Councilmember Stated Meeting 57 03/14/2024 3/14/24 - STATED - 2ND READING Jones.
Councilmember Stated Meeting 58 03/14/2024 3/14/24 - STATED - 2ND READING Young.
Aye. The ayes are 16; the nays are zero. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. Will the Clerk please read the title of Resolution No. 240029.
240089, an ordinance amending Title 12 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Traffic Code," by providing for prohibitions relating to license plate flipping devices, and for penalties and enforcement, all under certain terms and conditions.
Chief Clerk, just for the record, I have Resolution No. 240029.
It's 089, Council Stated Meeting 59 03/14/2024 3/14/24 - STATED - 2ND READING President.
For the record. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson for a motion on resolution regarding No. 240089.
Thank you, Council President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that Resolution No. 240089 be adopted. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
Those opposed? (No response.) Stated Meeting 60 03/14/2024 3/14/24 - STATED - 2ND READING
The ayes have it, and the motion carries. The resolution is adopted. The Clerk will please read the title of Resolution No. 240038.
Just one second, Council President. I think we got a little bit out of order on the Calendar. (Brief pause.)
So how is everybody doing today? Good to see everyone.
Welcome to how we make the sausage. (Brief pause.)
Clerk, will you please read the title again of Bill No. 240089.
An ordinance amending Title 12 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Traffic Code," by providing for prohibitions relating to Stated Meeting 61 03/14/2024 3/14/24 - STATED - 2ND READING license plate flipping devices, and for penalties and enforcement, all under certain terms and conditions.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Driscoll for a motion.
Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you for so much attention to my amendment. I would like to offer an amendment to Bill No. 240089. A copy of the amendment has been circulated to all members of Council. I move for the adoption of the amendment. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the amendment to Bill No. 240089 be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
Those opposed? Stated Meeting 62 03/14/2024 3/14/24 - STATED - 2ND READING (No response.)
The ayes have it, and the bill has been amended. This bill will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar at our next session of Council. Will the Clerk please read the title of Bill No. 240013.
An ordinance amending Chapter 9-600 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Service and Other Businesses", by adding a new section regulating the hours of operation of certain establishments and providing for penalties within an area bounded by East Lehigh Avenue, Kensington Avenue, D Street, East Tioga Street and Frankford Avenue, all under certain terms and conditions.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Lozada for a motion.
Thank you, Council President. I would like to Stated Meeting 63 03/14/2024 3/14/24 - STATED - 2ND READING offer an amendment to Bill No. 240013. A copy of the amendment has been circulated to all members of Council. I move for the adoption of the amendment. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the amendment to Bill No. 240013 be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and the bill has been amended. This bill will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for our next session of Council. Now the Clerk will please read the title of Resolution No. 240038.
A resolution confirming the appointment of Renee Stated Meeting 64 03/14/2024 3/14/24 - STATED - 2ND READING Garcia, Esquire, as City Solicitor.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson for a motion on Resolution 240038.
Thank you, Council President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the Resolution No. 240038 be adopted. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and the motion carries. The resolution is adopted. (Applause.) Stated Meeting 65 03/14/2024 3/14/24 - STATED - 2ND READING
Congratulations. The Clerk will please read the title of Resolution No. 240075.
A resolution appointing Paul Levy to the Board of Directors of the Center City District.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Gilmore Richardson for a motion regarding Resolution No. 240075.
Thank you, Council President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that Resolution No. 240075 be adopted. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
Those opposed? (No response.) Stated Meeting 66 03/14/2024 3/14/24 - STATED - 2ND READING
The ayes have it, and the resolution is adopted. The Clerk will please read the title of Resolution No. 240078.
A resolution appointing Louis Tice to the Board of Directors for the Old City Special Services District.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson for a motion regarding Resolution No. 240078.
Thank you, Council President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that Resolution No. 240078 be adopted. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
Stated Meeting 67 03/14/2024 3/14/24 - STATED - 2ND READING Those opposed? (No response.)
The ayes have it, and the motion carries. The resolution is adopted. The Clerk will please read the title of Resolution No. 240079.
A resolution appointing Elizabeth Woods to the Board of Directors for the Old City Special Services District.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Gilmore Richardson for a motion regarding Resolution No. 240079.
Thank you, Council President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that Resolution No. 240079 be adopted. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. Stated Meeting 68 03/14/2024 3/14/24 - STATED - 2ND READING (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and the motion carries. The resolution is adopted. Will the Clerk please read the title of Resolution No. 240029.
A resolution confirming the appointment of Adam N. Geer as the Chief Public Safety Director.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson for a motion regarding Resolution No. 240029.
Thank you, Council President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that Resolution No. 240029 be adopted. All those in favor will signify Stated Meeting 69 03/14/2024 3/14/24 - STATED - 2ND READING by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, the motion carries, and the resolution is adopted. Congratulations, Adam. (Applause.)
Will the Clerk please read any other additional resolutions on today's Final Passage Calendar.
A privileged resolution authorizing the Committee on Public Health and Human Services to conduct hearings concerning the rapidly evolving and worsening crisis of overdose deaths and their impact on neighborhoods, particularly in Black communities across Philadelphia, introduced by Councilmember Stated Meeting 70 03/14/2024 3/14/24 - STATED - 2ND READING Brooks.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Brooks 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.)
The ayes have it, and the resolution is adopted.
A resolution authorizing the Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development and the Homeless to conduct hearings to examine ways to Stated Meeting 71 03/14/2024 3/14/24 - STATED - 2ND READING better connect low-income homeowners to the tax relief programs they are entitled to, including by door-to-door outreach and automatic enrollment, introduced by Councilmember Brooks.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Brooks 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.)
The ayes have it, and the resolution is adopted. Stated Meeting 72 03/14/2024 3/14/24 - STATED - 2ND READING
And a resolution recognizing and congratulating Da'Vine Joy Randolph, a proud Philadelphia native, for her Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and for her exceptional journey and contributions to the fine visual and performing arts, introduced by Councilmember Nicholas O'Rourke.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember O'Rourke for a motion on the resolution.
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? Stated Meeting 73 03/14/2024 (No response.)
The ayes have it, and the resolution is adopted.
I'd also like to be recorded on any bills or resolutions I may have missed as aye.
Thank you. Are there any other resolutions on the Final Passage Calendar?
There are no more resolutions on the Calendar, Mr. President.
That completes our Calendar for today. The time has come for us to consider the Mayor's presentation of her annual budget address. The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter states that the Mayor shall submit to Council, no later than 90 days before the end of the fiscal year, her Operating Budget message and Proposed Stated Meeting 74 03/14/2024 ordinance for the ensuing fiscal year. At the same time, the Mayor shall submit to Council the Recommended Capital Program and Capital Budget as received from the City Planning Commission, to the extent approved by the Mayor. I now appoint the following committee to escort the Mayor into the Council Chambers: Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson, Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, Councilmember Cindy Bass, and Councilmember Squilla. Will the Sergeant-At-Arms escort the Mayor to our Chambers. (Brief pause.)
Council President, the Mayor has arrived. (Standing ovation.)
Stated Meeting 75 03/14/2024 gentlemen, I am pleased and proud to introduce the 100th Mayor, first woman Mayor of this great City of Philadelphia -(Applause.)
To my friend, Council President Kenyatta Johnson, to Council's leadership team, Majority Leader Gilmore Richardson, Majority Whip Thomas, Deputy Majority Whip Bass, Minority Leader Brooks, Minority Whip O'Rourke, and to every member of City Council, to members of the Philadelphia Delegation, our faith-based leaders, men and women of organized labor, community Stated Meeting 76 03/14/2024 leaders, the business and philanthropic community, and members of my cabinet and our City workers, to everyone who is watching online, listening on WURD or tuning in on TV, let me start by saying good morning. (Good morning.)
This Council Chamber is where my journey to public service began. Only Councilmember O'Neill might remember when I was 17 years old, I stood right there and gave a Black History Month speech.
I was joined by elementary school winner Liberty Carpenter and middle school winner, listen, and now Grammy and Tony Award Stated Meeting 77 03/14/2024 winner, he's an actress and a singer, Leslie Odom, Jr. All of us stood right here. (Applause.)
Listen, listen, I remember being so nervous then and, look, I've got the same butterflies right now that I had when I was 17 years old. Then to come back in this Chamber to work here as an intern for my boss lady, my mentor, Marian Tasco. Awestruck by sheroes, I saw them live and in living color, Gussie Clark, Anne Verna, Joan Krajewski, Jannie Blackwell, humbled by the responsibility of public service. Then ten years in Harrisburg after being bullied by Dwight Evans serving in the State House, I eventually was elected to City Council and spent seven years in this Chamber. Every day mattered, then and now. Stated Meeting 78 03/14/2024 proud and honored to be with you all today, having submitted my Fiscal Year 2025 Budget, Five Year Plan, and Capital Budget and Program to the City Council of Philadelphia for consideration. This is my first budget proposal as your Mayor, and it's big and it's bold. I'm calling it the One Philly Budget, and it funds the promise that I made to the people of our city that if we all work together, we could make Philadelphia a safer, cleaner, greener city, with access to economic opportunity for all. (Applause.)
Now, before we dive into the budget details, I'd like to talk for a minute about the state of the City's fiscal health. I am proud to report that the state of the City's fiscal health is Stated Meeting 79 03/14/2024 No; really, it's good. We're making contributions to the Budget Stabilization Reserve fund. Thank you, Councilmember Gilmore Richardson, for your exceptional leadership on this issue. We're continuing the excellent trajectory of the City's pension fund, which just reached a 62 percent funding level, the highest level in decades. Even better -(Applause.)
Even better, it's due to hit 80 percent in FY29 and 100 percent by FY33. And in FY30, our debt service should go down by $200 million. So what does that mean? That means that our actions over the coming years will free up over a half a billion dollars annually for future budgets. Stated Meeting 80 03/14/2024 (Applause.)
Now, just imagine what a half a billion dollars could do. Additionally, there are some positive but lean projected fund balances in the out years of my Plan, and I won't shy away from that. It's true, lower growth than projected for wage and real estate transfer taxes, a drop of about $300 million. Spending the remaining American Rescue Plan Act stimulus funds this year, and we can't forget that in the 1990s, the City had to make a tough decision. This is what it did: It borrowed $1.3 billion to shore up our pension fund. We're still paying for it today. From now through FY29, we'll pay $1 billion in debt service, including an $80 million payment that's due in '29. Now, in facing those Stated Meeting 81 03/14/2024 challenges, I need everyone - our rating agencies, our intergovernmental partners, PICA, the Controller - to know how seriously I take our city's fiscal stability. I'll make sure my Administration is a responsible steward of the City's finances. Now that we were able to get through that state of affairs, let's get to the exciting stuff in this budget. I'm going to say this next part. I want to say it out loud, and I want you to know I'm extremely proud. My budget has no new taxes. No new taxes on the people of Philadelphia. (Applause.)
What this One Philly Budget does is invest $2 billion over five years in new operating and capital dollars focusing on five pillars - public safety, clean and green, economic opportunity, housing, and Stated Meeting 82 03/14/2024 you can see, Mr. President, I've been listening. It's not just about the new money though that excites me. It's about the new approaches to how we are going to deliver City services. That's what I'm really excited about. For those of you who know me, you know that James Baldwin, one of my favorite public thinkers and writers during the Civil Rights Movement, he was often quoted as stating, "I can't believe what you say because I see what you do." "I can't believe what you say because I see what you do." The people of Philadelphia are tired of politicians getting elected and making good speeches. They want to see their tax dollars at work in their neighborhoods. (Applause.) Stated Meeting 83 03/14/2024
They want to see us do things differently. So let me tell you what we're doing in this budget. We're laser focused and unapologetic about improving public safety. For the people of Kensington, the Parker Administration hears you. I say help is on the way. Yes. (Applause.)
We've created a new Office of Clean and Green Initiatives to tackle quality-of-life issues in an effort for us to banish the phrase "Filthadelphia" once and for all. Let's get rid of it. No more Filthadelphia. (Applause.)
We're taking the PHL Taking Care of Business program, the neighborhood cleaning program, we're Stated Meeting 84 03/14/2024 to the next level, making it bigger and better. We're investing in workforce development and upskilling City workers for more opportunities. We'll work hand in glove with our unions and employers on job creation and building a pipeline to municipal jobs. (Applause.)
Through our Business Roundtable, we'll lock arms with the private sector to make Philadelphia more economically competitive. And for those of you who know me, you know this is important. We'll make homeownership a priority and home preservation too. (Applause.)
Working with the Stated Meeting 85 03/14/2024 District, we'll invest in full-day and year-round schooling, modernize our school buildings, and fund career and technical education to prepare students for the workforce now. (Applause.)
It's important for me to let everyone know that this budget comes from the ground up. It reflects the voices of the people. So let me share more details about my One Philly Budget. On my first day as Mayor, you all know I signed an Executive Order declaring a public safety emergency to get every available resource into neighborhoods struggling with gun violence, drug dealing, and addiction. Our Police Commissioner, Kevin Bethel, the best Police Commissioner in the country -- Stated Meeting 86 03/14/2024 (Applause.)
-- he is developing a comprehensive plan to reduce and prevent gun violence and make our neighborhoods safe again. I feel a sense of urgency right now, and I know all of you feel it too. The shootings last week, over four days, all on or near SEPTA buses, left our City shaken. A student and two adults killed, 12 people injured, including 11 high school students and a 71-year old woman. Enough is enough is enough. (Applause.)
Last Wednesday, I stood on Rising Sun Avenue at Five Points, surrounded by spent shell casings and yellow police evidence markers, trying to make sense of the senseless shooting of eight young people standing Stated Meeting 87 03/14/2024 bus stop. This came two days after another shooting near a bus stop in Northwest Philadelphia that left three students from Imhotep shot and two other women wounded. One student died from his wounds. He was 17. He was packed with potential and pregnant with possibility. And now he's gone, all too soon. I met with his parents, his village, his family. I want y'all to know I hear y'all. The events of last week, they underscore that urgency that I feel to restore a sense of order and public safety to our city. I want to thank -- and I want to do this publicly because I want to know -- I want them to know that I'm not ashamed to thank them publicly -- every law enforcement partner working with us to make Philadelphia safer - the FBI, the Stated Meeting 88 03/14/2024 Marshals, the ATF, the DEA, the Secret Service, the District Attorney's Office, SEPTA, the Sheriff, everyone working collaboratively with our Police Department to make our City safe again. We can't do it alone. We need everybody. (Applause.)
Here's what's in my One Philly Budget to address gun violence in Philadelphia: We'll make a $33 million appropriation in new investments in public safety, including capital spending. I want you to measure this. Our overall new public safety investments top $600 million during the Plan. Listen, don't simply listen to what I say, watch what we do. This budget includes hiring at least 400 new officers every year. We'll increase the number and the frequency of recruiting classes and leverage a cadet Stated Meeting 89 03/14/2024 a pipeline. Now, listen, I want you to take a moment with me to welcome two new recruits from the current class at the Police Academy. They are Maria Do and Tyreek Cooper. Recruit Officers Do and Cooper, please stand up. Give them a huge round of applause. (Applause.)
My One Philly Budget, it supports deploying more officers in the field, walking the beat, riding the bike, getting to know the people that they are sworn to protect and serve, the core of our Community Policing model. Now, when I served in the Pennsylvania House with State Rep Harris, our Appropriations Chair, we in my district had a pair of officers who Stated Meeting 90 03/14/2024 beat in my district. Those officers were Officers Moody and Merchant. This is what they did: They signed a logbook in stores up and down Wadsworth Avenue. They knew every store owner, every rec leader, every librarian, every youth sports leader. They were a part of our community. When they weren't around, we called them M&M. I can say this to you, and I want to be honest, I was a little jealous, because when they were on the ground doing all of that community-based work, I was the State Rep. They were only the community policing officers, but they got invited to more block parties, baby showers, and graduations than I did. I was the State Rep. I needed the votes. They didn't need the votes. I did. But I hope they're here. The community trusted Officers Moody and Merchant. They were woven into the fabric of our neighborhoods. They were there as guardians and not warriors. Stated Meeting 91 03/14/2024 Moody, if you're here today, please stand. (Applause.)
Listen, people, community policing works, and it's in this budget, which funds over 100 officers doing community policing. Our approach to crime is also centered on people, and my budget makes sure that the brave men and women in uniform working to protect and serve us, that they have the resources they need to do their work. My budget funds 150 new radio patrol cars, 75 new unmarked cars, cell phone and video software, drones, and upgrades to investigative equipment. We're also working to ensure that the 13 parks and rec sites without cameras get them and to improve the monitoring of the more than 1,600 cameras that are already in place. Stated Meeting 92 03/14/2024 had the cameras there and no one is monitoring them, it really doesn't help the City. In addition to that, I want you to know this: While we all know that we live in a highly technical 21st century society, our police detectives have been trying to solve crimes using dinosaur equipment. No more. No more. No more. No more. (Applause.)
We're making a $45 million capital investment in a new, modern 21st century Forensics Lab right here in our City of Philadelphia. (Applause.)
I'll also ensure that we enforce the law regarding property crimes and quality-of-life issues. How? Illegal use of ATVs, car Stated Meeting 93 03/14/2024 meetups, nuisance crimes, and retail theft, they may not matter to some people, but I can tell you they matter to all of the residents and the people I've communicated to and with, and they matter to me. Going in a store and stealing $499 worth of merchandise and not expecting that there will be any consequences, it's not okay anymore. We will enforce the law right here in the City of Philadelphia. (Applause.)
Now, as I talk about public safety, I want to thank Council President Kenyatta Johnson for the work he does every day to reduce gun violence. Long before he was elected to public office, he founded the community-based organization Peace, Not Guns. The reason why I respect, Stated Meeting 94 03/14/2024 respect, his role and space in the anti-violence effort is because when he founded that organization, it was born out of his lived life experience and his personal loss. Well, Mr. President, I'm proud that my budget funds new services and resources for victims of violent crime, including additional victim advocates and anti-violence investments with $24 million for grants to community-based organizations. With this in mind, I want to acknowledge the tremendous work being done day in and day out by community groups like -- and if you are here when I call your name, I want you to stand and I want you to remain standing until I finish calling these names -- Unity in the Community, Anton Moore; Every Murder is -(Applause.) Stated Meeting 95 03/14/2024
The Father's Day Rally Committee, Bilal Qayyum. (Applause.)
NOMO, Ricky Duncan. (Applause.) Stated Meeting 96 03/14/2024
The Black Male Community Council, Stanley Crawford. (Applause.)
And every organization working each day to lessen the pain and the trauma caused by gun violence. Give them another round of applause. They deserve it. (Standing ovation.)
Now, you all know that I fully support our Police Department. I've been unapologetic about making it plain. But I want to be clear Stated Meeting 97 03/14/2024 will also have zero tolerance for any misuse or abuse of authority by law enforcement, period. Not complex. (Applause.)
That's why we're supporting the Citizens Police Oversight Commission with a $3 million investment this year. Given his leadership on public safety, including his Blueprint for a Safer Philadelphia 2.0, I know that Councilmember Curtis Jones, Jr. will be proud of this investment. Councilmember Jones, thank you so very much for your work in this space. Thank you. (Applause.)
We also know that we cannot police our way out of some of these problems we face. So we need Stated Meeting 98 03/14/2024 and restorative justice programs that provide options and opportunities. We also need a one-stop shop for returning citizens to connect to the services and supports from the federal, state, and local government. For young people, we need trauma-informed care and therapy. (Applause.)
Listen, I recently learned the School District of Philadelphia offers virtual therapy free of charge right now through an app called Kooth. I want to thank the dynamic students at Northeast High School for sharing that with me. It's innovative. It's an innovative way of thinking, and I think that we should build on that. Now I want you to just take it a step further. If the School District is offering those kind of supports for Stated Meeting 99 03/14/2024 for any student who is interested, imagine if our children could talk to a therapist in our rec centers and in our libraries. (Applause.)
We need conflict resolution and Evening Resource Centers for our young people now, but we also need something that many of you already know is extremely important to me and near and dear to my heart. We need youth sports and athletic associations. (Applause.)
I am a proud blue-and-white-wearing Oak Lane Wildcat. I am. Y'all can hold it. Blue and white Oak Lane Wildcat. So I know firsthand that youth sports, they aren't just about wins and losses. They're about giving children hope. Stated Meeting 100 03/14/2024 you want to see me go from zero to a thousand in a minute, see how frustrating it is for me when I see our children standing in the middle of the street with their helmets in their hands out trying to raise funding to do exactly what it is that we should be creating opportunities for them to do and, that is, to be engaged in our little leagues. (Applause.)
They shouldn't have to stand on the streets with their helmets in their hands, their drums. We should be supporting them. (Standing ovation.)
That's why in my One Philly Budget we're supporting youth sports and athletic organizations with $3.2 million for the first time. It's Stated Meeting 101 03/14/2024 (Applause.)
We also face enormous public safety and public health challenges in different areas across our City, but especially right now in Kensington. The current status quo where addiction and despair are normal is unacceptable. What we need right now, Philadelphia, and this is my opinion, we need the will to make the tough decisions necessary to change the status quo. In our efforts to do so, I have the voices and the hopes of the people who live and work in Kensington on my mind as we fund and implement what I'm referring to as our Kensington Community Restoration Plan. With this in mind, I want to commend the Kensington Caucus Councilmembers Quetcy Lozada, Mark Stated Meeting 102 03/14/2024 Squilla, Mike Driscoll, and Jim Harrity as they fight to renew quality of life and public safety for the community. I personally want to say to each of you, I've been running, but don't y'all think I'm not paying attention to what's happening. I know this hasn't been easy for you. It's tough. But I want you to know that I've got your back, I'm here. I also -(Applause.)
Yes. We're partners in this effort. You are not alone. I also want to recognize, with the Kensington Caucus in mind, I want to recognize and thank the advocates on the ground who have been working to make Kensington better, people like Casey O'Connell from Impact Services, Dr. Bill McKinney from New Kensington CDC, and Stated Meeting 103 03/14/2024 of Rock Ministries. If you're out there listening somewhere, I hear you. So let me be clear. For the long-term residents and everyone who has weathered this humanitarian crisis, know that I want to make Kensington a neighborhood of choice and a beacon of pride again. Why? Because of people like Dionicio Jiminez and Maria Saez, who own Cantina La Martina. It's a James Beard-nominated Mexican restaurant on Kensington Avenue. It's their resilience that we're fighting for in Kensington. Dionicio and Maria, are you here? Are you in the Chambers anywhere? Please stand. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. (Applause.)
You all have Stated Meeting 104 03/14/2024 say it before, prevention, intervention, and enforcement, the PIE, it is critical to everything we're doing in Kensington and across Philadelphia to enhance public safety and community. Our Managing Director -- and I'm so super proud he said yes and joined us -- Adam Thiel, he's examining every option for providing long-term care, treatment, and housing for those suffering from addiction, homelessness, and mental health challenges. And Managing Director Thiel is backed up by over $100 million in new investment as he seeks, listen, to bring these groups together. (Applause.)
Last week he convened a meeting of major health systems and insurance companies, listen, who got together, Councilmember Jones, not as expert articulators of problems, Stated Meeting 105 03/14/2024 come up with solutions addressing the needs of our most vulnerable communities. I was shocked to hear many of those mainstream providers say they had never been convened by the Mayor before and asked to help to come up with solutions so we're trying to figure out what ask we send to our Pennsylvania General Assembly, with tweaks and adjustments to what we need as it relates to insurance to cover these people. We know what to ask for, not because legislators had tried to become insurance experts, but because the people who are in the industry doing the work, they've told us this is what we need from local, state, and federal government. And that's how government is supposed to work. (Applause.)
Now, Kensington Stated Meeting 106 03/14/2024 Caucus, you all know I've been doing my best to try to be a diplomat when people have been talking about what my perspective is and even what your perspective is as it relates to Kensington. I want to make it clear and plain so that anybody that you hear after this day say that this Administration lacks compassion for those who are suffering from substance use disorder and addiction, I want you to be able to tell them they're not speaking the truth. This Administration, the Parker Administration, it supports an array of public health strategies, from dispensing naloxone and Narcan and fentanyl testing strips to administering care, providing access to treatment and counseling, and other services. Because you have heard me say out loud, and I don't apologize or run from it, while I'm the Mayor, I will fight tooth and nail to ensure that not one City dollar is invested in the Stated Meeting 107 03/14/2024 clean needles. Now, listen, Cherelle, are you saying that harm reduction doesn't matter? It hasn't helped us? It was trailblazing when we first did it. I still think it's an important part of the harm reduction strategies, but we can't afford here in the City of Philadelphia to appropriate our very scarce resources to do it. So if we're working in a collective manner, using local, state, and federal government, the private sector, and the philanthropic community, don't tell me, don't tell the Kensington Caucus what we support or what we don't. We just said the City is not going to pay for it. (Applause.)
For those of you who know me, I'm not going to allow this Administration or people who I work with, Stated Meeting 108 03/14/2024 my allies when we're working on different issues, I'm not going to allow anyone to put us in a box trying to suggest that we do not care. We care deeply about every person in addiction. And for those who think that they care more, once you've loved and lost someone close to you -- I'm not talking about the second or the third or the fourth or the fifth cousin removed. When it touches your immediate family, like it did with me, you know that people, places, and things are what impact people in addiction. Focusing on their long-term care, housing, and access to economic opportunity to put them on the path to self-sufficiency, that is what helps people out of addiction. So whenever you think you're going to change the narrative, be prepared for me to stand publicly on business, and I'm ready to debate anybody who wants to have the conversation. Okay? Stated Meeting 109 03/14/2024 (Applause.)
Safer, cleaner, greener and, as Councilmember Nina Ahmad will remind us, healthier, that's what my One Philly Budget supports. If public safety is priority number one for Philadelphians, guess what? Quality-of-life issues is number 1A. When residents see overflowing trash cans, short dumping sites that pile back up only days after being cleared, cars forgotten and abandoned, then it's easy for you to understand why some folks don't believe that their neighborhoods will ever be clean and green again. We're not getting the basics right, Philadelphia. The Parker Administration and this One Philly Budget right now says no more excuses. And believe me when I say it, then I want you to watch us do it. We are going to make Stated Meeting 110 03/14/2024 cleanest and the greenest big city in America. (Applause.)
Congressman Evans, I hear you sometimes late at night saying if you change the environment, you'll change the behavior. That's what we're trying to do. The single largest new operating investment in my budget is for clean and green, with more than $36 million in new funds in FY25 and, listen, over $246 million during the Plan. How? We're using an all-hands-on-deck approach, led by an empowered and experienced captain, Carlton Williams, the Director of our new Office of Clean and Green Initiatives. (Applause.) Stated Meeting 111 03/14/2024
Councilmember Jeff Young and neighborhood leader Bonita Cummings, they saw this in action last month along Strawberry Mansion's 29th Street corridor. Listen to what we had. We had team members from Streets, from Sanitation, from L&I, from Commerce, Tom Conway's CLIP team, and a liaison in the Philadelphia Parking Authority, everybody together. Guess what we did? We were responding to litter, illegal dumping, the vacant lots and buildings that needed to be cleaned and sealed, and we viewed the amount of abandoned cars there. Right now through this One Philly Budget and with the Parking Authority on our side, we're going to tow more than 10,000 abandoned cars in the coming year. (Standing ovation.)
And for vacant Stated Meeting 112 03/14/2024 buildings, we're going to clean and seal more than 900 this coming year. Bridget and Basil, you got your work cut out for you. Now, District Councilmembers, and I really do mean this, so you know how you're getting excited and like you can't wait to say something or can't wait to open up your gifts on Christmas Eve, you can't wait to wake up in the morning, this is what I couldn't wait to tell you all about. I want you to be as excited as I am to hear that we're investing roughly $18 million in a new residential cleaning program, dedicating cleaning crews for each councilmanic district. (Standing ovation.)
I can't -listen, y'all. Listen, y'all. Y'all know I'm a movie buff. I can't remember the movie, but one of my guys says in one Stated Meeting 113 03/14/2024 movies, he's talking to the jury and he says, close your eyes for a minute. So when I'm preparing for this, I said, District Councilmembers, close your eyes for a minute and imagine with me a constituent calls about trash on the street, something dumped near a school, an abandoned car that's under the bridge, and you immediately kick back into old gear. You call Sanitation, you call CLIP, you call Neighborhood Services Unit. Not anymore. That siloed approach is over. My budget funds a team, listen, with equipment, trash trucks, and a team leader for each Council district. (Standing ovation.)
State Senator Shirley Kitchen saying, yes, Cherelle. Now, listen, the crews are going to work in concert with PHL Taking Stated Meeting 114 03/14/2024 Business, the neighborhood commercial corridor cleaning program that I feel like the proud parent of, and right now my baby is taking big steps. We're expanding to additional commercial corridors and investing nearly 8 million to extend to nearby residential streets. It won't just be the cleaning of commercial corridors. It will be on residential streets. (Applause.)
So this means we'll reach nearly 140 total corridors across the City and hire about 150 more cleaning ambassadors. (Applause.)
Now, full disclosure, I can't tell you that it was the greatest innovation in the world coming from me. I actually stole the Stated Meeting 115 03/14/2024 modeled after what the Center City District does downtown every day. And so my thinking when I was sitting on the fifth floor in my City Hall office looking out the window watching those cleaning ambassadors right here downtown in Center City, I thought in my mind, our neighborhoods deserve the same level of care and cleanliness. Don't you all agree? (Applause.)
My Senator, my Senator Hughes, don't you agree? We want 52nd Street. Don't you agree? Listen, and to help get the work done, and you all know I'm a little bias when it comes to this group of people, we're going to have to hire 100 new sanitation workers and buy more than 60 trash compactors. Stated Meeting 116 03/14/2024 (Applause.)
We're also going to collaborate with our faith-based partners, our community development corporations, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, which will continue its terrific work cleaning green spaces and providing pathways to opportunity through same-day pay. Give that a round of applause, same-day pay. (Applause.)
It's important as we do this work that we also use new evaluation tools. I think people think the City of Philadelphia is afraid of measuring whether or not what it's doing is good or bad. I want people to see it and feel it, yes, but measure and use data to keep improving it too. For years, for years, Stated Meeting 117 03/14/2024 Bass has been calling out disparities in service delivery, long before it was a popular thing to do. We're addressing that head on. My Five Year Plan includes over $11 million to pilot a twice-a-week trash collection in our neighborhoods that are most challenged by trash and litter. (Standing ovation.)
Over the course of the Plan, we're adding hundreds and hundreds of new positions to make our city the cleanest and the greenest. You're also going to see a new illegal dumping collection crew. They're going to help to shorten the response time to deal with illegal dumping. (Applause.)
You're going to see a new special collection crew for Stated Meeting 118 03/14/2024 pickup, more surveillance cameras in illegal dumping hotspots, and finally and most importantly, the staff to monitor them and coordinate with law enforcement. (Applause.)
You're also going to see 1,500 new Big Belly trash and recycling cans, with the staffing needed to make sure they are emptied regularly, Mr. President. (Applause.)
I'm listening, Mr. President. Don't simply listen to what we're saying, watch what we are doing. Clean and green is also about working towards a more sustainable future. We'll focus on environmental justice for underserved and Stated Meeting 119 03/14/2024 Cleaner streets, more green spaces and, listen, the planting of 15,000 more trees will mean fewer urban heat islands and a healthier, more resilient community. (Applause.)
But you can't have resilient communities without restoring and improving our libraries, our parks, and our recreation facilities. So we're going to continue Rebuild, which we know Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, we know you value this program, and we're going to continue it through our Capital Programs Office. (Applause.)
Public transit is also a linchpin to sustainable, resilient communities. Let's talk about Stated Meeting 120 03/14/2024 a minute. We know SEPTA is facing a fiscal cliff for this coming year. That's why my One Philly Budget, it adds $117 million in operating funds for SEPTA. Now, as Council considers this funding, I know we all want to see SEPTA come forward with an aggressive plan to make our buses and trains safer and cleaner, and we're going to work in partnership with them to do it. SEPTA, mass transit. (Applause.)
While staying on the issue of transportation, I come bearing just a little bit more good news. My Proposed Capital Program invests a half a billion dollars in new street paving. (Applause.) Stated Meeting 121 03/14/2024
Driving through the streets of Philadelphia should not feel like riding a bumpy roller coaster while damaging your car. That investment means that that's $250 million through the end of FY25, and it puts us on a path of repaving 130 miles per year, actually double our current rate of street paving. Don't listen to what I say. Check out what we're doing. (Applause.)
Commerce Director Alba Martinez, I think it took me, I don't know, months to get her to say yes, but she's here now. Commerce Director Martinez, you can often hear her stating that economic growth is the antidote to poverty. That's what she says, economic growth is the antidote to poverty. Stated Meeting 122 03/14/2024 (Applause.)
I believe it's also the best violence prevention tool as well. (Applause.)
That's why I didn't just make a promise to the people of Philadelphia to make it the safest, cleanest, and greenest city in the nation. I also promised to provide access to economic opportunity for all. Councilmember Nicholas O'Rourke, I know that we agree that equitable opportunity is both an economic and a moral imperative. There are right now nearly 350,000 Philadelphians living in poverty, and that is unacceptable to me. I stand with our Governor Josh Shapiro in his call to raise Stated Meeting 123 03/14/2024 low minimum wage to $15 per hour. (Standing ovation.)
Why, Cherelle Parker? Doing so will grow the economic pie, increase the City's tax base, and give Philadelphians the raise they've long deserved. We know this is the right thing to do. We know it. I also want you to know that it is true that we lag behind many of our peer cities on other indicators as well. There was a 2020 Center City District report. It found that Philadelphia's number of Black businesses was 65 percent below Washington, DC, 62 percent below Atlanta, and 41 percent below the national average. That's why my One Philly Budget includes nearly $20 million in new operating investments for economic Stated Meeting 124 03/14/2024 more than $130 million over the Five Year Plan. It does. (Applause.)
Now, let's talk details. With the voices of my friends Della Clark of The Enterprise Center and Harold Epps in my ear, we're responding to the need for capital, not just training programs. My budget invests $1 million in the Accelerator Fund, which provides access to capital for developers from historically disadvantaged groups, and it invests another $1 million in the Innovate Capital Growth Fund, which provides diverse entrepreneurs access to equity investments. (Applause.)
Della Clark, she has been the voice and the conscience of Stated Meeting 125 03/14/2024 Philadelphia for years. If you're here, Della, please stand. Give Della Clark a round of applause. (Applause.)
I hear you, Della. Now, on jobs and workforce development, I already described PHL TCB's role in cleaning and greening, but it's also a pathway to steady employment, providing training for higher wage jobs. We're investing tens of millions of dollars to expand the program and will be connecting nearly 400 Philadelphians to economic opportunity. I need to publicly right now thank Amazon for its recent $100,000 contribution to this work. Stated Meeting 126 03/14/2024 (Applause.)
Mustafa Rashid, wherever you are, tell Amazon I said thank you. PHL TCB also supports our small businesses, like TWB Cleaning Contractors, which serves corridors in West Oak Lane, Ogontz, and Oxford Circle. In 2014, Trina Worrell-Benjamin stepped out on faith to start TWB. She left her job at PHMC and put everything she had into the start of this business. In the decade since, she's grown it to provide a range of services. We couldn't be prouder to partner with Trina. We're honored to have her son, Khalif Worrell, here. He's TWB's manager. He's with us today. Khalif, wherever you are, if you are here, I don't know if you were able to make it. If he wasn't, give him a huge round of applause anyway. Stated Meeting 127 03/14/2024 (Applause.)
Thank you, Khalif. Thank you. Now, let's talk workforce, starting with the City's own workforce. We should be training our people for careers in every industry that is thriving in our city. This is not new. This is what Apple does. They send their employees to what they call Apple School. Well, our citizens, they are going to go to the City of Philadelphia school, the Municipal School. No more complaining about recruitment and retention of City workers. We need to be creating our own pipeline and training our own people for these jobs. (Applause.)
And we'll put Stated Meeting 128 03/14/2024 a path to self-sufficiency by giving men and women dignity. That's how you help to reduce violence. How are you going to do it? We're going to make a $10 million investment in the Community College of Philadelphia. I think Dr. Guy Generals is here. CCP working with our super Superintendent, Dr. Tony Watlington, they're going to work in partnership and they're going to establish a first-in-the-nation City College for Municipal Employment. (Applause.)
Education and training is the only way. I told you about the partnership, CCP and the School District. That's how we're going to put people on the path to self-sufficiency. Cherelle, who is going to go to the college? Stated Meeting 129 03/14/2024 mind, high school students, people looking to change careers, current municipal workers who want to upskill, anyone who is interested in working in City government. And this is probably my favorite. They're going to earn a stipend while they learn and graduate into good City jobs. (Applause.)
How do you know this is important? Because jobs in local government, they have long been a pathway to the middle class, especially for Black and brown people, for women, and for immigrants. These are jobs with dignity. And guess what? We're not done yet. My budget also includes another $10 million to support workforce development and apprenticeship programs led by partners including the Building Trades, the Carpenters and other unions. Stated Meeting 130 03/14/2024 (Applause.)
We'll train working-class Philadelphians for careers in industries that are already here and thriving and those that are projected to grow. Consider careers in labor, in logistics, in life sciences, in biotech. They are all growing and thriving right here in our city, and we need to be training our people to do it. Now, you've heard me talk about this, and it's because I learned it on the trail, and I had been in this body for, what, six, seven years, and I had never known, because it wasn't in the district that I represented, how powerful and what the growth potential was like in the area of life sciences and biotech. Listen, we've got it now. For those of you who know me, you don't have to tell me twice. Philadelphia is on the cusp of leading the nation in biotech and Stated Meeting 131 03/14/2024 sciences, and we're going to help this industry grow and become number one in the country. (Applause.)
And what's best? What's best, Cherelle? What do you like the most about the $10 million for training and apprenticeship programs? We're going to do what I saw happen when I visited Wistar. Those folks who were in that cohort training to be lab techs, they weren't there getting training, hoping for a job after they finished training. To access these funds, there must be guaranteed employment for program graduates. (Applause.)
So if there's a guaranteed job, the dollars are there to Stated Meeting 132 03/14/2024 the training can actually take place. What are you trying to demonstrate? We're putting our money where our mouth is for individuals and for businesses. Now, speaking of businesses, Councilmember Brian O'Neill, I know regulatory burdens impose what we've often referred to as a time tax and can deter investment and job growth. So my Plan includes almost $14 million for the PHL Open for Business initiative. We'll make it easier to do business by getting rid of unnecessary regulations, streamlining steps to open or expand businesses, and providing one-on-one navigator services to help entrepreneurs. We're going to pair this with new ways of collaborating. With who? Through our Business Roundtable, through our Faith-Based and Intergovernmental Roundtables. We'll work with partners to Stated Meeting 133 03/14/2024 challenges and to bring more resources to our city. Yes, we're going to work to do that. (Applause.)
Now on an important issue. Anyone who knows me, especially my former colleagues here in Council, you know that I see middle neighborhoods as the backbone of the City. And it's not just because my family moved on up like the Jeffersons to one when I was born. It's because of what they represent, the opportunity for low- and moderate-income and working-class families to realize the American dream, stable housing, homeownership, generational wealth. In middle neighborhoods and across the City, my proposed budget, it begins for Philly my promise to create 30,000 units of housing, and I want each Stated Meeting 134 03/14/2024 one of you in this Chamber to hold me to it. (Applause.)
Now, some of those homes are going to require significant repairs that owners simply can't afford. Now, with a whole lot of credit going to the City Council of Philadelphia, along with passionate housing advocates, we are fortunate in our city -- and all other cities don't have what we have -- we're fortunate to have multiple City-funded home repair programs, such as Basic Systems Home Repair and Restore Repair Renew. These are terrific, but navigating through them, that's a whole other matter. My One Philly Budget supports a one-front-door approach. People will be able to apply for multiple programs at once, typing in their information and Stated Meeting 135 03/14/2024 paperwork one time and not a half dozen times. (Standing ovation.)