The ayes have it, and the motion to allow suspension of the rules for the introduction of a bill at this time is granted. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Mr. President. I introduce one more bill today on behalf of the Administration.
An ordinance amending Title 22 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Public Employees Retirement Code," to expand the scope of "Plan '10" and "DC Plan" to cover additional employees, including elected officials, to change contribution rates, and to make technical amendments, all under certain terms and conditions.
Thank you. That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee. And that concludes our special business. Are there any speeches on the part of the minority? The Chair recognizes Councilman Oh.
Thank you very much, Mr. President. Today I introduced a bill for a Charter change concerning the governance structure of the School District of Philadelphia, and I think that reflects the years of work that this body has done, the concern it has had over the quality and governance of our public schools. In particular, I'd like to thank Councilwoman Blackwell for her leadership. She has had numerous hearings on public education, bringing in experts, and I've had the pleasure of having two joint hearings with her regarding best practices in global standards. There is not much that we can do with the schools, contrary to what a lot of the public thinks. We don't run the schools. We don't manage them. They don't respond to us. But there is one thing that we can do, and, that is, we can change the governance structure if the people so desire. And so to begin that discussion and that process, I've introduced a change to the Charter, which I understand that as we go through this, other Councilmembers and different organizations and experts will add their perspectives to this. I'd like to say that I have based this on the hearings that we've done, the testimony that we received from people like Professor Linda Darling-Hammond and others. The primary thing that I am trying to do with this that will move forward the discussion and hopefully bring about a change to the quality of education in a positive direction for Philadelphia is to change the governance structure, because I believe that we must do something. The return to local control of the School District would have a new method and a new set of qualifications for appointing and electing members of the Board of Education and establish a new standard and new policies to ensure academic excellence and the efficient, economical, and effective operation and management of the School District of Philadelphia. So I'm primarily going to highlight eight changes that I have introduced in this bill. The first is that the membership of the Board would be increased from nine to 13 members, and with that, the Board would function as a board with oversight and less day-to-day operational involvement. select the Superintendent, as it does now, but also the General Counsel, the Chief Financial Officer, and the Chief Technology Officer. In addition, the Board would fix the compensation of the Superintendent, General Counsel, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Technology Officer, Chief of Education, and Chief of Vocational Education and Training. The Board would elect its secretary and treasurer, removing that function from the Superintendent. It would have annual third-party financial and performance audits with reports to the Mayor, City Council, and the City Controller. The City Controller would appoint the Inspector General and set the budget. The Superintendent would provide an annual state of the condition of the Philadelphia School District and address to City Council and have quarterly meetings with the Mayor, City leadership, Chair of City Council's Committee on Education, and the City's Chief Education Advisor. In addition, it would require the District to establish a non-profit fund to be used for each and every school in the City of Philadelphia. The appointments of the Board would consist of six appointments by the Mayor, including a business leader and a higher education leader; four appointments from the nominating committee that requires advanced degree and ten years of experience in the profession; four appointments from the nominating panel to be elected by the City Council of Philadelphia; and two members elected by the voters of Philadelphia; and one member appointed by the public charter schools as their representative. And so with that, Mr.
President, I look forward to the hearings, the testimony, and possible Thank you.
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brown.
Thank you, Mr. President. This morning I have good news to report. The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, founded by the American Heart Association and the Clinton Foundation, have worked with representatives from American Beverage Association, the Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Dr. Pepper, and PepsiCo to announce a now landmark agreement to, bottom line, decrease beverage calories in the American diet. America's leading beverage companies have set a goal to reduce beverage calories consumed by persons nationally by 20 percent in 2025. The beverage companies will offer and promote smaller portion sizes and additional other no or lower calorie beverage. Each beverage company will provide calorie counts and promote calorie awareness on all beverage company equipment, including the three million vending machines, self-serve fountain dispensers, retail coolers, restaurants, and in other locations. This is a critical step in our ongoing fight against obesity, and our work right here in Philadelphia with beverage companies to reduce the number of calories shipped to schools by 90 percent again demonstrates the power of creative cooperation. Why is this important? Fact: In the United States, the obesity rate has risen by 30 percent in the last three decades. Fact: Philadelphia has the highest obesity rate of the nation's ten largest cities, according to our Deputy Mayor for Health and Opportunity. Fact: When young children are overweight or obese, they are five times more likely to be overweight and obese as adults. Further, obese youth are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure, and further, based on a report I read in 2006, Type 2 diabetes now appears in young children as young as 12 years old. Why would I be excited about this issue? It is no secret that I was unapologetic in my concern about the epidemic rise of childhood obesity, particularly amongst African American children, and was further delighted by the news because it is a continuation I believe of the work we started in 2010 on menu labeling. It was only a few years ago that this bill was heavily debated. One of the biggest friendly disagreements I heard from those who didn't believe that this was doable was that citizens really how many calories are in their food. I recall television stations interviewing citizens on the street who said it would be a buzzkill to know how many calories there were in our favorite sandwich or beverage. Today we know this is not the case. I cannot tell you how many times people still stop me to say thank you for the passage of this bill, because we can now go to white tablecloths like Capital Grille or to others like Starbucks and find out what the calories are before we consume our favorite meal. The facts indicate that we still have a lot of work to do. Thanks to leaders like First Lady Michelle Obama and President Bill Clinton and his foundation for again taking obesity and making it a center-stage issue. We can now add Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper, Snapple, and Pepsi-Cola to the roster of industry leaders who want to make a positive difference and dramatic impact on this Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, Councilwoman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Jones.
Thank you, Mr. President. On the good news theme, I'd like to continue Councilwoman Reynolds Brown's good news. Today I read in the opinion page your submission about the good news that 9,000 residents last year moved off of the poverty rolls, and you cite that by saying some of the things that City Council has done to help its poor, many of whom are done by members of this Council, whether we talk about Wilson Goode's minimum wage fight or whether we talk about Bill Greenlee's paid sick leave fight. You talked about our work in the LOOP program dealing with AVI, tax freezes for seniors, homestead for seniors, EEO plans that deal with procurement, trying to move and integrate class, and the Manufacturers Task Force that would increase wage-paying, family-supporting jobs. I agree with you on all of that and I would like to offer some other friendly amendments. How could we ever talk about poverty and not mention in the same breath Councilwoman Blackwell, who spent most of her professional life dealing with the plight of the homeless, fighting for them, whether it's veterans or whether it's people that have found themselves forced to panhandle and fighting for the feeding of them outside. How could we not mention the fact that I've been beat over the head for the last seven years by one Councilwoman Sanchez who cites that the 7th District is the poorest district in the City of Philadelphia and has spent her every waking effort during the budget trying to move that needle in the right direction. Councilwoman Reynolds Brown in educating us about the plight of children in shelters over the last 14 years. We also submitted a resolution calling on the City of Philadelphia to state its poverty plan, which has now resulted in a conference November 17th at CCP to talk about a strategy to lift all boats with a tide of good. So I wanted to say to you thank you for allowing us to do that and chronicling what efforts that we have played in that regard. I have one other thing, Mr. President. We tend to look at staffers almost like our children. We raise them, we scold them, we nurture them, and they grow up, and sometimes they grow up and move on. It is my unfortunate duty to recognize that Ajeenah Amir, who has been my communication -- she don't have to stand up. Leave her alone, Al. She don't have anymore -- has decided to take a position with AARP to help our seniors. I thought about it as we recognized our seniors today. She will now be helping all of us to help our constituents in that way, and I'd like you to join me in recognizing her moving out of the house. (Applause.)
Thank you, Councilman. Real quick -- and I know I'm not supposed to respond, but that particular document today in the Daily News -- and I want to thank them for allowing us to put that on the table -was actually Chapter 1. We've gotten a commitment that there will be a Chapter 2 and 3. A number of the things that you referenced today will actually be in subsequent op-eds. You mentioned the fact that -- Ajeenah on you doing what you do, continuing to provide services to people. Councilman, sometimes in my office the staff treat me like I'm the child. So I just want to make that note. But I hear you clearly. The Chair recognizes Councilman Henon.
Thank you, Mr. President. And I will stick to the good news theme, and really a great job with the op-ed today and I'm glad that there's going to be follow-up parts to the ongoing issues that you have championed and then collaboratively we as a body has continued to fight for for the citizens of Philadelphia. One of the things you had mentioned was manufacturing, and as you may be aware of, tomorrow is National Manufacturing Day. It's one of the single days of the year where manufacturers from across the country will open up their door to show do, what they make, and how they do it. Fifteen hundred events will be taking place tomorrow alone, and locally events like yesterday, Greater Philadelphia Manufacturing Summit brought together industries and leaders to discuss the issues facing the sector. Tomorrow the Mayor, Superintendent Hite, and myself will be joining students from throughout the City of Philadelphia and our School District to visit and tour some of these manufacturers. We're going to start off with a great manufacturer in my district, Northeast Building Products, which I'm very proud of. We will do so to show them and their parents what manufacturing is today rather than the dated image of what manufacturing and industry used to be like from what our parents and our grandparents knew. This is a world now rooted in STEM education and precision machinery. There's engaging and challenging jobs available that pay for wages, if we could just match the skill sets with the demand. Too often people describe Philadelphia's manufacturing and the industrial paths in a memorializing sense, that it's no longer existing and what it used to be. But I don't believe that. I believe that manufacturing and industry here in the City of Philadelphia and in the region is an economic engine, and it can be. It's just a little different. It's a little cleaner, it's more efficient, and it's more tech savvy. At this present moment, we are poised to grow manufacturing and the industry sectors by supporting our current firms and recruiting more to locate here. We are in a unique position to capitalize on the global conditions as you created a new Committee on Global Affairs, which is incredible, with matching the jobs and the opportunities that we have here. We make everything from helicopter parts to ball bearings have adapted to the 2014 times. And I always talk about manufacturing in a lot of ways, and I do so because it's important to the industry to grow, but I talk about it from not just an economic sense, but a personal one. My father had worked for two companies in the manufacturing industry, and they raised my family and their doors shut down. So we have an opportunity to adjust to the times and to grow the sector. So with efforts like Manufacturing Day tomorrow, we continue to work and support manufacturing in all of its sectors so we can help grow the sector to support families like mine. So I hope all of you can join me as well as other manufacturers in communities across the City in celebrating National Manufacturers Day. Thank you.
Thank you, Councilman. Keep up the good Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Mr. President. Certainly my remarks deal with positive and negative. The negative thing is that we have Ebola existing in this world today, and as we know, the world is so small, but what happens in one place can come to the others, since we're having an issue with Ebola right here in our country in Texas. But I want Council to know the good part of all of this is that we're on the case. As many of you know, we founded Echoes of Africa some 15 years ago and the Mayor's Commission on African and Caribbean Immigrant Affairs some ten years. We met with representatives -- we represent over 35 countries now, and we met with representatives from all four countries, as you all know, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia. We met with representatives just yesterday. We the issue since the breakout. We are doing what we can to try to help collect needs and have the right pipeline to get it to the people that need it. And so I say all of these -- we try to give you a little information on it today, and the good part is that the Philadelphia City Council is engaged, is committed, and we're doing our part to make the world a better place and a healthier place where Ebola is concerned. Thank you.
Thank you, Councilwoman. And, again, I commend you for your longstanding commitment.
Thank you, Mr. President. And continuing on our good news theme, I do want to acknowledge $29.1 million for GEAR UP over the next seven years. Earlier today I introduced a resolution honoring GEAR UP for all of the work that they're doing, and this is so very important, particularly as we all know that our schools are so much in need. This is going to equate to over $4 million per year, and as we all know, it's badly needed. There are four Philadelphia high schools that are going to be able to benefit from this, including Martin Luther King High School, which is in the 8th District, and also Overbrook, Fels, and Furness. And so these resources are going to go a long way to making sure that our young people are prepared and ready and have the opportunities to be able to go to college and get that continuing education, which we know is so very important for their success. And also that there also will be a capacity-building workshop and conference here in Philadelphia in February 2015, which is going to bring millions of dollars in revenue to our hospitality industry. So very good news all the way through. And I do also want to thank my colleagues, especially Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell on education, who does so much for us, and Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown as a co-sponsor. Thank you.
Thank you so much, Councilwoman. That concludes our speeches on behalf of the minority and majority. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown for a motion to adjourn.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, October 9th, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. (Duly seconded.)
It's seconded that the Council stand adjourned until Thursday, October 9th, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. All those in favor say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. Thank you all very much. ) CERTIFICATE I HEREBY CERTIFY that the proceedings, evidence and objections are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me upon the foregoing matter, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. MICHELE L. ) A 114:22 94:17 95:16 alongside 17:6 19:22 24:11 AARP 118:3 adding 35:6 37:6 96:14 97:12 Alperstein 62:22 25:23 28:12 able 16:12 18:12 46:7,17 85:7 98:11 99:10 63:2,4 30:16 118:10 72:3 125:13,21 101:17 103:10 amen 6:10,11,12 application 64:22 abolish 37:10 addition 71:22 adults 22:4 27:9 amend 39:4,16 applications 85:11 101:20 72:14 109:6 113:5 amended 78:7,16 64:25 absence 7:25 8:6 110:5 advanced 110:14 103:23 apply 40:13 8:16 additional 16:23 advise 31:14 amending 31:22 128:20 abuse 9:11 11:13 32:2,10 35:17 advisor 34:5 35:4,13 40:9 appoint 109:19 11:22 12:10,19 49:19 76:12 83:22 110:4 46:4,13 49:17 appointed 6:2 14:5,14 15:6 79:2,8 81:15 advocacy 12:16 49:25 77:13 110:20 academic 54:4 104:1 105:1,25 13:5 17:6 22:18 105:21 appointing 52:24 63:10 108:14 111:25 Affairs 121:22 amendment 37:3 53:24 108:11 Academy 51:15 address 109:24 123:19 43:10 44:11,15 appointments 51:16 97:5,6 addressing 14:4 affirmative 81:12 52:21 53:19 110:9,10,13,16 access 16:9 43:12 adhere 58:18 102:24 77:23,24 78:2,9 appreciate 8:24 44:13 51:23 adjourn 126:19 affordable 69:21 85:4 101:13 9:7 64:25 98:3 adjourned 126:22 Africa 123:17 102:9 103:7,10 appreciation 15:8 accessible 63:18 127:3 African 113:16 103:14 47:16 93:15 68:11,13,21 ADJOURNME...