COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA STATED MEETING Thursday, 4/19/01 10:13 a.m. Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania PRESENT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT ANNA C. VERNA COUNCILWOMAN JANNIE L. BLACKWELL COUNCILWOMAN BLONDELL REYNOLDS BROWN COUNCILMAN DARRELL L. CLARKE COUNCILMAN DAVID COHEN COUNCILMAN FRANK J. DICICCO COUNCILMAN W. WILSON GOODE, JR. COUNCILMAN JAMES F. KENNEY COUNCILWOMAN JOAN L. KRAJEWSKI COUNCILMAN RICHARD T. MARIANO COUNCILWOMAN DONNA REED MILLER COUNCILMAN MICHAEL A. NUTTER COUNCILMAN BRIAN J. O'NEILL COUNCILMAN ANGEL L. ORTIZ COUNCILMAN FRANK RIZZO COUNCILWOMAN MARIAN B. TASCO PATRICIA RAFFERTY, Deputy Chief Clerk VINCENT VARALLO ASSOCIATES, INC. Registered Professional Reporters Eleven Penn Center, Suite 600 Philadelphia, PA 19103 GREETING/INVOCATION P R O C E E D I N G S
Good morning, everyone. I note that the hour has come and that a quorum of this Council is present. The Council will come to order, members will take their seats, and visitors will retire to the seats outside the rails. To give our invocation this morning, the Chair welcomes the Reverend John Peters, Pastor of Chestnut Hill Seventh Day Adventist Church. He is here today as the guest of Councilwoman Miller. Members and guests will please rise. Reverend? (All rise.)
It's a privilege to be here this morning. Esteemed Councilmembers, I just have one or two thoughts I would like to bring before I invoke the Lord's blessing upon this meeting. The Lord has a special place in his heart for the City of Philadelphia. This city was divinely ordained as the birth place of the greatest nation this earth ever known. The GREETING/INVOCATION precepts of freedom were engraved in our constitution, they were inspired of God, but God used men to engrave those principles of freedom in our constitution. And God always uses men and women in a very special way to accomplish his purposes and his will. He used King Cyrus of Persia to take care of Babel. He uses both godly men and ungodly men to accomplish his purposes, but he especially likes to use godly men like the pilot of that Navy EP3 surveillance plane, and you'll recall that the pilot and the copilot, when they landed in Highway, both acknowledged that the God of heaven was the one that was lifting that plane to its safe landing on Hainon Island (ph). And so it is with the City Council of Philadelphia: God will pilot this City Council as well. And it is my prayer that we will acknowledge Him as we allow Him to pilot the City Council. There are major decisions to be made here this morning regarding the housing relocation and a $1.6 billion for that. And so as we do so, let us simply ask the Lord to bless this meeting. GREETING/INVOCATION Our Father in heaven, the creator of heaven and earth, the savior of the world, we invite Your spirit to preside over this meeting, and we ask that Your will would be accomplished in all the discussions and decisions that are made. Amen. All: Amen.
Amen. The Chair thanks Reverend Peters for his inspiring invocation. Council will be at ease. (Council stands at ease.) (Proceedings resume.)
The next order of business is the approval of the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, April 5, 2001. And the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Madam President. I move that the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, April 5, 2001, stand approved. (Duly seconded.) JOURNAL APPROVAL/REQUESTS FOR LEAVES OF ABS.
It has been moved and properly seconded that the Journal of the meeting of Thursday April 5, 2001, stand approved. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. Those opposed, nay. The ayes have it, and the Journal of the meeting of the Thursday, April 5, 2001, has been approved.
The next order of business is the request for leaves of absence. And the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Madam President. This morning, there are no requests for leaves of absence on the part of the majority.
The Chair thanks the Councilwoman. The Chair recognizes Councilman O'Neill. VISITOR RECOGNITION/PRESENTATIONS
Madam President, on behalf of the Republicans, leave of absence is requested for Councilman Thacher Longstreth.
The Chair will dispense with the regular of order of business to recognize visitors joining us in chambers this morning. On behalf of all members of City Council, I welcome you to our Council session today. We appreciate your taking the time to join us as we attend to the legislative affairs of our city. We certainly invite you to come again. At this time, the Chair recognizes Councilmembers Clarke and Ortiz who will make a presentation honoring the Village of Arts and Humanities. Will Miss Lily Yeh and Heidi Warren and those accompanying please join the Councilmembers at the podium. And Councilman Goode will also join the other Councilmembers. (Councilmembers, honorees, et al. come forward.) VISITOR RECOGNITION/PRESENTATIONS
Thank you, Madam Chair. I know if any of you have ever visited this park and this area, but it is one of the wonders that we have in North Philadelphia. Kids enjoy it, adults enjoy it, and anyone who goes comes out smiling. WHEREAS, in Central North Philadelphia, more than half of the population lives poverty, and a third of the labor force is unemployed. The majority of the children who participate in the Village's program come from single-parent households, reside in public or substandard housing, and have experienced or witnessed violent crime; and WHEREAS, the Village of Arts and Humanities began in 1986 as a project to engage neighborhood children in building a community park that has grown into a major provider of arts-inspired programs of 10,00 primarily African-American children, youth, adults in North Philadelphia are engaged in land transformation, VISITOR RECOGNITION/PRESENTATIONS construction and economic development, theater, health, and environmental education -- it sounds like the elimination of blight, doesn't it? (Laughter.)
And WHEREAS, the Village has involved community residents in the physical transformation of over 120 vacant lots into community park, gardens, and a two-acre tree farm, which is now incubating over 20,000 seedlings. Furthermore, the Village has greened and maintained an additional 100 acres.
And WHEREAS, the quality of the programming offered by the Village has been acknowledged and recognized by significant funding from both private and public sources, the Village has brought over $6 million of resources into the North Philadelphia community since it began in 1986; and WHEREAS, the Village works in partnership with public schools, community organizations, public housing, arts organizations, neighborhood block groups going. . . And I'm going to add politicians, 'cause that should be in this also, right Lily? VISITOR RECOGNITION/PRESENTATIONS (Laughter.)
. . . to increase its impact and share its innovative and effective methodology. The Village utilizes volunteers and interns to complement the work of paid staff, logging on more than 10,000 hours in volunteers' time in 1999; and WHEREAS, the Village Youth Theater has produced three original full-length theater pieces, "We Wear Masks" in 2000 and "Tom Montage" in 1998, "A Different Place in Time" in 1997, two of which were performed at the Painted Bride Arts Center in Philadelphia. They have also performed original dramatic pieces at the Village and at several art conferences and events in Boston, Washington, Atlanta, Albuquerque, Peterborough, New Hampshire; and
WHEREAS, the unique approach and work of the Village has received local, national, international, and multimedia coverage. Such coverage includes "Indivisible," a documentary funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts, which highlights 12 effective grassroots organizations across the nation. Other coverage VISITOR RECOGNITION/PRESENTATIONS includes the PBS documentary "An Angel in the Village," and articles in the Reader's Digest, Philadelphia Magazine, Metropolitan Homes, Art in America, Unity, and the book Cultivating Sacred Space; and WHEREAS, the Village has been recognized through both local and national honors and awards. The Village was selected among 12 grassroots initiatives to participate in "Indivisible," a national documentary project celebrating diverse efforts to build and sustain strong communities across America. The Education for the Arts Program was selected among 10 arts programs from across the nation to receive the coveted (indiscernible) award from the National Endowment of the Arts and the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. Further, Executive Director Lily Yeh has received the 2000 Governor's Award for the Arts Leadership and Service Award; Now, therefore. . .
. . . be it RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Philadelphia recognizes the achievements of the Village of Arts VISITOR RECOGNITION/PRESENTATIONS and Humanities and that an engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to the Executive Director, Lily Yeh, and the Board of Directors of the Villages of Arts and Humanities as an expression of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body. Certified that this is a true and correct copy of the original resolution adopted by the Council of the City of Philadelphia on the 15th day of February 2001, by Anna Verna, President of City Council, introduced by Angel Ortiz, Darrell Clarke, and W. Wilson Goode Jr. (Applause.)
It's with deepest gratitude and humiliation [sic] that we are here to receive this very important award recognition from the Council. The Village couldn't accomplish what it has accomplished without the support of politicians from our Councilmen, especially the support from the City. So we thank you for this recognition. I also especially want to thank our unsung heroes. It's our dedicated staff and VISITOR RECOGNITION/PRESENTATIONS teachers. And you see them: Cassandra Nessman right here, and Julia (indiscernible), Julie Leah, and Heidi Warren. They represent our staff and the people in the neighborhood. And so with this recognition, we want to continue to serve our neighborhood residents, especially our children, so that they can continue to dream, take action, and achieve in the future. Thank you. (Applause.)
Sure. As Lily said, it's really a great honor to be here. The Village has been working in North Philadelphia for almost 15 years now, and it's been a tremendous experience of watching children who come to us and engage in creative projects to blossom and grow and really change their perspective of what's possible in the world. They come to us with a very narrow vision, and we see them grow and really be ready to take on the world. And our greatest dream is to see them VISITOR RECOGNITION/PRESENTATIONS come and experience all of what Philadelphia has to give and to become leaders, so I hope to see them right here in Philadelphia City Council chambers as our future leaders. Thank you. (Applause.)
Council will be at ease. (Council stands at ease.) (Proceedings resume.)
The Chair now recognizes Councilman Mariano, who will present a resolution honoring the Frankford High Pioneers Wrestling Champions of the Philadelphia Public League. (Councilman Mariano comes forward.)
Will Coach Peffle and those accompanying him please join the Councilman at the podium.
Councilwoman Krajewski, could you please join. (Councilwoman Krajewski, honorees, et al. come forward.)
Councilman VISITOR RECOGNITION/PRESENTATIONS Mariano.
Thank you, Madam President. Honoring the Frankford Pioneers Wrestling Team for winning their fifth consecutive Public League Championship. WHEREAS, the Frankford High School wrestling team defeated the Central High School Lancers 35-24 to win their fifth consecutive public league; and WHEREAS, the victory was made possible by victories by Marquette Williams, who was injured with a ligament bruise, yet managed to win the 162 pound match on points; and WHEREAS, the 162 pound match, along with the 154 pound match allowed Frankford to jump into a 19-0 lead over Central, and to defeat the Lancers, who broke Frankford's 48 match public league winning streak earlier in the season; and
WHEREAS, the undefeated heavyweight, Sean Williams, secured a pin 30 seconds into his match to take victory out of the reach of Central; and WHEREAS, in securing the win, Williams VISITOR RECOGNITION/PRESENTATIONS scored his 99th victory and showed why he is ranked first in his weight class in South Eastern Pennsylvania; and WHEREAS, Coach Bob Peffle has successfully built a wrestling dynasty at Frankford; Now, therefore, be it. . .
. . . be it RESOLVED by the City Council of Philadelphia that we honor the Frankford High School wrestling team on their fifth consecutive Public League championship; and be it further RESOLVED that an engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to the Frankford High School Pioneers wrestling team and Coach Peffle as evidence of the sincere respect and admiration of this legislative body. Signed by all of the members of City Council. (Applause.)
And as a special treat, the heavyweight wrestler will wrestle Councilmember that wants to wrestle today here before we do the circus thing. So, not that we have a lot of heavyweights here, but someone may VISITOR RECOGNITION/PRESENTATIONS want to. Any -- no takers? Councilman Goode? All right.
The Chair recognizes Peffle for remarks. COACH PEFFLE: Thank you very, very much, Councilman Mariano and all of the members of City Council. It's a great honor for myself and my entire team to be present here this morning. I can honestly say I'm extremely proud of every member of this team. Our managers, our wrestlers, they work extremely hard. We take this team all over Southeastern Pennsylvania. They are very successful records. But I think it's more important to me as the coach, we get very, very high marks from every community we go in, and they are absolutely a credit to themselves, their families, and particularly their school, Frankford High School. We're very, very proud of their accomplishments, and we thank you very, very much for this very, very great honor of being here this morning. Thank you. (Applause.)
Council will VISITOR RECOGNITION/PRESENTATIONS be at ease. (Council stands at ease.) (Proceedings resume.)
The Chair now recognizes Councilman Ortiz for a special presentation recognizing Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Will Miss Rebecca Guthrie and those accompanying her please join the Councilman at the table.
Let the show begin. (Honorees et al. come forward.) CIRCUS RING MASTER: Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Comcast SpectaCore would like to extend an invitation to you, Councilman Angel Ortiz, to join the all-new 131st edition of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus at the First Union Spectrum on Sunday, April 22nd, at 5:30 p.m. Whereas we'd love for you to participate in the show, Councilman, we've created a part just for you to get you ready for your performance. Brynn (ph.) has the first and very important part of your costume. Brynn? VISITOR RECOGNITION/PRESENTATIONS (Brynn hands Councilman Ortiz a red clown nose.) (Applause.) CIRCUS RING MASTER: Whereas, so you won't feel so alone, your counterparts have agreed to don a red nose as well. Everybody take one. (Red clown noses are distributed to all present Councilmembers.) CIRCUS RING MASTER: Don't worry, these go with any kind of attire. Please don't worry about putting them on. It matches your tie. Yes, that's right. The red nose doesn't clash with anything. Very nice, very nice. (Some Councilmembers don red noses.)
Boy, do we need levity today. CIRCUS RING MASTER: Councilman Ortiz, we look forward to seeing you at the First Union Spectrum on Sunday, April 22nd. And with your participation, we will do something extraordinary together, and it will truly be the greatest show on earth. (Applause.)
They have often said VISITOR RECOGNITION/PRESENTATIONS in describing City Council at times that this is a circus and that we're made up of a bunch of clowns that represent the City of Philadelphia. Today, we try to act the part. (Laughter.)
Welcoming and congratulating the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus as they celebrate their 131st anniversary and bring their awe-inspiring performances to our great city during the weeks of April 18th to the 29th. WHEREAS, for over a century, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, entitled "The Greatest Show on Earth," has been entertaining millions of families throughout the world; and WHEREAS, during this time, the circus has brought to their audiences spectacular performances from the electrifying high-wire acts and human cannonball to the spectacular Sarah, who has amazed thousands with her presentation of the jungle cats, rare white and golden tigers and the royal Bengal cats; and WHEREAS, for the first time in Philadelphia, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & VISITOR RECOGNITION/PRESENTATIONS Bailey Circus in its 131th year premiers the comedic act of Beau, the world's wittiest Asian elephant, and Bellow, the extremely talented comic daredevil. Together, they will be providing fun and excitement in all three rings of the circus; and WHEREAS, Jonathon Lee (indiscernible) brings a new and thrilling role as ring master to this 131th edition of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, as he accompanied by animal trainer, Mark Oliver Gebbel (ph.), who will demonstrate his amazing leadership skills with tigers, horses, camels, and elephants; and WHEREAS, the circus has become the most renowned form of family-oriented entertainment on the face of the earth, overwhelming it's audiences with exciting and spine-tingling acts that thrill the hearts of all, both young and old; now therefore be it RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Philadelphia welcomes and congratulates the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus as they celebrate and their 131st anniversary and bring their awe-inspiring performances to our VISITOR RECOGNITION/PRESENTATIONS great city during the weeks of April 18th and 29th; And further RESOLVED that an engrossed copy of this presentation be presented to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus as an expression of the sincere sentiments of this legislative. Certified that this is a true and correct copy of the original resolution adopted by the Council of the City of Philadelphia on the 19th day of April, 2001, Anna Verna, President, introduced by Angel Ortiz, and signed by all members of City Council. (Applause.)
Let me say that all Councilmembers are invited on Sunday. We have a suite up there for the Council, and we can all act as foolish as we do here on Thursday. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
Council will be at ease. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: On behalf of Feld Entertainment, the producers of Ringling VISITOR RECOGNITION/PRESENTATIONS Brothers and Barnum & Bailey and Comcast SpectaCore, we would like to thank you -- and the City of Philadelphia -- for this special honor. Philadelphia has a special place in our heart because it is the birthplace of the American circus. And as Feld Entertainment and Philadelphia always continue doing the first, we'd like to invite the families to come down one and a half hours early for the first time ever to our three-ring adventure and our open menagerie. Starting an hour and a half before, you're welcome to join our largest circus animals and come down and meet the performers on the arena floor. And that's just before the show even starts. So we thank you for allowing us to have our home here through April 29th, and we look forward to seeing you on April 22nd. (Applause.) (Council stands at ease.) (Proceedings resume.)
The next order of business is communications. The Chair COMMUNICATIONS requests that the Sergeant-at-Arms deliver the messages from the Mayor to the clerk. (Messages from Mayor delivered to Chief Clerk.)
The clerk will please read the messages from the Mayor.
To the President and Members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia: I am pleased to advise you that on April 5, 2001, I signed Bill No. 010179 that passed Council at its session on April the 5th. And today, April the 18th, 2001, I signed all of bills that passed Council at its session on March 29th. And I am transmitting for the consideration of your honorable body a resolution approving the redevelopment contract and disposition supplement of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia, which includes, inter alia, the redevelopment and urban renewal of a portion of the West Philadelphia Urban Renewal Area. And a resolution approving the redevelopment contract and disposition supplement COMMUNICATIONS of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia, which includes, inter alia, the redevelopment and urban renewal of a portion of the West Philadelphia redevelopment area. And a resolution approving the redevelopment contract and disposition supplement of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia for the redevelopment and urban renewal of a portion of the Model Cities Urban Renewal Area, designated as Parcel 256. And a resolution authorizing the Director of Commerce, on behalf of the City of Philadelphia, to file an application, and if the application is accepted, to execute a contract to obtain a grant from the Department of Community and Economic Development to prevent and eliminate blight and to support comprehensive economic development programs in West Philadelphia and specifically the renovation of the Oliver Wendell Holmes School at 55th and Chestnut Streets. And I am transmitting for the consideration of your honorable body a proposed ordinance authorizing and approving a Comprehensive Neighborhood Transformation Program COMMUNICATIONS for revitalization renewal, redevelopment and transformation of blighted areas within the City of Philadelphia, and other activities to promote the health, safety, and welfare of the residents of the City of Philadelphia; the execution and delivery of a service agreement between the City of Philadelphia and the Redevelopment Authority; the issuance by the Redevelopment Authority of bonds, notes, or evidence of indebtedness one or more series to pay the cost of the Neighborhood Transformation Program; and the obligation of the City of Philadelphia to pay in full when due the service fee and other amounts payable under the service agreement; authorizing the Director of Finance, on behalf of the City of Philadelphia, to enter into service agreement with the Redevelopment Authority; authorizing the Director of Finance and other officers of the City of Philadelphia to take such other actions as may be necessary or appropriate to accomplish the intent and purposes of this ordinance; coveting that the City of Philadelphia will make necessary appropriations in each of the City's fiscal years to provide for service fee and other amounts due COMMUNICATIONS under the service agreement; and coveting that the City of Philadelphia will make payments of the service fee and other amounts due under the service agreement, all under certain terms and conditions. And an ordinance authorizing transfers in appropriations of Fiscal Year 2001 within the General Fund from the Mayor's Office of Information, Department of Licenses and Inspections. And I am returning to this honorable Council Bill No. 000715, commonly known as "the predatory lending bill," without my signature, having concluded that vetoing the bill would be counterproductive and send the wrong message to both predatory lenders, whose activities must be condemned, and to legitimate lenders who support our local economy. I am returning the bill to you today without my signature. Allowing the bill to become law without my signature provides all concerned with this problem an incentive to continue working toward a more effective solution before the bill goes into effect in July of this year. )
The messages will be printed in the Journal. The clerk will please read any other communications in her possession.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco.
Thank you, Madam President. Madam President, this City Council two weeks ago passed one of the most -- the most, not one of the, the most effective predatory lending bill in this country. (Applause.)
It was stated so by the New York Times, the Washington Post. We have received calls from around the country for this legislation because of the magnitude of the problem of predatory lending in this country, and we should be applauded, this Council should be COMMUNICATIONS applauded for taking the courage to overcome the pressure put on by the lending community not to pass this bill. This bill was crafted by and with the Administration's support at a request of the Administration not to amend the OHCD budget last year. They set up the drafting committee, they conducted the meetings, they worked on the bill that was presented to this City Council. The Law Department reviewed the bill. When they said that there was some illegal parts in the bill, we removed them. The bill has been signed off by the Law Department. And I am just really saddened that the letter that we received this morning is the same -- contains the same arguments, the empty arguments, that have been presented by the banking community, the lending community. They made the same empty charges, but they offered no alternatives. We met with them for months. All the lending institutions said, Oh, yes, there is a very bad problem here with predatory lending, but we can't do anything about that. We can't -- you know, they don't want to do COMMUNICATIONS anything about it, offered no alternatives. That's why the bill was not passed sooner. Not because we didn't have the support of this Council but because we were trying to work out with the lending community whatever problems they had. Their bottom line: They don't want any regulation; they want to continue to gouge the people in the City of Philadelphia and take their homes and contribute to the blight in this city. (Applause.)
I am very sorry that this mayor, "the Mayor of the People," has bought into their argument, because it's the same empty argument that the banks have presented to us. (Applause.)
I have said to the Mayor that he has the power to stop predatory lending. All he has to do is say to the lending institutions, If you're going to continue to prey on the people and contribute to the blight of this city, you don't do business in this city. With a $3 billion budget and all the money that flows from this city into these banks, he could stop it COMMUNICATIONS today if he wanted to. We wouldn't need any legislation. It takes the courage and the power of that office to make it happen. This city should not and this Council should not and this mayor should not capitulate to the lending community so they can continue to prey on our people. We have a lot of work to do because we have to see that this bill gets enforced. We're going to be asked to pass a $250 million bond issue for a blight program. Well, where is the plan to deal with the predatory lenders? This is a part of the plan, to stop the practice. You can spend money after money after money, but if you don't stop the practices and the policies that contribute to predatory lending and blight, you're not going to make any difference with $250 million. (Applause.)
So I hope, as we move forward, for those people who are listening in this chamber, the bill will become law. And I'm saying to the Mayor, it becomes law, but he is to enforce it. OHCD came in here and testified COMMUNICATIONS that they could implement the program the next day. Now we are being told they don't have the money, but we're going to set up an Office of Consumer Affairs. Give me a break. I want to say that we're going to continue this fight, it has not stopped, and we call on my colleagues to continue their fight. I want to thank you, President Verna, for hanging in there and being very, very supportive of me in this effort. (Applause.)
And I want to again thank all of my colleagues for their support, for standing up to all of the pressure and the nonsense that came through their offices. I want to thank Paul Davis for the series he wrote in the Daily News to keep the issue before the public. Sandy Shea and the editorial board of the Daily News for their support. I want to thank Mary Mason for that mighty might she has, because she kept the information, let people know, and she will continue to tell people not to enter these COMMUNICATIONS collateralized loans. Thank Clea Benson and the Inquirer for their support, Gwen Schaeffer from the City Paper and the Philadelphia Tribune and all of the media for keeping this issue. And I want to tell you, we still have a fight, and I'm asking you to continue in the fight with me. Our work is not over. And, Council, I am not finished 'cause I am passionate about this bill, and I am going to personally see that we get this program implemented in this city. Thank you very much.
The next order of business is the introduction of bills and resolutions. And the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell for a motion.
Thank you, INTRODUCTION OF BILLS, RESOLUTIONS Madam President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended in order to permit consideration of resolutions at their time of introduction. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit immediate consideration of resolutions at the time of introduction. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it, and the motion carries. The Chair recognizes Councilman Kenney.
Thank you, Madam President. I offer one bill and one privileged resolution.
Thank you. The clerk will please read the title of the bill.
An ordinance amending Title 17 of the Philadelphia Code entitled "Contracts and Procurement," by requiring Council INTRODUCTION OF BILLS, RESOLUTIONS approval before the City may enter into long-term contracts and requiring the Administration to report to Council concerning such contracts, all under certain terms and conditions.
The bill will be referred to the appropriate committee. The clerk will please read the title of the resolution.
And a resolution honoring principal dancer and ballet master Jeffrey Grebbler on the occasion of his retirement from the Pennsylvania Ballet.
Madam President, on behalf of myself and Councilmember DiCicco, I move the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. Those opposed? INTRODUCTION OF BILLS, RESOLUTIONS The ayes have it, and the resolution has been adopted. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Madam President. This morning, I introduce four resolutions.
The clerk will please read the title of the first resolution.
A resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia deeds located in the 24th Ward of the City of Philadelphia.
Madam President, I move for the adoption. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor will signify by INTRODUCTION OF BILLS, RESOLUTIONS saying aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it, and the resolution has been adopted. The clerk will please read the title of the second resolution.
A resolution authorizing the Director of Commerce, on behalf of the City of Philadelphia, to file an application, and if the application is accepted, to execute a contract to obtain a grant from the Department of Community and Economic Development.
Madam President, I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All in favor will signify by saying aye. Those opposed? INTRODUCTION OF BILLS, RESOLUTIONS The ayes have it, and the resolution has been adopted. The clerk will please read the following resolution.
A resolution approving the redevelopment contract and disposition supplement of the City of Philadelphia, which includes, inter alia, the redevelopment and urban renewal of a portion of the West Philadelphia redevelopment area, identified by respective house numbers and street addresses 5235 and 5248 Larchwood Avenue and 5335-5336 and 5443 Osage Avenue.
Madam President, I move for the adoption. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. Those opposed? INTRODUCTION OF BILLS, RESOLUTIONS The ayes have it and the resolution has been adopted.
The clerk will please read the title of the fourth resolution.
A resolution approving the redevelopment contract and disposition supplement of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia, which includes the redevelopment and urban renewal of a portion of the West Philadelphia redevelopment area.
Thank you, Madam President. I move for the adoption. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it, and the resolution has been adopted. INTRODUCTION OF BILLS, RESOLUTIONS The Chair recognizes Councilman Cohen.
Madam President, on behalf of the Council President, I offer one privileged resolution.
The clerk will please read the title of the resolution.
A resolution recognizing May 1, 2001 as "Law Day 2001," and the week of May 1, 2001 to May 6, 2001 as "Law Week" in the City of Philadelphia.
Madam President, I move the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it, and the resolution has been adopted. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman INTRODUCTION OF BILLS, RESOLUTIONS Krajewski.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Mariano.
The clerk will please read the title of the bill.
An ordinance establishing a no-truck-parking regulation on all streets within the area bounded by Wyoming Avenue on the north side, Erie Avenue on the south side, G Street on the west side, and Castor Avenue on the east side, including both sides of the streets making up the border of such area.
The bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
No, I'm sorry. It INTRODUCTION OF BILLS, RESOLUTIONS was three. I thought it was a bill. It's three. One is a vacant property bill.
Thank you. The clerk will please read the title of the first resolution.
Madam President, I move for the adoption of the resolution.
It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it, and the resolution has been adopted. The clerk will please read the title of the second resolution. INTRODUCTION OF BILLS, RESOLUTIONS
Madam 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. Those opposed? The ayes have it and the resolution has been adopted. The clerk will please read the last resolution introduced by the Councilwoman.
A resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia deeds located in the 49th Ward of the City of Philadelphia.
The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco. INTRODUCTION OF BILLS, RESOLUTIONS
Madam 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. Those opposed? The ayes have it, and the resolution has been adopted. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Miller.
Thank you, Madam President. I offer one bill and one resolution.
The clerk will please read the title of the bill.
An ordinance granting permission to Ken R. Miller and his successors and assigns to construct, use, own, and maintain a private combination sanitary storm sewer within the right-of-way of the unit block of East Sunset Avenue.
The bill will INTRODUCTION OF BILLS, RESOLUTIONS be referred to the appropriate committee. The clerk will please read the title of the resolution.
And a resolution calling on owners and landlords who rent to citizens, including those with physical and/or mental disabilities, to take every step necessary to legally operate and safeguard such properties, and further calling on citizens of Philadelphia who are aware of such properties to be moved by their individual conscience and sense of fairness to report to City agencies any and all of the acts.
I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it, and the resolution has been adopted. INTRODUCTION OF BILLS, RESOLUTIONS Councilwoman Brown, did you want to be recognized? Your light is on.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter.
Madam President, I have no bills or resolutions today.
The Chair thanks the gentleman. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brown.
Thank you, Madam President. No bills or resolutions today.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Goode.
Thank you, Madam President. I have no bills or resolutions.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Ortiz.
I have one bill and one resolution on behalf of Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds, Clarke, Goode, and Cohen and myself.
Thank you. INTRODUCTION OF BILLS, RESOLUTIONS The clerk will please read the title of the bill.
A bill authorizing transfers in appropriations for Fiscal Year 2002 within the General Fund for certain or all City offices, departments, boards, and commissions to certain or all City offices,, departments, boards, and commissions.
The bill will be referred to the appropriate committee. The clerk will read the title of the resolution.
A resolution calling on City Council's Committee on Labor and Civil Service to hold a public hearing to examine and monitor the ongoing labor dispute between Colin Service Systems Inc. and the City Hall janitors represented by the Service Employees International Union, Local 36 AFL-CIO.
Madam President, I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.) INTRODUCTION OF BILLS, RESOLUTIONS
It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it and the resolution has been adopted. (Applause.)
Thank you. The clerk will please read the title of the first bill.
An ordinance amending Title 14 of the Philadelphia Code relating to zoning and planning by amending Chapter 14-1600, entitled "Miscellaneous," by amending 14-1612, entitled "South Street Head House Square Special Services District Controls," under certain terms and conditions.
The bill will INTRODUCTION OF BILLS, RESOLUTIONS be referred to the appropriate committee.
And an ordinance amending Section 9204 of the Philadelphia Code, entitled "Sidewalk Vendors in Center City," by exempting sidewalk sales by owners and tenants of properties in the 900, 1000, and 1100 blocks of Pine Street, and regulating such activity under the sidewalk sales provisions of Section 9-205 of the Philadelphia Code, all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill will also be referred to the appropriate committee. And the Chair recognizes Councilman O'Neill.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I have one bill and two resolutions.
The clerk will please read the title of the bill.
An ordinance granting INTRODUCTION OF BILLS, RESOLUTIONS permission to the WXII PHL Real Estate Limited Partnership, its successors and assigns, to construct, maintain, operate, replace, or remove duct banks for certain telecommunication uses.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee. The clerk will please read the title of the first resolution.
A resolution approving the redevelopment contract and disposition supplement of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia for the redevelopment and urban renewal of a portion of Model Cities Urban Renewal Area designated as Parcel No. 256.
It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. INTRODUCTION OF BILLS, RESOLUTIONS Those opposed? The ayes have it, and the resolution has been adopted. The clerk will please read the second resolution.
A resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Redevelopment Authority deeds located in the 16th, 32nd, and 37th Wards of the City of Philadelphia.
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. Those opposed? The ayes have it and the resolution has been adopted. The Chair recognizes Councilman Rizzo. COMMITTEE REPORTS
The next order of business is reports from committees, and the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell for a report from the Finance Committee.
Thank you, Madam President. The Finance Committee reports out one bill with a favorable recommendation.
To the President and Members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia: The Committee on Finance, to which was referred Bill No. 010061 entitled, An ordinance constituting the 7th supplemental ordinance to the restated general water and waste water revenue bond ordinance of 1989, as amended and supplemented, authorizing the bond committee, or a majority of them, to issue and sell either at public or private sale in one or more series or subseries water and waste water revenue bonds to COMMITTEE REPORTS the City of Philadelphia, respectfully reports it has considered and amended the same and returns the attached bill to Council with a favorable recommendation.
Bill No. 010061 will be placed on the first-reading calendar for our next session of Council. The Chair recognizes Councilman DiCicco for a report from the Committee on Streets and Services.
Thank you, Madam President. The Committee on Streets and Services reports nine bills out with a favorable recommendation.
To the President and Members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia: The Committee on Streets and Service, to which was referred: Bill No. 010091, an ordinance amending Section 9-205 of the Philadelphia Code, entitled "Sidewalk Sales," by prohibiting sidewalks sales within an area bounded by Oregon Avenue, Packer COMMITTEE REPORTS Avenue, Seventh Street, and 20th Street; And Bill No. 010070, an ordinance authorizing the Parkway Corporation, owner of the properties 1501-1509 Spruce Street and 1506-1508 Latimer Street, to conduct and maintain various encroachment in, on, over, and under the north footway of Spruce Street, the west footway of 15th Street, and the south footway of Latimer Street; And Bill No. 010122, an ordinance granting permission to MCI Metro Access Transmission Service, a Delaware corporation, its successors and assigns, to construct, maintain and operate, replace or remove a telecommunications system along, over, in, under the public right-of-way and City streets; And Bill No. 010151, an ordinance authorizing the Streets Commissioner, on behalf of the City, to execute an intergovernmental agreement for a Southeast Pennsylvania Regional household hazardous waste education, collection, and management project; And Bill No. 010180, an ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 44-S by striking from the COMMITTEE REPORTS City Plan and vacating Tenth Street from Pattison Avenue to a point approximately 846 feet northerly from Pattison Avenue; And Bill No. 010182, an ordinance granting permission to Amerimar Net-Works Management Co., its successors and assigns, to construct, maintain and operate, replace and remove a duct bank of 24 four-inch in diameter ducts for certain telecommunications uses; And Bill No. 010192, an ordinance amending Section 2 of an ordinance (Bill No. 990366), approved July 1, 1999, entitled "An ordinance authorizing the striking from City Plan No. 17-S and abandoning a certain right-of-way for gas main purposes and public utility purposes within the lines of former Annin Street, by extending the period for compliance with the authorization conditions therein"; And Bill No. 010195, an ordinance granting permission to Williams Communication, its successors and assigns, to construct, maintain and operate, replace and remove a telecommunications system along, over, in, and under the public rights-of-way and City streets; COMMITTEE REPORTS And Bill No. 010196, an ordinance granting permission to Herman Hinton, owner of the newsstand located on the north footway of Fairmount Avenue, near the northwest corner of 19th Street and Fairmount Avenue, to construct, use, and maintain overhead electrical and telecommunications lines from existing utility poles over and across the public right-of-way for the purpose of supplying electrical and phone service to his newsstand, under certain terms and conditions respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bill to Council with a favorable recommendation.
The Chair recognizes Councilman DiCicco for a motion. I believe you have a motion regarding another bill?
Yes. Yes, Madam President. I move that Bill No. 010091 be returned to committee, and I further move that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading of the other eight bills that have been read into the record.
Thank you. COMMITTEE REPORTS Do I hear a second? (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that Bill No. 010091 be returned to committee. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. Those opposed, nay. The ayes have it, and Bill No. 010091 will be returned to committee. On the nine bills, do we have a second to suspend the rules? (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading this day of Bill No.'s 010070, 010122, 010151, 010180, 010182, 010192, 010195, and 010196. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it, and the bills just read will be placed on today's first-reading calendar. FIRST-READING CALENDAR This concludes the reports from committees.
The next order of business is consideration of the calendar. The clerk will please read the bills on the first-reading calendar.
Bill No. 010070, an ordinance authorizing the Parkway Corporation, owner of the properties 1501-1509 Spruce Street and 1506-1508 Latimer Street, to conduct and maintain various encroachment in, on, over, and under the north footway of Spruce Street, the west footway of 15th Street, and the south footway of Latimer Street, all under certain terms and conditions.
And Bill No. 010122, an ordinance granting permission to MCI Metro Access Transmission Service, a Delaware corporation, its successors and assigns, to construct, maintain and operate, replace and remove a telecommunications system along, over, in, under the public FIRST-READING CALENDAR right-of-way and City streets, all under certain terms and conditions.
And Bill No. 010151, an ordinance authorizing the Streets Commissioner, on behalf of the City, to execute an intergovernmental agreement for a Southeast Pennsylvania Regional household hazardous waste education, collection, and management project, under certain terms and conditions.
And Bill No. 010180, an ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 44-S by striking from the City Plan and vacating Tenth Street from Pattison Avenue to a point approximately 846 feet northerly from Pattison Avenue.
And Bill No. 010182, an ordinance granting permission to Amerimar FIRST-READING CALENDAR Net-Works Management Company, Inc., its successors and assigns, to construct, maintain and operate, replace and remove a duct bank of 24 four-inch in diameter ducts for certain telecommunications uses, under terms and conditions.
And Bill No. 010192, an ordinance amending Section 2 of an ordinance (Bill No. 990366), approved July 1, 1999, entitled "An ordinance authorizing the striking from City Plan No. 17-S and abandoning a certain right-of-way for gas main purposes and public utility purposes within the lines of former Annin Street, by extending the period for compliance with the authorization conditions therein."
And Bill No. 010195, an ordinance granting permission to Williams Communication, its successors and assigns, to construct, maintain and operate, replace and remove a telecommunications system along, over, in, and under the public rights-of-way and City FIRST-READING CALENDAR streets, all under certain terms and conditions.
And Bill No. 010196, an ordinance granting permission to Herman Hinton, owner of the newsstand located on the north footway of Fairmount Avenue, near the northwest corner of 19th Street and Fairmount Avenue, to construct, use, and maintain overhead electrical and telecommunications lines from existing utility poles over and across the public right-of-way for the purpose of supplying electrical and phone service to his newsstand, under certain terms and conditions.
The Chair agrees. The bills read by the clerk will be placed on the second-reading and final-passage calendar for our next session of Council. That concludes the first-reading calendar.
The Chair now recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell for the purpose of calling up bills to be considered on the SECOND-READING CALENDAR second-reading and final-passage calendar.
Thank you, Madam President. This morning, there are no bills to be called up for second reading and final passage.
The Chair thanks the Councilwoman. This concludes the calendar.
Are there any speeches on the part of the minority? (No speeches on the part of the minority.)
Are there any speeches on the part of the majority? The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter.
Thank you, Madam President. Madam President, I want to be brief and I also want to be careful and specific. The past few days have been filled with a great amount of not only the discussion but more of the details regarding Mayor Street's Neighborhood Transformation Initiative. Let me first say that I've had an opportunity to talk SECOND-READING CALENDAR with the Mayor on a couple of occasions as well as his staff over some time, his Chief of Staff, Joyce Wilkerson, and a number of others. They have been open, they have been listening to different things that many, many people have said, including myself, for which I am deeply appreciative. And I certainly see some of the elements of our many discussions over time as a part of this proposal that the Mayor has laid out with great enthusiasm. And it is certainly progressive and ambitious. And quite honestly, the City needs more agressive action and certainly a greater sense of ambition about what it's going to do and what it's going to try to do going forward. Many of my colleagues, I know, are as concerned about neighborhood transformation, blight elimination, whatever the terminology may be, to get the City moving in the right direction. I will be as supportive as I possibly can, because all of us agree, even if we have different ideas about the details, all of us agree that things need to change in this city in SPEECHES fundamental ways, both from an operational standpoint as well as the final results. I do want to express one concern at the start, Madam President, and I think it may be shared by either some of my colleagues and certainly some of my constituents, who I have received calls from this morning. In an effort to figure out what to do in the different neighborhoods, I know that we have to do a great amount of analysis, data collection, and the like. I've engaged in those activities myself and shared them from time to time with my colleagues. The primary concern I want to express today is, in an effort to figure out what we should do in different places and what is going on in those neighborhoods as we look at either the many maps that are flying around and the packets that have been distributed, or even in today's edition of the Philadelphia Daily News, which has a color display, my concern is the reaction to many of our citizens, and more specifically, the real estate market, to some of the categories that have been detailed as to the condition in many SPEECHES neighborhoods. Now, it is no secret that many of our neighborhoods are in very good condition and many of our neighborhoods are not throughout the City, and many of us know about them and we're trying to do our best to change things. My concern, though, is that yesterday, in a rather public fashion, I and many of my constituents and actually a couple of colleagues here who live in the same neighborhood found out that we live in a transitional neighborhood. Now, I know descriptives for what that means, and there are five other categories, and I think all six are throughout the district that I happen to represent, the 4th Councilmatic District. Going forward, my concern is, when do the neighborhoods change, when do they move from category to category, or do you ever recover from having been labeled a certain thing? And what does the real estate market, what is their reaction the next time someone comes to them to talk about buying a house? And are people in direct or indirect ways, will they potentially be steered away from certain neighborhoods because of SPEECHES this labeling or categorizing. That is my concern. Now, obviously, we have to say something and we have to do something about these neighborhoods. I don't know how that determination was made. Last I checked, every house on my block was occupied, and the ones around the corner, the only transition that's going on is that the leaves are coming on the trees and some from my next-door neighbor are falling in my driveway.
And so, having said that, the City Avenue corridor and many other places throughout the district that I represent, it could be somewhat confusing to a person reading their newspaper today as to what's going on in their neighborhood. And a part of my concern is, I and many of my neighbors are not necessarily going anywhere, but some other people do have options, especially in neighborhoods that border our suburban communities, and some may want to think about transitioning to Bala Cynwyd. And so I am concerned about that aspect, a very narrow aspect, of what we say and SPEECHES how we say it and how we communicate it and what the reaction is to not only Philadelphians but to people around us. What I also don't know, and I'll conclude with this, is in many of the neighborhoods that are having whatever their problems may be, at what point will it be determined that they've moved from one category to the other? And who will make that determination? Or, as we experienced many, many years ago, and I know that my colleagues on the education front led many battles and fights about how we talk about children and how we categorize children and how we label children. You know, all of us are familiar with "Bad Johnny" from 2nd grade. And unfortunately, whether he liked it or not, in many instances, Bad Johnny stayed Bad Johnny through high school and potentially college. Now, whether he was or not sometimes is secondary to the fact that you got a label and it stuck. And my concern in this situation is that certain neighborhoods may get labeled certain things. And notwithstanding our efforts and even if they turn around, how do they ever get out from SPEECHES under the label that was given many, many years ago? And so it is, again, in a very specific and narrow way a concern expressed about how we start this and embark on not only a five-year journey but a journey that may determine what happens in this city for the first half of this century. The Mayor, again, is to be commended and his staff and all people who have worked on this for a tremendous amount of work and effort. And then we have our job to do and we have work to do, and we, I believe, will work together. But in this particular situation, this is one of those where the way you start may determine how you finish. And so that's my concern today. And to the extent that any adjustments can be made or any changes that may need to be made in this particular aspect of what we talked about, NTI is going to be going forward. I would express that concern in this rather public way because it is, you know, in about 150,000 newspapers today, and people have already begun to express concerns in SPEECHES my office and maybe some of the offices of my colleagues. Thank you very much, Madam President.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Kenney.
Thank you, Madam President. Just quickly, I would like to offer my support for the comments made by Councilmember Nutter. I do admire the way in which the Administration has brought this issue forward and the vision that they are attempting to show. But I'm sure that Councilmember Nutter is concerned about reading that his neighborhood is in transition. I was even more concerned to read that my home and my colleague and neighbor's home was in a distressed neighborhood. The housing values in that neighborhood have maintained themselves. As a matter of fact, SPEECHES there's a number of houses that sold in that community lately for more money than I had anticipated that they would sell for. We do have some minor drug problems, as many neighborhoods do. We have some doggie doo problems where people don't pick up after their animals. But as neighborhoods go, this neighborhood in South Philadelphia, around the Passyunk Avenue shopping strip, which is, I think, a vibrant and becoming an even more vibrant restaurant area and shopping area, is anything but distressed. I know there's areas of South Philadelphia east of Sixth Street, west of Fourth that have been designated an area of reclamation, and in some instances, I think that that may be accurate. But, again, my concern, as expressed by Councilman, which I share, is that, you know, people reading the paper today that may be looking for a house in South Philadelphia in that neighborhood would think that it may be not a good investment to invest in a distressed area. And I would think that anyone who's worked on this project that's even set foot and walked down East SPEECHES Passyunk Avenue or walked down 11th Street or walked down Tenth Street, if they've been there at all, I don't think the word "distressed" would necessarily be the word that would be used. So I have some concerns over the process which was followed to make these designations in the first place, and I'm willing to work with the Administration and the Council to work ourselves through this process, but I think there's a lot of work that needs to be done, a lot of examination of this proposal. If we get more meat on the bone of this particular issue, we can analyze it, have the Council President's staff and tech staff analyze it perhaps through the course of the summer and come up sometime in the fall with something that's workable. But these initial designations are very concerning to me as a resident of a particular area that I think is a pretty decent neighborhood and that has now been determined by the Neighborhood Transformation Team as being a distressed community. And I think it's anything but the case. And I'd like to thank Councilman SPEECHES DiCicco. As a matter of fact, our streets are actually cleaner than they've been over the last number of years because of the street-sweeping program. (Councilman DiCicco responds off-mic.)
Well, I do thank him for it, and I don't mind moving my car once a week; I think it's a small price to pay for a clean street. So with that, I'd like to just, you know, as a word of caution and a desire to work through this process and get it accomplished, I have some major concerns as we move forward. Thank you.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman O'Neill.
Yes, Madam Chair. I'm thinking in similar ways to my two colleagues. But I'd just like to start out by saying it's amazing that this city has gone this long without any kind of strategy, and I think the Administration is to be applauded for coming forward with the beginning of one, and I think SPEECHES that's what it is right now, and we should recognize it. And just as people are in one category or maybe they should be in a category we would call above that, I've seen a lot of places that are in categories that should be below that. So somebody's going to be looking at a house and maybe thinking, Boy, the NTI group says this is a good neighborhood -- and maybe it's a neighborhood with a lot of problems that needs a lot of attention. So I think our fleshing out with the Administration the areas within even a census tract that might have three different kind of determinations that could be made. You can have a neighborhood that's in transition that's only two blocks long, and it may be because of an apartment house that is run down and no one wants to live near it. Two blocks away, where it's just homes, everybody's happy about it. Two blocks further down, there's a Conrail lot that doesn't get taken care of, or some other government property that causes people not to want to live near it, and prices are down and houses don't sell as fast. SPEECHES So it's very difficult to paint a broad brush across an area, and I think it's going to be incumbent on us, who know these areas much better, to work with the Administration to make sure that we narrow those down in a much more microscopic way than is now on the blueprint. And I think it's important not because so much somebody might think, Well, I live in this neighborhood instead of that neighborhood, 'cause I don't think most people will go that far with it, but there's going to be different strategies and different tactics when you're dealing with a distressed area versus a transitional area versus a steady area, or whatever it's going to be called. And that is really the key. If we're going to have a strategic plan, we better have the areas identified properly so we're putting the right resources and the right kinds of programs in. And I think it's a little easier to know the mistakes we've made in the areas that are designated reclamation, because mistakes have been made over the years, and government's been a big part of it. SPEECHES The other categories have, for the most part, never been touched by the government in any strategic way. So it's all new ground there, and I think we, the District Councilmen and the At-Large Councilmen all over this city can really be instrumental in helping the Administration not only identify in much smaller areas what the color or the title or the description should be so that the strategy applied is the right one, but also working with people that live in those areas to make sure that they're a part of this. If this is the top down and we tell them what's good for them, it's not going to work and we're going to waste a lot more than just the quarter billion dollars, and we're going to waste a lot of time and energy and hope that people have. I think we have to be talking to the people who are in an area that may be distressed and can tell us why, because it may just be a very short stretch within an area that seems to be magnified when somebody at City Hall's looking at a map or some statistics, and there could be very good ways of dealing with that if we just talk to the people that are most affected, the people that SPEECHES live in those areas. So I think we're off to a good start because we're off to a start, and it's a start that was a long time coming. Thank you.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Madam President. This is not on this issue, so I didn't want to speak if other Councilmembers want to speak.
Thank you, Madam President. As many of my colleagues know and other people in the general public, I spent the last almost 16 months in Council focussed specifically on community development finance, and have actually issued four policy papers in that regard. So this is actually a very exciting time SPEECHES for me to be in Council, and I think I would not have preferred to come to Council at any other time other than this. So I am proud to announce that the Community Reinvestment Commission created by this Council and by executive order did hold its first meeting on Tuesday. And I think the strategy behind that commission is to not only look at investment, but how we leverage private investment from land reuse plans, from Community Development Block Grant spending, from our city depositories, and from the creation of the Philadelphia Community Development (indiscernible) Fund. I'm concerned as we talk about the issue of community development finance that we continue to focus on public investment and not look at the leveraging of private investment very seriously. I am concerned that the banking community was not brought in to discuss this issue beforehand, but it's not too late, and I look forward to the hours of dialogue that we will have on this. But that commission has come together. There was presence of banks there at that meeting, SPEECHES ready to discuss reinvesting in our neighborhoods. But without that private investment, the reason why this issue exists the way it exists is because of the bank redlining of our neighborhoods. The reason why predatory lending exists is because it's a captured market there for people who know that those areas are redlined by banks. We have to address that. But as we bring public dollars to the table to leverage private dollars, we have to also make sure that we're not devaluing those public dollars. It makes a difference when we go into the market for these bonds. It is better to go into the market in the summer rather than the fall. Anyone who knows and does their financial due diligence knows that we can make a political decision to wait on this, but it will make a difference and cost this city millions or tens of millions of dollars by waiting based on the financial markets. So we have to take this very seriously, and we have to put in hours, weekends, suspend our summer recess. We have to also look at when we SPEECHES should go into the market. Thank you very much.
Thank you. Are there any other speeches on the part of the majority? The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Madam President. This is just a reminder. In a few minutes, we will be set up with our speakers across the hall. Deputy Managing Director of Special Needs Housing, Michael Hess, his predecessor, Michael Nardone, and Secretary of Social Services Estelle Richman. So we will be having lunch, so we ask everybody to please hold on. Lunch will be ready in a few minutes, about 15 minutes, although we're finishing a little early. And also, let me say that it has been brought to our attention that sometime last week, apparently -- and I don't even know the day -- you had a birthday. So we decided that we'd like to at least -ADJOURNMENT
So we did want to say happy birthday. Let's all sing Happy Birthday to our president. ("Happy Birthday" sung to President Verna.) (Applause.)
The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco for a motion.
Thank you, Madam President. I move that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, April, 26th at 10 a.m. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, April 26, 2001, at 10 a.m. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it, and Council will stand adjourned until Thursday, April 26th. ADJOURNMENT Thank you very much. (Adjourned at 11:32 a.m.) C E R T I F I C A T E I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing proceedings of the Council of the City of Philadelphia of Thursday, April 19, 2001, were reported fully and accurately by me, and that this is a correct transcript of same. RE: STATED MEETING __________________________________, JOSEPHINE CARDILLO, Registered Professional Reporter