stretched, a police officer may not be standing there. So you're getting away with it, and you continue to do it. But where technology can replace a police officer or supplement a police officer's efforts, not replace him but more supplement those efforts, and you run a light and you're going to get a ticket whether an officer is there or not, it acts as a tremendous deterrent. But those are things we need to look at in more detail and provide Council and the Administration with more detail on before we can make a decision on moving forward. 1233 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings
This might be an additional discussion we have with the Police Department, but recently the Police Department created its own Weighmaster truck weighing unit on Interstate 95 and 76. It's a special unit of the Highway Patrol that was set up solely to do what's done on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and other State roads to weigh overweight trucks and to inspect trucks that are not equipped properly with safety devices. That unit has really made money for the City. The fines that are imposed upon these truckers and trucking companies are phenomenally high when it comes to an overweight truck and those kinds of things. And I'm wondering whether or not, with the Police Department, we could be able to establish a unit within Highway Patrol or within some special unit that would be targeted to go and to do a three-, four-, five-week program at an intersection that may have a school, may have some of the problems that Councilmember Clarke was talking about when it comes to the types of drivers and speeds that people are exceeding and to kind of target 1234 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings those units to write massive amounts of tickets. Because I really do believe that while I agree with the technology aspect of giving people tickets with the police officer not there -- I think that's worth pursuing -- one of the things the police officers can do when making the traffic stop is investigate other issues that may be involved in these people's behavior that relate to why they're speeding around the City, why they may not be registered, why they may not be insured, not licensed properly. So I'm going to talk with the Commissioner's Office of the Police Department, and I would just like you to be available to be cooperative in some type of way to target enforcement of traffic violations in the City because it just really has come to the point where people just -- they're totally meaningless. COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: I think we could be readily available and be supportive in terms of providing information on some of the hot spots, if you will, in the City.
Just as a sideline -- I know it's not your direct responsibility, but 1235 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings the double-parking issue on East Chestnut Street relative to the bus lane/bike line -- it is unbelievable. It is one of the most difficult streets to traverse east at rush hour or other times of the day between legitimate people stopping -- UPS and Federal Express and other delivery people. The people just pulling up and collecting their relatives or stopping in stores, I wind up driving down that bus lane more than I'd like to. I know the right-hand turn is another issue that's dealt with from the Federal Government, and perhaps there's some way to pursue some changes there because that's also a real inconvenience. But the whole effect having Chestnut Street open and the continued double-parking there is just -- we ought to go back to the transit way again. That's how bad it is. COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: I would say, personally, I drive Chestnut Street almost every day, and the right-hand turns that aren't supposed to take place that really take place are happening all up and down Chestnut Street. The double-parking, blocking the travel lane, it's a system I think that, you know, in 1236 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings theory somebody put together and said, 'Gee, this looks great.' But from a functional standpoint as a driver and as a person that uses the street, I just don't think it works very well. And I have initiated discussions through communications with the Federal Transit Authority and with all of our folks to look at what else can be done to try and improve that situation because it's a bad situation and everyone wants to stand back and say, 'Gee, there should be more enforcement, more enforcement, more enforcement.' But if the facts of life are that we're all stretched with limited resources, we shouldn't design a system that you've got to enforce the heck out of to make it work. It just doesn't work, and we need to do something about it.
Well, I agree with you, and thank you. Finally, one of the most disappointing things about living in this City -- and I think you alluded to it in prior questions, and you're not a native Philadelphian, but I am -- is the overall belief amongst the population that the way in which 1237 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings you get rid of piece of paper if your hand is to simply throw in the street. It is extremely frustrating to watch people of all ages -- children, adults, grandparents, middle-aged people -- simply think that the way they remove trash from their car is to throw it out of their window, the way that they get rid of their candy wrapper at the bus stop is to drop it at their feet. I don't know where it came from. I know it's been around since I was a kid and probably before that somehow there was appropriate. I've watched people stand in their doorway and eat a candy bar or eat something and throw the trash out the -- I've watched people peel oranges at the door and throw their orange peels in the street. A lot of this, I think, is behavior modification and education. What are we doing from the Streets Department standpoint to coordinate with the School District, the Rec Department, the private and parochial schools, public service announcements, perhaps grant-funded program to really make people 1238 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings aware of how bad it looks, how irresponsible they are in doing this? My car is full of trash because most of the time whatever I have, I dump in the back seat or on the floor, and my kids wil get in our car and be, like, complaining about how much trash is on the floor in the back seat. And I say, "Well, it's better than being on the sidewalk or on the curb." It may be an impossible task. How do we change the mind-set from youth -- I don't do it because my ears got boxed if I did it in front of my parents, and that's how I wound up with the kind of trash ethic that I have in my personal life. But if it's not taught at home, if it's not taught in schools, if it's not made available by television cable network TV, we're never going to get our arms around it, and we're going to continually be spending resources to mechanically broom sweep streets, to have individuals out there doing the actual sweeping in business districts. I don't think people are even cognizant sometimes of how sloppy and rude they are in disposing of their trash. 1239 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: Councilman, I agree with your comments wholeheartedly. I think one thing we have to do is be clear and that is that this City will never have enough resources to go around and clean up behind people in these neighborhoods who have this attitude about the places they live in. I think there are a couple of components that we're looking at right now, and one is to build a strong network of very aggressive block captains and through those block captains try to do more organizing of people who live on these blocks around the issue of taking pride in where they live and making sure the people that come in or come through those neighborhoods know and understand that, 'Our neighbor is clean because we took pride in it and because we worked to make it that way, and you don't come into any neighborhood and throw your trash on the ground.' That's really got to be a mentality that we focus on with the older generation.
There's nothing better than watching a guy with a New Jersey license plate throw a cigarette package out the window. 1240 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: Exactly.
And in these days of people toting guns, it makes you hesitate to interface with them; however, from time to time, it's almost a requirement. But I had one motorist who I confronted with it who told me, "I don't live in Jersey. I just have Jersey tags." That's another whole story. Go ahead. COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: The other thing, though, is to focus on the younger generation, the school-aged kids. The point at which kids learn the most is when they first enter school they start learning. And to focus on education at that level and to have a long-term commitment and view. Because what we're really doing is we're trying to modify the behavior of something that's been going on here for hundreds of years. That's got to happen very early in the schools, and it's going to take a long time and a long-term commitment to do it. We're trying to work with some community-based organizations to try to put together a coalition to help us to put together that kind of 1241 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings campaign to try to start addressing it.
Have we looked at the possibility of doing something from a multimedia standpoint, perhaps engaging someone in the community that's high-profile. A person that comes to mind is like a Pat Croce. I know he's stretched in every direction, but that type of individual who could be a spokesperson who we could perhaps obtain some grant money, either Federally or State, to put on commercials on television with this individuals maybe in an interesting format that gets people's attention. I have an idea for a commercial. I've always wanted to do this. I wanted to have a commercial where everybody who threw anything into the street from their hand, it immediately came up and stuck to their head. So at the end of the commercial, you would have people walking around with candy wrappers stuck to them and even maybe a guy with maybe a couch that he dumped under 95 kind of strapped to his back. And everything that actually left your hands wound up stuck to your body in some way. 1242 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings Commercials like that would maybe even be a little comical but would get peoples attention as to what it is they're doing in their neighborhoods. And not only that, but what it's costing us to clean up that mess on an annual basis. I really would like to work with you and try to find some outside money outside the City Government to try to maybe institutionalize that kind of program because I think education and public awareness could go a long way in helping us keep our streets clean. COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: I think I know that we've received some conceptual proposals from some groups that would incorporate bringing in high-profile celebrities and creating kind of an ongoing campaign. Our biggest barrier right now is finding the funding. So I would really look forward to working with you.
One of the things that I would suggest is that because this message is probably only going to the region similarly to what we did with "Philadelphia loves you back, the City that loves you back" -- and we're doing that 1243 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings nationally all over the country -- cable television in Philadelphia is relatively reasonable when it comes to advertising rates. And it is widely watched in Philadelphia. I know when I've done by own campaigns, no one can afford really to do -- unless you're running for mayor or governor -- afford to do network television. But cable TV seems to be very effective, especially as it relates to programming that's done on children's networks, Disney and the Cartoon Network. Those kinds of things are really ways to get kids in their houses while they're sitting in front of the TV. So anything you have that you would need me or want to work with me to try to find some dollars and to try to coordinate that program, I would be happy to do so. COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: Thank you.
Thank you. Councilman Rizzo, did you want to be recognized?
Thank you, Madam 1244 2/20/01 Capital Budget Hearings Chair.
The commissioner has been testifying now for four hours. I think he deserves a little break, so if you could be brief, I think he'd appreciate it. 1245 2/20/01 OPERATING BUDGET
We've been told that we can't use rumble strips for traffic problem measures to slow traffic down. In the suburbs in New Jersey and other states, Atlantic City, they use those rumble strips to slow you down. Are we being told that rumble strips or those devices, whatever you'd like to call them -- I'm not suggesting that a high-back device is needed. Could somebody reinvestigate the law to see if they are permissible for use on our city streets? Because I'm thinking that I'm hearing like a wive's tale on that particular issue. They seem to be very effective in areas that I've driven. If there's a sharp curve, they put maybe five or six rows of these very, very -- they appear to be half an inch high, but they certainly bring your attention quickly, and I don't need to go into it too long. I think everybody here knows exactly what I'm talking about. They've experienced it. But we've been told here we can't use these on our streets because it's not legal. So maybe we need a fresh look at that to see if something has changed, because they're all over the 1246 2/20/01 OPERATING BUDGET place.
Yes, Councilman, we'll look into that and get a report submitted within 30 days or so.
That was a good one. That was very good. Thank you. Are there any other questions for members of the committee? (No response.)
Thank you for your patience. Public Property will testify next. Good afternoon, Commissioner.
We all have copies of your testimony. A copy of your testimony will be given to the stenographer, will be transcribed in full. I would ask you to please 1247 2/20/01 OPERATING BUDGET summarize your testimony.
-- and members of Council. My name is Andres Perez, A-N-D-R-E-S, P-E-R-E-Z, commissioner of the Department of Public Property, and it's a pleasure again to appear before Council in support of Public Property's budget request for fiscal year 2002. Accompanying me today are Joe James, deputy commissioner for communications; John Herzins, deputy commissioner for administration; Joan Schlotterbeck, facilities management director; and George Hee, fiscal officer; Chris Zearfoss, director of transit operations and planning. I will very briefly outline the department's budget requirements for the fourth coming year. And in the most summary fashion that I can think of, the overall budget represents virtually no change from the prior year, except where those changes have come about from contract-related expenses, personnel salary 1248 2/20/01 OPERATING BUDGET adjustments and so on. The package of services that we deliver, the stabilization of the lease expenses have afforded us the luxury of concentrating our effort on holding the line over existing expenses. Our Class 100 request is a decrease of $332,918. Our Class 200 is also a decrease of approximately $600,000. Our Class 300 is a no-change situation, and Class 400 is no change from our current projection for our year end expenses. Class 800, which is other funds, water and aviation, does represent a million dollar increase. I had mentioned that our space utilization program really continues into effect year after year. We're looking at some shifting of spaces between departments and agencies this year and the beginning of next year. There are no really new initiatives there, other than pursuing the relocation of the special victims unit for the police department, and that is budgeted within our Class 200. The committee, which monitors the city-wide use, reuse of space, continues into effect every two weeks, and, again, we use this method to 1249 2/20/01 OPERATING BUDGET evaluate, analyze and control other departments' perceived needs for space and expansion. Our major project, of course, continues currently on schedule. That's the 800 megahertz program. We should be seeing distribution of equipment in the next couple of months beginning with, I believe, the Water Department. Facilities maintenance, again, it's primarily the contract that services in our high-rise buildings, as well as a number of maintenance support activities with smaller buildings scattered throughout the city under a number of other departments. We expect to pick up some responsibilities as some other facilities come on line, and as they come on line, we would, of course, adjust our contracting services to support those. And, again, we've made some projections in our budget to cover what those expenses could be. The department has been working with other departments on this complicated right-of-way issue, which a number of Council people have discussed in other departmental testimony. We're just another department in that collection working with law. We anticipate, as Managing Director Martz 1250 2/20/01 OPERATING BUDGET had promised, to be providing Council with an ordinance addressing right-of-way issues in the spring. We have, again, continued our 9-1-1 support activities, not just the special efforts associated with the 800 megahertz changeover, but more normal equipment changeovers have occurred, all of which are expected to eventually converge with the full implementation of the 800 megahertz system in the near future and particularly during the next fiscal year. Special events, our other major area of activity, we anticipate that we will be expected to support roughly the same number of events. During this past year, we had some unusual millennium-related activity, City Hall celebration activity. We're looking to realize our cost control in the area of man-hours used within the various responsibility areas of the department.
The bulk of our overtime does go to special events, and so we'll be looking at very close management of special event support to keep within our targeted budget lines. And on that note, again, as is usually the case, transit operations and planning is incorporated into 1251 2/20/01 OPERATING BUDGET my testimony, but Mr. Zearfoss is available for any questions related to those issues.
Commissioner, who is on the committee for the space allocation?
There's a managing director's representative, deputy finance director and staff, several Public Property, myself, plus capital program office planning personnel. That is the standing committee. As projects require other involvement by other departments or additional personnel from within our departments, the committee temporarily grows and shrinks, depending on how complicated.
It is rumored that many of the judges who are presently housed at Lord & Taylor will be moving back to City Hall. Is that true?
There is a plan. The first judicial district does have a plan to relocate some or all, I believe, of the Lord & Taylor space back into City Hall spaces. We are collaborating with them, as well as the capital program office facility 1252 2/20/01 OPERATING BUDGET planning group, to the extent that they need our help, to make rooms available, engage in the renovation. They anticipate doing it virtually by themselves. The details would have to be provided by the district.
I'm very sorry. Can I ask one related question on that particular issue?
Thank you. Commissioner, has there been any discussion with the Wanamaker Building management with regard to this proposal or this plan, and what is the timetable?
It is not a Public Property lease, so from my perspective, I've had no 19 discussions. It is a first judicial district lease through the state office that supports their operation, and I presume that they have had appropriate discussions with the building owner.
I'm not so sure about that. That's why I asked the question. What's your sense of the timetable? 1253 2/20/01 OPERATING BUDGET
Originally I believe they wanted to serve notice and be out in the current cycle. I don't recall what the dates of their annual renewal cycle is. They weren't able to do that, and they're in there for about another year. I don't know what the term date for that year is. I thought it was spring. So if they missed this spring's opportunity, let me presume that it will be by next spring.
Thank you. Commissioner, in your testimony, you indicate that there are opportunities for space rental savings in the future. What are the options you are looking at, and can you talk about Atwater Kent Museum, who owns the present museum, and why would we be relocating them?
In your 1254 2/20/01 OPERATING BUDGET testimony, you mentioned the Atwater Kent Museum.
The museum itself is a city-owned space. We also have leased spaces for storage of Atwater Kent artifacts.
We have some storage space that we lease for Atwater Kent, which is privately owned space. The building itself is a city-owned facility.
Well, what are the opportunities for space rental savings that you're referring to?
We have a number of leases which had been not part of the original space consolidation or occurred early enough that we are now, as we near ten years of this effort, we're getting to those option renewals where we need to take a look at what would the cost be of relocating somewhere else versus staying in the same place at a higher -- at a program rate increase. In addition, there's also been either shrinkage or growth in the agencies that we may have put in, and there's been more growth than shrinkage. 1255 2/20/01 OPERATING BUDGET Case in point, the DA, we had to acquire additional space in an adjacent building to expand DA's space. Those types of leases are coming to term for notice or renewal or an extension at various dates during the next several years, and the time to plan for those things is this early, two to three years in advance of the date rolling over on us, because of the enormous cost implications.
Why is the master maintenance agreement for 3033 South 63rd Street increasing by over a million dollars, and can you tell us, why is the maintenance agreement at this location so expensive?
Good afternoon. I'm Joan Schlotterbeck, facilities director for the Department of Public Property. Madam President, I'm not familiar with what you're speaking about. We do not have a contract currently.
I believe it's 1256 2/20/01 OPERATING BUDGET on -33 in the budget.
The intent when we occupy the facility will be to do the general maintenance with city employees and to do the custodial work with the contract.
For a million dollars more? It's increasing by over a million dollars. And there was such hurry to get, I guess, blate management into that location over a year ago, and I understand no one is occupying that ground as we speak.
We do not have a contract currently, so it must be an error.