Stated Meeting, May 15, 2025

COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA STATED MEETING Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Thursday, May 15, 2025 10:00 a.m. PRESENT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT KENYATTA JOHNSON COUNCILWOMAN NINA AHMAD COUNCILWOMAN CINDY BASS COUNCILWOMAN KENDRA BROOKS COUNCILMAN MICHAEL DRISCOLL COUNCILWOMAN JAMIE GAUTHIER COUNCILWOMAN KATHERINE GILMORE RICHARDSON COUNCILMAN JIM HARRITY COUNCILWOMAN RUE LANDAU COUNCILMAN BRIAN J. O'NEILL COUNCILMAN NICOLAS O'ROURKE COUNCILMAN MARK SQUILLA COUNCILMAN ISAIAH THOMAS COUNCILMAN JEFFREY YOUNG, JR. ELIZABETH McCOLLUM NAZARIO, CHIEF CLERK

Good morning, everyone. (Good morning.)

I note that the hour has come and that a quorum of this City Council is present. I'm asking for all members to take their seats, asking all visitors to please retire outside the rails and I'm asking for all sidebar conversations please be taken outside the Council chambers. I'm asking all those present to please set your cell phone to silent and/or vibrate. Giving our invocation this morning is the Honorable Reverend Councilmember Nicolas O'Rourke. I'm asking all guests and members to please stand. (Councilmembers, guests and visitors rise.)

In the name of the Lord, the Psalmist writes, it is a strong tower, the righteous run in and they are saved as we rise this morning with breath in our bodies, that you gave us activity in our limbs, that you gave us clarity of mind and precision of speech, that you gave us ability to do anything that we venture to do. Today that you gave us we invoke and we invite your presence into these proceedings. This, the people's work, that through it we might be reminded of the thread that brings us together, of the tie that actually binds us and makes us one. We confess that in this post-modern day and society in which we live, we have mostly rejected any sense of the common good, of a good and a great tradition upon which to base a common humanity. And so, we suffer. We repeat, almost addictively, the same patterns that produce and reproduce violence and suffering and emotional immaturity and low self-esteem and far too many premature deaths in our city. So inspiring us today, a remembrance of that great Christian proclamation of which this season bears witness, Christos Anesti, Christ is risen and the need for healing and resurrection is great, and it is needed in every aspect of our living that we might be what our Mayor wishes us to be, what you wish us to be, one Philly, a united city. May it be so in the name, in the nature of the priestess, we pray and everybody said Amen, Amen and Amen. (Amen.)

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

Thank you. The next order of business is the Approval of the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, May 8, 2025. The Chair recognizes Councilmember and Deputy Majority Whip Councilmember Cindy Bass.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, May 8, 2025 be approved. (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and properly seconded that the Journal Thursday, May 8, 2025 stand approved. All those in favor will indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

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

Thank you, Council President. On behalf of the Majority, a leave of absence is requested for Councilmember Dr. Anthony Phillips, Councilmember Lozada.

The Chair thanks the Majority Leader. Leave will be granted. The Chair recognizes Minority Leader Kendra Brooks.

Thank you, Council President. There are no requests for leave of absence today.

The Chair thanks the Councilmember. The Chair now recognizes Councilmember Majority Leader Gilmore Richardson for a motion concerning certain legislative matters that may arise during the course of today's session of Council and that were not listed on the Calendar circulated prior to session.

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

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

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it and the motion carries. The Chair will dispense with the regular order of business to recognize the guests and visitors joining us in chambers this morning. On behalf of all members of City Council, I welcome you to our Council session. We appreciate you taking the time to join us as we attend to the legislative affairs of our great city. We certainly invite you to come again. In the balcony we have students from the Revolution School civics class with their teacher, Joel Dankoff, located in the 2nd Councilmanic District. Can we have students? Please stand. Let's give them a round of applause. (Applause.)

They are here today witnessing democracy in action. I also want to acknowledge former member of City Council, the Honorable Jannie Blackwell, who's joining us today as well. (Applause.)

It's always a pleasure to see you. And as always, you are more than welcome back home into these chambers. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Jamie Gauthier.

Thank you, Council President. I want to recognize some special guests in the chamber. young women, Sari Hudson and Abini Johnson from West Philadelphia. They have received straight A's throughout their whole high school career and we want to recognize them for their accomplishments. Can you please stand? Can they stand? They're somewhere in here. (Applause.)

Straight A's?

Oh, they're being shy. And they are here with Tyree Williams, Dominic Walton, Amir Barber and Tone Barr from the Brotherhood Foundation. And these are men in our community who are changing the narrative, supporting young people and bringing a lot of positivity. Would you please stand as well? COUNCIL PRESIDENT JOHNSON: Let's give them a around of applause. (Applause.)

Thank you so much.

You're welcome. At this time, the Chair recognizes Councilmember Rue Landau, who will present a resolution honoring and recognizing and congratulating the Reinvestment Fund, a mission-driven Community Development Financial Institution committed to making communities work for all people on the occasion of its 40th anniversary. Would the President and CEO Don Hinkle-Brown and those accompanying him please join the Councilmember at the podium. Joining Councilmember Landau will be the following City Councilmembers: Majority Leader Gilmore Richardson; Majority Whip Thomas; Minority Whip Brooks; Councilmember Jamie Gauthier; Deputy Majority Whip Cindy Bass and Councilmember Mark Squilla and Councilmember Dr. Nina Ahmad. (Councilmembers, guests and visitors approached podium.)

Good morning, everyone. I'm proud today to recognize the Reinvestment Fund on their 40th anniversary. As a former tenant attorney and lifelong housing and civil rights advocate, I'm extremely honored to be the one presenting the Reinvestment Fund with an honorary resolution today. Since 1985, 40 years ago, the Reinvestment Fund has been a national leader in building stronger, more equitable and data-driven research. These efforts support the crucial needs that all communities need in order to prosper. Their work, investing in targeted and transformational projects, has helped millions of people across the country access critical services, stable housing, fresh food and live healthier, more prosperous and more successful lives. I've seen the ripple effect that disinvestment and redlining can have on low-income and minority communities throughout my career, but the work that the Reinvestment Fund does with local partnerships, building coalitions, studying the data and targeted financing solutions, these things aren't just a band-aid. This is in our city and make a lasting effect to create a better Philadelphia. Reinvestment Fund has transformed the landscape of affordable housing in Philly, having created, rehabilitated and preserved over 1000 homes. As a former housing attorney, I'm especially amazed at the work they've done in this sector. Beyond housing, they've also combated predatory lending, created access to healthy food and supported education equity from early childhood all the way up to higher education. The Reinvestment Fund was founded by visionary leaders, some of whom are here today, who are motivated by a deep love for Philadelphia and the kind of creative thinking that brings a new into our city and turning the tide. I think those of us who are elected to City Council share these values with Reinvestment Fund. Over four decades, Reinvestment Fund has invested billions into our neighborhoods and positively impacted millions of lives. They have been a partner to City Council and to the administration over many years, and the research and leadership has further developed our understanding of the city we are serving. We commend the Reinvestment Fund for the transformational leadership and tireless efforts to make communities work for all of us. Congrats on 40 years and here's to 40 more of your incredible work. (Applause.)

read -- with my colleagues, we're going to read the resolution. So I'm going to get started, and it's right here. Whereas, Reinvestment Fund was founded in 1985 in Philadelphia by civic leaders and community organizers including Eva Gladstein, Pat Smith and Joyce Wilkerson and other dedicated and active community members and organizations such as the Bread & Roses Community Fund, Ann Dooley, Reverend Dick Fernandez, Andy Lamas and Juhudi (Rudy) Tolbert, who recognized the power of people to make change; and

And whereas, originally named the Delaware Valley Community Reinvestment Fund and rebranded as the Reinvestment Fund TRF in 1999 and as 2015, Reinvestment Fund has created economic opportunities for 40 years through strategic investment and data-driven research to support the essential needs that all communities need to thrive; and

Whereas, Jeremy Nowak was appointed as the first President CEO where he served from 1985 to 2011. Jeremy championed a mission that united school teachers and executives, a mission that also united with the faith-based organizations, philanthropy, banks and government to invest in communities; and

Whereas, over the last 12 years, with the leadership of Donald Hinkle-Brown, President and CEO, Reinvestment Fund has Directed 500 million in financing and grants, 1.2 billion in projects supporting Philadelphia's needs for affordable housing, commercial real estate, community facilities, energy efficiency and food access; and

Whereas, Reinvestment Fund has been actively involved in funding affordable housing in Philadelphia, with 1050 housing units created, rehabilitated, acquired or preserved from 2013 to 2025. Reinvestment Fund has played a key role in exposing and protecting low-income and minority homeowners, tenants and communities from predatory lending practices, such as supporting the creation of the Appraisal Bias Task Force in 2021, the Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion program in 2008, serving as a key player in where housing inequities have disproportionately affected low-income and minority communities, leading the creation of the City of Philadelphia's market value analysis assessment of fair housing and supporting analysis of the City's property tax freeze for low-income homeowners; and

Whereas, Reinvestment Fund has prioritized food justice, recognizing that equitable access to fresh and healthy food is vital for community health and supported the creation of 32 healthy food retail establishments in Philadelphia; and

Whereas, Reinvestment has partnered with the City of Philadelphia to early years through higher education, supporting the expansion of highquality early childhood education (ECE) opportunities through initiatives like the Fund for Quality (FFQ) and Early Childhood Education Loan Fund, assisting providers of high-quality education in creating or preserving over 39,500 childcare seats, 9,000 K-12 seats and 2500 higher education seats across Philadelphia; and

Whereas, over 40 years of investment in Philadelphia, the region and across the country, Reinvestment Fund has made transformational contributions to equity and community development. Reinvestment Fund has invested over $3 billion into neighborhoods creating affordable homes, good children, access to healthy food for families and thriving businesses, created more than 18,000 jobs alone between 2013 and 2025 and positively impacted more than 4.4 million people; now, therefore, be it;

Resolved, by the Council of the City of Philadelphia that it, hereby honors, and recognizes and congratulates Reinvestment Fund on the occasion of its 40th anniversary for its partnership and investment to improve the City of Philadelphia. Further resolved, that an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Reinvestment Fund as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body. Congratulations, guys. (Applause.)

The floor is yours, sir. Mr. Brown, CEO of the Reinvestment Fund.

Thank you all so much. Founded in 1985, the Delaware Valley Community Reinvestment Fund could not have known just how important our relationship with Philadelphia would be in our development, growth, building expertise and impact. We were founded and grew through six mayoral administrations and dozens of Councilpersons' terms of Service. Thank you, Councilperson Rue Landau, for your thoughtfulness in this resolution. And thank you to all the Councilmembers who have voted in support of this resolution to will let the resolution speak for the scale of our mutual impacts where they are indeed not solo accomplishments. I would like to thank the City, the Mayor and the Council for the longlived, trusted relationship that we have forged over those years. It was here in Philadelphia that we learned that we could be an effective instrument of public policy, affordable housing, community, arts, education, sustainability, were each areas that we learned here in the City of Brotherly Love. We collaborated with policymakers here and we implemented investment strategies to further the community's political will. We took that idea that we could be an instrument of policy, and we took it to Harrisburg and we created the Fresh Food Financing Initiative. We took it to Trenton to create innovative affordable housing programs across New Jersey, and then we took it to Washington, D.C. where the Obamas asked us how to solve food access nationwide. Thank you for your continued support and especially for your inclusion of Reinvestment Fund in your trusted relationships as you grapple with policy issues, the need for greater justice and to deliver positive change for every Philadelphian. I'd like to introduce our Board Chair as well who has a word from our Board.

Thank you, Don. And good morning, everyone. Behar and I have the privilege of serving as Board Chair at Reinvestment Fund. On behalf of the Board, and we're joined here today by one of our board members Phyllis Kader in the back, we want to thank Councilmember Landau and the other members of City Council for this resolution. We really appreciate the recognition and support. I want to thank in particular Eva and Joyce and Pat and all the other founders who were instrumental in the creation of Reinvestment Fund. I want to thank in particular and pay honor to the memory of Jeremy Nowak, whose vision was instrumental and essential to the creation and growth of the organization. And I just want to close by saying that as proud as we are our work over the past 40 years and we know that much work remains to be done, so we are equally focused and energized on what we'll be doing over the next 40 years in terms of creating partnerships and supporting and investing in the work of this city and beyond. Thank you. (Applause.)

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

At this time, the Chair recognizes Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, who will present a resolution honoring Philadelphia Police Inspector Verdell Johnson for his retirement and years of service. Would Inspector Verdell him please join the Councilmember at the podium. Let's give Philadelphia's finest a round of applause, y'all. (Applause.)

Joining Councilmember Jamie Gauthier will be Councilmember Dr. Nina Ahmad, Councilmember Mark Squilla, Councilmember Rue Landau and Councilmember O'Neill. And this presentation is done on my behalf for Mr. Verdell Johnson, who I've known for many years for his hard work and dedication to keep not only the City of Philadelphia safe, but also the cadets who become Philadelphia police officers. He's done a great job in training and making sure they are more than qualified to (Councilmembers, visitors and guests approached podium.)

Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, the floor is yours.

Honoring Inspector Verdell Johnson for his retirement and years of service from the Philadelphia Police Department.

Whereas, Inspector Johnson, a lifelong resident of Southwest Philadelphia received an Associate's Degree in Nursing from Community College of Philadelphia and a Bachelor's Degree in Health Sciences from West Chester University; and

Whereas, following his education, the United States Marine Corps, receiving an honorable discharge after rising through the ranks to a sergeant; and

Whereas, after completing the police academy in 1989, Inspector Johnson worked extensively throughout Philadelphia, holding several progressively responsible leadership positions in the Philadelphia Police Department; and

Whereas, during his impressive career Inspector Johnson has worked for the Philadelphia Police Department in various leadership roles, most recently as the commanding officer of the recruitment background investigation divisions since January 2023 after serving as the and Education Service Division from March 2017 to January 2023; and

Whereas, Inspector Johnson's current role is his third command since being promoted in November 2012, with his first being the Commander of Southwest Police Division; and

Whereas, in 2003 Philadelphia Police Department recognized Inspector Johnson for heroic actions by awarding him the Medal of Valor, the Department's most prestigious medal for an active officer. You don't get better than that. Whereas, Inspector Johnson -- if you've ever been in this man's company, he's the real deal. Whereas, Inspector Johnson services, service at its highest level, inspiring Philadelphia's future leaders in law enforcement; now, therefore, be it;

Resolved, that the Council of the City of Philadelphia, and West Chester University grads everywhere, honors Inspector Verdell Johnson for his retirement and years of service for the Philadelphia Police Department. Let's give him a round of applause. (Applause.)

The Chair recognizes Inspector Verdell Johnson for remarks. INSPECTOR JOHNSON: Wow, I even get to say some words. I want to thank you, Council President. I want to thank you, Councilmembers, on this gracious honor. I never would have thought in 1988 this little skinny kid from Southwest Philadelphia would be standing before you today. So I want to thank God for bringing me to this point. I also want, since I'm in front of City Council, to thank you all because the last two years in recruitment, everyone knows there's a shortage of cops throughout the country. So in our last two years, with the help of City Council, they gave us some money, so money helps, money helps. So the first time in the history of the police department we now have a marketing firm that's helping us recruit officers. Last year we hired 369 police officers. (Applause.) JOHNSON: And that's the most amount of officers we hired since 2017. So we're going to help the Mayor with her goal of making this a cleaner, greener, safer city because we're going to continue to recruit. This year we anticipate hiring over 400 officers, so we're going to -- they're going to keep working. I laid the foundation and they're going to keep -- it's going to keep building that house. We're going to get this city, this city will be much safer. Trust me we're going to work hard at that. When they told me about this recognition, I had a choice between May 15th and May 29th. I chose May 15th because most of you don't know this, but this is Police Week. This is Police Week. So on today in Washington, D.C., on the they will call every officer who was killed in the line of duty last year. They will call their names. Often times the President will speak. Sadly, we had one officer, Sergeant Jamie Roman, that was killed in the 25th District last year. His name will be called. What I hope for moving forward, City Council, is somewhere around doing this Police Week y'all bring in some Philadelphia police officers -- I pray that it be decades before we have to put another Philadelphia police officer on that wall -- and just bring them in on police weekend. Just say thank you. So if you see a cop, just say thank you, thank you. Thank you because this is Police Week. It's a very hard job we do, and we do it well, and as we continue to partner with City Council. I know the city will be much safer. Part of when they read my bio, they talked about when I was in Southwest Police Division. And during that time, I had Councilwoman Blackwell, she was out there with me, and we had great numbers. For us we had 49 homicides. We're always judged by our numbers. That year, 2014, was the least amount of homicides in the city of Philadelphia in over 40 years. But guess what? This year we're topping those year's numbers. We're topping those numbers this year. So let's keep working together, City Council. And before I close, I just want to have a moment of silence, like I said, for all those officers that lost their lives last year. Thank you.

Members, stand please. Everyone stand. (Standing moment of silence.) INSPECTOR JOHNSON: Just thank you so much. And don't forget it's Police Day so thank an officer. Thank you. (Applause.)

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

At this time, the Chair recognizes Majority Leader Gilmore Richardson who will present a resolution on my behalf honoring the 50th anniversary of Odunde Day, the largest African American Street States and its impact on African American heritage, culture and community. Will Bumi Fernandez-West and those accompanying her please join Councilmember Majority Leader Gilmore Richardson at the podium. And -- y'all can clap. Somebody was getting ready to clap. (Applause.)

And joining Majority Gilmore Richardson is Dr. Nina Ahmad, Councilmember Mark Squilla, Councilmember Rue Landau, Councilmember Harrity and Councilmember Jamie Gauthier. (Councilmembers, guests and visitors approached the podium.)

Well, greetings and good morning. It's certainly our to present this resolution to the Bumi Fernandez-West for her continued hard work on the largest African American Street Festival in the United States of America. Let's give that a round of applause. (Applause.)

And we are honored to have here with us on this 50th anniversary not only Bumi Fernandez-West, but we have her husband and children here with us this morning. (Applause.)

So today on behalf of Council President Kenyatta Johnson, we present a resolution honoring the 50th anniversary of Odunde Day, the largest African American Street Festival in the United States of on African and African American heritage, culture and community.

And as somebody as a huge fan of Odunde Day and tries to go every year; Whereas, since the first Odunde organized in 1975 by Lois Fernandez and Ruth Arthur, the festival has become the largest and most influential African American festival in the United States, taking place in a 16-block area with two stages of live entertainment; and

Whereas, Odunde Day plays a pivotal role in celebrating African culture, fostering pride in African heritage and promoting cultural exchange through performances, music, food and arts; and

Whereas, the festival started as a small neighborhood event and now brings hundreds of thousands of individuals, including international participants from African nations, the Caribbean and Brazil to share in the presentation, which has become a national model for cultural street festivals in the United States; and

Whereas, Odunde Day serves as a platform to bring together many internationally known performers, dignitaries, folk artists and cultural leaders and significantly contributes to the economic and cultural development of our region; and

Whereas, Odunde Day has made significant contributions to initiatives, community empowerment and the preservation of African and African American history, inspiring individuals of all ages and backgrounds to embrace and celebrate the coming of another year; and

Whereas, the 50th anniversary of Odunde Day marks an extraordinary milestone in its history, reflecting its enduring legacy of celebration, unity and cultural pride; now, therefore, be it; Resolved, by the Council of the City of Philadelphia, that we hereby honor the 50th Anniversary of Odunde Day, the largest African American Street Festival in the United States and its impact on African and African American heritage, culture and community.

The Chair recognizes CEO of Odunde, Ms. Bumi Fernandez-West. (Applause.)

First of all, I want to give thanks to God and all the riches and ancestors who allowed me to be here today as we celebrate 50 years. I was strapped to my mother's back at the first Odunde Day. And I remember people laughing at my mom, telling my mom, oh, they'll never let you walk down South Street. They'll never let you have a festival there. And we have survived because of God. That is it. That's it. No, there's no one single person. There's not one single entity. And only God is the reason why Odunde has survived 50 years. Let that sit, in a half a any other African American street festival in the city of Philadelphia that has lasted that long? We have a $28 million economic impact on the City of Philadelphia, a $30 million economic impact on the state of Pennsylvania. We generate over $700,000 in tax revenue in a 10-hour period. No other cultural festival has those numbers. You can call Steve Mullin of Econsult Solutions, and he can confirm everything I'm saying to you right now. I want to give a special thank you to Mayor Parker. I want to give a special thank you to Council President Kenyatta Johnson. We are in his District. My mother came to me in a dream. She said, Bumi, it's ten -- he's ten toes Kenyatta Johnson it is because behind closed doors, Bumi, he is fighting for you. It's very easy to go on this microphone and say how much you love Bumi, how much you love Odunde Day. But if you're not helping us financially to keep my mother's legacy alive and if I stand here today with my son, who's the new COO of Odunde Day at 20 years old. (Applause.)

Okay. Yes. This is legacy here. This is legacy here. I need you to understand this. This is legacy. This is not Bumi. It's not no ego. This is legacy. I thank my husband because these last couple weeks is hard. I get on his last nerve. Thank you, Anthony. Thank you to my five them to see it because they see all the hours I put in. And I want them to see what hard work looks like. My daughter, I want her to see what it looks like. Her and my son, they lost their mother and father. My best friend died three years ago said, Bumi, please take care of my children. I work hard because every day they get up and they put a smile on their face, they put their uniform on when they go to school. They will never see their mother and father again. So I need you to understand what look what it looks like. I love you, Cianna. I love you, Adrian. Thank you. This is Biu and Anthony. There's always a team here. I thank the City Council. I thank you for Day, all of you. Thank you to everyone who comes to the tents at Odunde Day. We survive because of you. Thank you, Council President. Thank You, City Council. Thank You. (Applause.)

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

The next order of business is communications. The Chair requests that the Sergeantat-Arms deliver the messages from the Mayor to the Chief Clerk. Would the Chief Clerk please read the messages from the Mayor and any other communications in her possession.

To the President and members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, I am pleased to advise you that on May 14, 2025, I signed the following bills which were passed by Council at its session on May 1, 2025: 250207, 250242, 250243 and 250244. E. L. 1449, Section 4, as amended, to prevent and eliminate blight; authorizing the Director of Planning and of Commerce to file applications to obtain other grants from the Commonwealth; authorizing the Director of Commerce to use the Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program; and authorizing the Director of Planning and Development and the Director of Commerce to enter into all understandings and assurances contained in such applications and take all necessary action to accept the grants; all under certain terms and conditions. There are no further communications in my possession, Council President.

Thank you. The messages from the Mayor will be printed in the Journal. The next order of business is the introduction of bills and resolutions. The Chair recognizes Majority Leader Gilmore Richardson.

Good morning, Council President. Good morning, colleagues. Today I offer three bills on your behalf. One bill on behalf of Councilmember Quetcy Lozada and two resolutions on your behalf; one privileged and one non-privileged.

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

Just one second. An ordinance renaming the Wissinoming Recreation Center to the "Margaret Tartaglione Recreation Center" to honor the life and legacy of Margaret "Marge" Tartaglione, a pioneering public servant and leader in Philadelphia's politics.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

An ordinance calling for the creation of a Special Committee on Early Childhood Development to evaluate, support, and strengthen Philadelphia's early childhood care and education systems, with the goal of improving outcomes for children from birth through age five and addressing the broader issues of poverty, equity, and economic opportunity.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And an ordinance approving the Fiscal Year 2026 Capital Budget providing for expenditures for the capital purposes of the Philadelphia Gas Works, including the supplying of funds in connection therewith, and acknowledging receipt of the Revised Forecast of Capital Budgets for Fiscal Years 2027 through 2031, all under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

An ordinance approving the amendment of Fiscal Year 2025 Capital Budget providing for expenditures for the capital purposes of the Philadelphia Gas Works, including the supplying of funds in connection therewith, subject to certain constraints and conditions, and acknowledging the receipt of the Revised Forecast of Capital Budgets for Fiscal Years 2026 through 2030, as amended.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And an ordinance authorizing an increase in the non-electoral indebtedness of the City within the Pennsylvania constitutional limit; authorizing the Bond Committee to sell bonds at public or private negotiated sale, to provide funds toward various capital municipal purposes; providing for appropriations to the Sinking Fund Commission for the payment of such bonds; and authorizing agreements to provide credit or payment or liquidity sources for the bonds in connection with issuance of the bonds, and certain other actions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And a non-privileged resolution confirming the appointment of Ryan McAdams to serve on the Zoning Board of Adjustment.

This resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at the next session of Council. Council will be at ease. (Council at ease.)

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee. Council will be at ease. (Council at ease.)

Chair recognizes Councilmember Jamie Gauthier.

Good morning, Council President. Today I have three bills on your behalf.

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

An ordinance amending Section 14-802 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Motor Vehicle Parking Ratios," by removing residential parking ratio minimums for the CMX-4 and CMX-5 Zoning Districts, all under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And an ordinance amending Title 14 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Zoning and Planning" by revising and clarifying certain provisions and making technical changes, all under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And an ordinance amending Title 14 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Zoning and Planning, for the creation of a new zoning district entitled "RTA2, Residential Two-Family Attached", all under certain terms and conditions.

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

Good morning, Council President. Good morning, colleagues. Good morning to the listening public. Today I have one bill and one resolution. Thank you, Council President.

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

An ordinance amending Section 9-4103 of The Philadelphia Code, relating to "Promoting Healthy Families and Workplaces," to provide that employees covered by a bona fide collective bargaining agreement are eligible for paid and unpaid leave, all under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And a privileged resolution authorizing the Philadelphia City Council Committee on Education to hold hearings to investigate challenges and make recommendations for a strategic plan for the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts.

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

Good morning, Council President, colleagues and the public today. I have four privileged resolutions.

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

A privileged resolution declaring May 21, 2025, as Frank Kameny Day in the City of Philadelphia.

Thank you very much. This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.

And a privileged resolution recognizing May 28, 2025, as LGBTQ+ Domestic Violence Awareness Day in the City of Philadelphia to shed light on domestic, family, and intimate partner violence in LGBTQ+ communities.

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

And a privileged resolution declaring May 16, 2025, as National Honor Our LGBTQ+ Elders Day in the City of Philadelphia, a day to recognize and celebrate the contributions of LGBTQ+ elders who have been pivotal in the fight for justice, equity, and rights for every member of the LGBTQ+ community.

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

And a privileged resolution declaring 2025 as Pride Month in the City of Philadelphia.

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

Thank you, Mr. President. Today I offer two privileged resolutions, one of which is on your behalf, two non-privileged resolutions and two bills.

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

An ordinance amending Section 9-213 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Farmers' Markets" by changing the boundaries of a permissible location on North 22nd Street, all under certain terms and conditions

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And an ordinance Amending Section 10-810 of the Philadelphia Code entitled "Weapons and Dangerous Devices," by revising and clarifying unlawful weapons and dangerous devices and unlawful conduct, and making technical changes; all under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And a privileged resolution honoring the life and legacy of Qidere Johnson, known professionally at LGP Qua - a Philadelphia Rapper who used his platform to speak out against gun violence and became widely recognized as the Voice of the Youth.

Can we have a standing moment of silence. This was a young man known for the voice of the youth. Life was tragically taken. Honoring his life and memory. (Standing moment of silence.)

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

And a privileged resolution recognizing the month of May 2025 as National Foster Care Month in the City of Philadelphia.

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

And a non-privileged resolution also naming the 1900 block of North Judson Street as "Sister Mary Scullion Way."

This resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at our next session of Council.

And a non-privileged resolution also naming Firth Street between 15th Street and Sydenham Street as "Earl Young Way."

This resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at our next session of Council. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Minority Leader Kendra Brooks.

Thank you, Council President. I have one privileged resolution and one non-privileged.

Thank you very much. Would the Chief Clerk please read the titles of the privileged and non-privileged resolutions.

A privileged resolution recognizing May as Lupus Awareness Month in the City of Philadelphia. COUNCIL PRESIDENT JOHNSON: This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.

And a non-privileged resolution calling on the federal government to maintain its anti-trust litigation that would break up Meta's social media monopoly.

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

Thank you, Mr. President. I do have one privileged resolution to introduce today.

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

A privileged resolution honoring the election of Pope Leo XVII as the 276th Pope, and celebrating his connections to the Philadelphia area -- XIV. I'm sorry. I'd be in trouble if it was the XVII Pope Leo. The XIV. Sorry.

This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. Will the Chief Clerk please read the next resolution.

I'm finished.

Chair recognizes Councilmember Driscoll.

Morning, Mr. President. I have one privileged resolution and one non-privileged resolution.

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

An ordinance continuing the Mayfair Business Improvement District ("District") beyond its termination date in an area that generally includes both sides of Frankford Avenue from the north side of Harbison Avenue to the south side of Sheffield Street and certain blocks of streets that intersect that portion of Frankford Avenue; approving a change of the boundaries of the District to include 6700 Rowland Avenue to the service area; approving a change of boundaries of the District to remove from the service area 4014 through 4034 Robbins Street as well as 3501 through 3539 Ryan Avenue; continuing the Mayfair Business Improvement District, Inc., a Pennsylvania non-profit corporation, as the neighborhood improvement district management association for the District; approving a plan for and report concerning the District; authorizing the Director of Commerce, on behalf of the City, to execute an agreement with the Mayfair Business Improvement District, Inc. relating to the District; and reauthorizing the Mayfair Business Improvement District, Inc. to assess property owners within the District a special property assessment fee to be used in accordance with the approved plan; all in accordance with the provisions of the Community and Economic Improvement Act, and under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And a privileged proclaiming May 2025 as Dual Asian American Pacific Islander and Jewish American Heritage Month in Philadelphia to pay tribute to the rich history and significant contributions made by generations of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and Jewish Americans to our Country, Commonwealth, and City.

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

And a non-privileged resolution initiating action to continue the Mayfair Business Improvement District beyond its termination date in an area that generally includes both sides of Frankford Avenue from the north side of Harbison Avenue to the south side of Sheffield Street and certain blocks of streets that intersect that portion of Frankford Avenue; and for which Mayfair Business Improvement District, Inc., a Pennsylvania nonprofit corporation, serves as the Neighborhood Improvement District Management Association; approving a preliminary plan for and report concerning the District; and authorizing and directing the Committee on Rules and the Clerk of Council to take all actions that are required by the Community and Economic Improvement Act, prior to enactment of an ordinance that would formally establish the District.

This resolution will be placed on the Final --

(Inaudible).

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

Chair recognizes Councilmember O'Neill.

Mr. President, I have one bill.

Will the Chief Clerk please read the title.

An ordinance amending Title 12 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Traffic Code," to add provisions related to vehicle parking in front of a fire hydrant, to provide for the removal or immobilization of such vehicles and for other penalties, and to make related technical changes, all under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee. I apologize. I want to acknowledge Councilmember Jim Harrity.

Oh, I have nothing today, Council President. Thank you, my brother. I just figured you knew I didn't have anything.

You're welcome, sir. Just want to make sure I'm acknowledging you. Chair recognizes Councilmember Mark Squilla.

Thank you, Mr. President. I have one bill and one non-privileged.

Thank you very much. Well the Chief Clerk read the titles of the bill and resolution.

An ordinance authorizing encroachments in the nature of a sidewalk café in the vicinity of 762 South 9th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And a non-privileged resolution also naming 7th Street between Bigler Street and the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) as "SEYAA Way" to honor the Southeast Youth Athletic Association.

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

Thank you, Mr. President. Today I offer two bills and two non-privileged resolutions, one of which is co-authored with my colleague Dr. Nina Ahmad. COUNCIL PRESIDENT JOHNSON: Thank you very much. Would the Chief Clerk please read the titles the bills and resolutions.

An ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property, on behalf of the City of Philadelphia, to acquire fee simple title or a lesser real estate interest in and to all or a portion of the properties known as 4368, 4370, 4372, 4374 Germantown Avenue, all under certain terms and conditions.

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

That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And an ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property, on behalf of the City of Philadelphia, to acquire fee simple title or a lesser real estate interest in and to all or a portion of the properties known as 1911, 1913, 1915, 1917, 1919, 1921, 1923, 1925 and 1927 Cayuga Street, all under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And a privileged resolution authorizing the Committee on Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs to hold a hearing to explore strategies for incorporating youth voices in Parks and Recreation advisory councils and decision-making processes.

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

And a privileged resolution authorizing the Special Committee on Child Separation and the Committee on Health and Human Services to hold a joint hearing to investigate the recent provisional licensing status of the Philadelphia Department of Human Services and the Philadelphia Juvenile Justice Services Center, and to examine the implications of alleged misconduct, breaches of confidential information, and overall child safety within Philadelphia's juvenile detention and child welfare systems.

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

Thank you, Council President. I have one privileged resolution.

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

A privileged resolution recognizing and celebrating the 2025 Philippine Independence Week Celebration in Philadelphia, taking place from June 7th to June 21st.

This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. The next order of business is reports -- Council will be at ease. (Council at ease.)

Thank you, sir. Mr. Parliamentarian kind of makes sure we're operating smoothly. You got me, Kathy?

(Inaudible).

On our parliamentarian procedures. The next order of business is reports from committee. The Chair recognizes Majority Leader Councilmember Gilmore Richardson for a report from the Committee of the Whole.

Thank you, Mr. President. The Committee of the Whole reports out five resolutions with a favorable recommendation.

Thank you very much. Would the Chief Clerk please read the report.

Committee of Whole to which were referred the following resolutions: Resolution No. 250403, resolution appointing Chris Collum to the Board of Directors of the Center City District. Resolution 250404, a resolution appointing Allan Domb to the Board of Directors of the Center City District. Resolution 250405, a resolution appointing Jim Pearlstein to the Board of Directors of the Center City District. Resolution No. 250406, a resolution reappointing Carol Watson to the Board of Directors of District; and Resolution 250407, a resolution reappointing Tina Byles Williams to the Board of Directors of the Center City District, respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached resolutions to Council with a favorable recommendation. There are no further resolutions to report out from the Committee of the Whole, Council President.

Thank you. These resolutions will be placed in the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at our next session of Council. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Young for a report from the Committee on Streets and Services.

Thank you, Mr. President. The Committee on Streets and Services reports out 11 bills with a favorable recommendation.

Thank you. Will the Chief Clerk please read the title of the report. That's 11 bills with a favorable recommendation; that's correct, sir?

Yes, sir.

Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes the Chief Clerk.

The Committee on Streets and Services to which were referred the following bills: Bill No. 250273, 12 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Traffic Code," to revise procedures for operation of an automated vehicle noise enforcement system and creating Section 12-1138, entitled "Automated Vehicle Noise Enforcement". Bill No. 250327, an ordinance authorizing an encroachment in the nature of a staircase in the vicinity of 5313 Haverford Avenue Philadelphia PA, 19139, under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 250367, an ordinance amending Section 2 of an Ordinance (Bill No. 180560), approved July 10, 2018, entitled "An Ordinance Authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 250 by striking from the City Plan and portion of Montour Street from Adams Avenue to Foulkrod Street, under certain terms and conditions" by extending the period for compliance with the terms and conditions stated therein. Bill No. 250368, an ordinance authorizing an encroachment in the nature of planters and benches in the vicinity of 2300 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 250369, an ordinance authorizing various encroachments in the vicinity of 2700 South 10th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19148, under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 250370, an ordinance authorizing an encroachment in the nature of a of 1855 Gladstone Street, Philadelphia, PA 19145, under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 250377, an ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 306 by striking from the City Plan and vacating Brill Street from Richmond Street to Salmon Street, striking from the City Plan and vacating Salmon Street from Brill Street to the northeasterly required right-of-way line of Bridge Street, and reserving and placing on the City Plan rights-of-way for various public utility purposes and authorizing acceptance of the grant to the City of the said public utility rights-of-way, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 250381, an in the nature of pedestrian lights in the vicinity of 416-38 Spring Garden St, Philadelphia, PA 19123, under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 250382, an ordinance establishing parking regulations on the 1000 block of Ludlow street between 10th Street and 11th Street, under certain terms and conditions, respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bills to Council with a favorable recommendation. Bill No. 250325, an ordinance amending subsection 9-203 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Street Vendors," by permitting vendors licensed to operate on certain City streets from certain otherwise prohibited conduct; all conditions; and Bill No. 250374, an ordinance authorizing encroachments in the nature of a sidewalk café in the vicinity of 115 E Girard Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125, under certain terms and conditions, respectfully reports it has considered and amended the same and returns the attached bills to Council with a favorable recommendation. There are no further bills to report out from the Committee on Streets and Services, Council President.

Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Young for a motion.

Thank you, Mr. President. rules of Council be suspended to permit first reading on this day of the bills just read into the record by the Chief Clerk. (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended so that to permit the consideration of these bills just read by the Chief Clerk of today's session of Council. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. The motion carries. And these bills 2ND READING will be placed in our First Reading Calendar for today. The next order of business is the consideration of the Calendar. I note that the bills just read from the committees with the suspicion of the rules have been deemed to have had a first reading. These bills will be placed on the Second Reading Calendar and Final Passage Calendar for the next session of Council. As there are no additional bills on the First Reading Calendar, the Chair recognizes Majority Gilmore Richardson for the purpose of calling the bills and resolutions on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendars.

Thank you, Mr. President. 2ND READING The following bills and resolutions are being called up from the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendars today: Nos. 250461, 250504, 250507, 250509 and 250510. The following bills and resolutions on the Calendar are being held: 250303, 250444, 250505, 250266 and 250267.

Thank you. Before considering these bills and resolutions, we will consider public comment as follows: Your public comment must concern matters on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendars for possible action in today's council session. All speakers must sign up in order to testify. If you have not already signed up for today's session, please do so now by giving your name to Ms. Hasson at the table outside the rails to my left. Once you have signed up, you will be called in an order in which your name appears on the sign-up sheet. Under ideal circumstances, public commenters will each have three minutes to speak. However, this time limit may vary from session-to-session. Today the time limit will be three minutes. In order to be fair to all those wishing to speak, I intend to hold faithfully to the three-minute limit. When you begin speaking, you will see a green light on the podium. When there are 30 seconds remaining to your time, the light will turn yellow, which is your reminder to conclude your remarks. Once three minutes have passed, the light will turn red and the Sergeant-at-Arms will disconnect the microphone. At that point, please yield the podium to the next speaker if you have not done so already. I also reserve the right pursuant to our rules of Council to limit repetitious comments on the same subject matter. I'm going to ask first for the mother of LGP Qua, Qidere Johnson, Ms. Tamara Davis, to please come on up, the aunt Ms. Keisha Washington, and Philadelphia's own Freeway to please come on up to the microphone and any other family members who are speaking on the resolution honoring the life and legacy of the Voice of the Youth, LGP Qua, Mr. Qidere Johnson. (Witnesses approached podium.)

And please state your name for the record before you give your testimony.

My name is Tamara Davis. I'm the mother of my only son, Qidere Johnson. So I just want to thank all y'all for having me here and everything. I just want to say that -- so I want to talk to myself but I know -- I just want to say my son was so loved by just his kids and myself, his family and friends. I just want to say that it's so hard for me because I speak on a lot of this and I, like, I love animals and I, like, one of them type of people, I always gave back and stuff, me and my son. And it's hard because I know my son he had a charisma that would have lit this room up, you know, his personality and stuff. When he came, he was, like, his heart was big. He was my world. And my son always told me -- I'm glad before actually this the bond of me and him. So you always gave me like before, all of this like mine, you know, I'm giving you my flowers here, you know, before anything. And everyone that know how it's always been me and my son, and I took great honor in that and also, my son did that too, respect, you know, first and foremost, God first. So it's hard for me. I just want to say I love my son. You know, thank ya'll. (Applause.)

Good morning, Council. Good morning Council President. Y'all know me. I've been here a lot of times, but this time is not a happy time for me. Like, we really got to do better in our city, man. This senseless violence is getting out of control. Qua was a good young bull. He had a good message, a positive message. He should be protected. He shouldn't have to go through those things in the city. We really have to do better. And as y'all know, and maybe some of y'all don't know, I lost my son in 2020 to these streets. And it's hard to talk about. I talk about my daughter. I lost my daughter to cancer. That's something that everybody can relate to. That's something that can happen to anybody, but I barely talk about what happened to my son. And I lost my son to these streets because he had an addiction. And we was fighting, fighting trying to get him in a better place and he was in a better place. And then one day he just went left, and it was nothing we could do about it. No one is exempt from this. I'm a celebrity. I lost my son to these same streets that she lost her son to. And we got to do better. Whatever we got to do we got to come together and do better because this doesn't make any sense. People are losing their children every day to these streets, and it's rough. And that's one of the reasons why I started Freedom Thinkers Academy to help young people do better and get off the streets. And I'm just one person trying. So if I can try, each and every one of us can try. We got to come together. This is the City of Brotherly Love. We got to show that. We got to come together and we got to do better. I'm so sorry you lost your son. I'm so sorry you. Got to put God first and stay strong. May God be in your corner. We in this together.

Yes, thank you so much.

Stay strong.

Thank you. (Applause.) UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: I'm not going to be up here long. Good morning, everybody. I'm Qua's mom's first cousin. It's just a sad time for everybody. Like we said, everybody, y'all got to put these guns down. Nobody should die from gun violence. Whether they're in the streets, not in the streets, whatever the case may be like, just put the guns down. And it's a shame that my cousin had to lose his life over the stuff that he rapped about every day on a daily basis. So rap about this stuff, read this stuff, this is all he talked about was the youth, the youth. You can read my shirt, read my cousin's shirt, he was the voice of the youth. He was the youth. And there's so many people that looked up to him, so many people that respected him and is going to continue even when he's not here. Once we put him in the ground and everything is said and done, I need y'all to still support, please support, not just for her, other mothers that lost their children. Like Freeway just said, it's going to be more murders and more and more. We can't stop it, but we can try to do something. We can try to keep his name alive. And he has two children. His mother, this is our only child.

And I was my dad's only child. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: But I just thank y'all. Like I said, once everything is said and done just don't forget about her, don't forget about the other mothers that's out here that have to go through this. And this jewelry is material. Like the point is even if y'all took this man's chain, what were y'all going to do with it? Everybody in the world -well, not world, but everybody knows who that is. You can't put it on, you can't take a selfie with it, you can't go sell it. You couldn't do any of these things with that man's chain.

And they took him on Mother's Day. So my Mother's Day would never be the same because I'm still waiting for my son to walk up the street and give me my hug. And they took, you know, so -- UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Thank y'all.

Thank y'all so much. (Applause.)

Hi, everybody. I am going to try hard as I can to hold back the tears. Number one, I want to thank Council President for making sure this resolution was here. I want to thank Councilwoman Bass because when he was living, we celebrated him. And I especially want to thank my partner in crime Councilwoman Brooks because we knew that baby. I did some publishing for Qua. And I'm going to tell you a story really quickly about him. He was more than a rapper. Our child, because he was our baby, showed up at colleges and talked about the violence in the streets. He talked to children, high school kids in Chester, Pennsylvania. He stood out and gave one of his first endorsement check. Instead of spending that money, he gave it to his school and elementary school, Edward T. Steel School, $10,000, and he brought 300 Puma sneakers to those children. I pulled up on the Avenue and I'm like, why are you out here on the street? Oh, we got to give water ice to all the kids out here, Nick. That's who Qidere was. He was more than a young man. He was a brilliant lyricist, but he was an advocate. He was a community leader. He wanted to pull Philly up. I told him sometimes, you got to pull Philly up on your own first and then you can do it. But the very streets he loved took him down and my heart is broken. We have to do more. We have buried at least 40 kids in the last 10 years. I'm tired. So the accountability belongs to all of us, right. I have mercy -- I pray for mercy on those kids that got out of that car and took that young man's life, because their life is -- if they don't understand what life is, they're about to understand. We have to do more. It is not just the job of City Council. It is not just the job of our State Representatives. It is the job of everybody sitting in this place. Because when it's one person's problem, it's everybody's issue. (Applause.)

We're running demons in the street. These kids need light, more than Instagram posts, more than RIP. There has to be action. I am hurt. I would get up early in the morning with Qidere and he would say, Nick, what's good in the hood, what we doing today. We had interviews that he sat down and talked about what he needed and what he wanted to do. And everything in his mouth was selflessness. He wanted to make sure that he ran and got everybody up. We can't save everybody. But what we can do is make sure that Qidere's memory and his children, Philly will never forget him. We got to stop coming together like this. This is painful. This hurts. This hurts me because the neighborhoods that I grew up in I still live in. I said, I'm not leaving. Why? Because my accountability belongs to Philadelphia. It belongs to Nicetown. It belongs to Tioga. We got to stop playing, y'all. He died with a shotgun in his chest. He died in a hospital that has one of the most gunshot victims in the city. I'm tired of these bodies. Thank you, Council President, for always leading this charge for our babies. Help me. Help us. Continue to help us. (Applause.)

Thank y'all.

Thank you. And to Mr. Tamara Davis and Nikki Bagby, and I think I could take a personal privilege to talk about in the near future, it's in Councilmember Jeffrey Jay Young's -- do you want to talk about it, Mr. Young, your next steps in terms of honoring the life and legacy of LGP Qua, Mr. Qidere Davis?

Thank you, Mr. President. We will be coming to that community to talk to members around there to honor his life by renaming the street after him. So just know that that's something that's coming in the future. (Applause.)

And that will be in partnership with your colleague Councilmember Kendra Brooks.

Absolutely, with Councilmember Brooks leading the charge on this. Thank you so much.

Thank you. Would the Chief Clerk please call the next person. Let's give the mom another round of applause, y'all. Let's lift her up. Show her some support. (Applause.)

One thing I know more than anything else, and what makes this particular issue very, very painful is because this was a young man in strong character. And for me to know him was to love him, just based upon how he gave up himself to really inspire these young people. And so, if any of you out here who do not know who he is and kind of wondering why we're taking this moment to honor and uplift this family, just go online and look up his videos and you'll see him speaking day-in and day-out with positive messages around trying to uplift his generation of young people. Chief Clerk, please resume.

I apologize if I'm repeating any names of people who spoke. Keisha Washington, Pastor Carl Day, Cynthia Johnson. May Shana Williams, Nikki Bagby, Jeremy Blatstein and Noam Osband also make their way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.)

Hello. My name is Jeremy Blatstein. Last Thursday our city suffered another tragic and preventable loss. Jeffrey Ishibashi, a 50-year-old cyclist was riding his bike on Baltimore Avenue in West Philadelphia when he was struck and killed by a construction truck. He was riding in the painted bike lane without any physical protection when the truck turned across his path. This was not just an accident. It was the result of a city that continues to treat painted lines as protection. They're not. Protected bike lanes, those with physical barriers, dramatically reduce crashes and save lives. Jeffrey's death is a reminder that every day we delay building protected bike infrastructure we put more lives at risk. Philadelphia must act now, not after another obituary. And just days later, we lost another Philadelphia to preventable violence. Qidere Johnson, known as LGP Qua, was a powerful community advocate and rapper who called himself the Voice of the Youth. He was shot and killed during a robbery attempt. LGB Qua dedicated his life to uplifting others, speaking out against gun violence and promoting positivity in Philadelphia. Now, his voice is gone, silenced by the very violence he opposed. He is one of the 3000 people who have been killed over the last seven years. It's time for change now. No more of the status quo. Whether on a bike or on a block, no one should fear for their life simply moving through their neighborhood. We must invest in safety, in infrastructure, in violence prevention and in the people who are trying to make Philadelphia better. We owe that to Jeffrey, we owe that to Qidere and we owe that to every person who still believes that this city can change. And the last thing I'll say is raise your hand, because we're talking about SEPTA, raise your hand if you rode SEPTA in the last week. We got some great hand raises from the audience. SEPTA is so important, right. We need to make sure that SEPTA is funded. Call your Congress person, call your Senator because he make sure you know how important SEPTA is. Ride the ride. Thank you. (Applause.)

Ny name is Noam Osband. I'm here to talk about the bills that Councilwoman Gauthier introduced about the protected bike lane on 47th Street. I've never given comment before. This is my first time, but I'll tell you why I'm here. This is a picture of my two kids. This is Dahlia and this is Zeb. Although Zeb insists sometimes as being called Saquon Barkley, because he's a good kid and he's a Philadelphia kid. And they're eating ice cream outside of the Kingsessing ice cream store, which is on 47th Street because that's right next to their school. I bike them to school every day, unless it's raining cats and dogs. I feel safe biking them home because I go up 48th Street where there's a protected bike lane. I do not feel safe when I bike them to school. There is no good north, south bike lane that can get them to school. I have been hit almost a couple times. There was one time I remember specifically where I thought like is this going to be it as this pickup truck is zooming ahead of me to try to get a little bit ahead, and that was absolutely terrifying. In some ways what seems almost sadder than the fact that -or more depressing that there's no safe way for me to do it is I picture what they're going to be like when they're older and they're teenagers and I want them to learn to ride bikes. And then I think to myself how am I going to have them ride bikes in this city and in West Philly where I'm raising my family, when there's no real safe way to do that. And that's really terrifying to me, as somebody who really loves this city and somebody who is really happy to be raising their kids in this city. As the person before me talked about, last week there was a cyclist who was killed in West Philadelphia. They were in a bike lane, but it was an unprotected bike lane. And I'd be lying if I didn't say I think to myself sometimes when I'm on the bike every day as I am with my kids, like, is that going to happen to me. Because there are so many places in the city where stuff almost happens. And I'm asking you guys to try to make it safer for Dolly and little Saquon. And I really want to thank our Councilwoman who's been really thoughtful and a real leader about making cycling safer in the city, and take it home for them. Thank you so much. (Applause.)

May we also have Sade Nichols, Maxwell Saul, Jordan Teicher, Chris Aho and Ebony McCoy also make their way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.)

Good afternoon or good morning, everyone. My name is Shana Williams. I am the Director of Operations at the Attic Youth Center. Those who are not familiar we are the only free-standing LGBTQ youth center in this region, have been around for more than 30 years. I'm here to speak on the domestic violence, LGBTQ domestic violence. And just want to say that the Attic has done tremendous work in addressing what many of our youth experience in terms of domestic violence, and in particularly intimate partner violence. I think it is important that we not only recognize the impact of violence amongst LGBTQ youth in general, but also what I'd like to say is the lack of response or underresponding when folks seek support. It is imperative that we recognize that our youth, particularly LGBTQ youth, already face so many more variables and barriers in terms of what they need to do to survive, particularly when they are ostracized from family and support. So I am here just to support the initiative and just to affirm that our youth, our LGBTQ youth particularly, including Black and Brown LGBTQ youth, need the support. Thank you. (Applause.)

Good morning, Council. My name is Cynthia Johnson, and I am the founder of Give Me My Roses, the nonprofit. First, I would like to start off with everybody please standing to give Qua his recognition please. Let's all stand, clap and give Qua his recognition for positivity because this is what my nonprofit is about, positivity, giving us our roses while we're here. (Applause.)

I am here today -- thank you so much. Thank you. I know it took y'all a lot to get out your seats, but thank you. I am here today because we opened up a Hope Museum. This Hope Museum is down at 1806 South Broad Street, and we came up with this idea in November. It is now starting to get some recognition. So what we did, we wanted to honor Qua a week before his passing. We did hit him in the DM to come to be a spotlight feature at the Hope Museum. Let me tell you what the Hope Museum is about. It's a place where the youth can come to. It's a happy place. It's a place where they chant, clap for each other. We pray. It's not necessary, but we pray there. We give roses to each other verbally. They all tell their meaning on the red carpet of hope, and that is so important because of everything that's going on out here in the world today. These kids need hope. And this is why we opened this Hope Museum. We also acknowledge adults to come. If you have an inspiring story, to come to speak to these children here at the Hope Museum. We did an exhibit on Qua. We have a whole wall at the Hope Museum, an exhibit on Qua. We recognized JoJo and the Broom Man that was with Gillie and the Eagles just a couple weeks ago with the help of Mr. Philadelphia here in the audience. We recognized those two gentlemen, and that recognition Gillie the Kid reached out and honored me, the founder the Hope Museum with this (inaudible). And I was so proud of this, because again we're getting some recognition. So what I would like to do -- oh, one more thing. Also, the noggin boss, which is the big hat you all see Gillie wear. They are donating one of their hats to Qua -- all right. Okay. So with that said, the Hope Museum is here. If you would like to speak, givememyroses is the website. Thank you so very much. (Applause.)

Council will be at ease. (Council at ease.) COUNCILWOMAN GILMORE RICHARDSON: Sir, Council is at ease. I'll let you know when it's your time to continue. Thank you very much. Sir, please proceed.

Thank you. My name is Max Saul. I live at 48th and Warrington in West Philadelphia. Not nearly enough streets in Philadelphia are safe and comfortable for pedestrians, bikers, wheelchair users, parents with strollers and everybody else traveling outside and even inside of a car. Councilmember Gauthier, your leadership on road safety and biker and pedestrian improvements specifically, has been incredible. The recent changes on West Chestnut and Walnut Streets and 48th Street are groundbreaking examples for the city, beyond what I expected was possible when I moved to Philadelphia. So many of my neighbors have mentioned how much better their experience at 48th Street has been since the redesign. I never biked on 48th Street before, but now with the parking protected bike lane, I have an enjoyable start to all of my bike trips. However, there remains no safe option for traveling back home going southbound. So please advance Bills 250266 and 250267 to improve safety for all users on 47th Street. Thank you. (Applause.)

Hello. My name is Jordan Teicher. I live on Larchwood Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets in West Philly. Here to speak in favor of Bills 250266 and '267 to create a protected bike lane on 47th Street. Quick story to explain why. A few weeks ago I had to take my 17-month-old son Ezra from my home to a morning pediatrician appointment at CHOP Karabots, and then take him directly to day care at 42nd and Spruce. I need to do this quickly so I could get back to work as soon as possible. To make this journey, I could either drive, walk, bike or take public transit. The fastest option would be to drive. That's five minutes to the doctor and five minutes at day care. But I'm mindful of my environmental footprint and it seemed wasteful to drive such a short distance. The second fastest option, by a little bit, is biking. So that's what we did. I got my son in his seat, which is attached to my bike, and we rode over to CHOP, mostly using the protected bike lane on 48th Street. It was fast and safe. But coming back south from CHOP was dicey because there's no protected bike lane going south. We used protected bike lanes going east, but there were parts of the journey that were just unsafe. Philadelphians deserve transportation options that are convenient, sustainable and safe. We shouldn't have to choose one priority over another. That's why I strongly support making 47th Street safe for cyclists and everyone else who uses the road. I want to thank Councilmember Gauthier for her leadership on this issue and thank you for the opportunity to speak. (Applause.)

Good morning, Council. My name is Chris Aho. And I'm here today to support Bills 250266 and '267, legislation that removes one driving lane from South 47th Street and replaces it with a separated bike lane. I live on a cul-de-sac, which can only be accessed by 47th Street. And this project will have a significant positive impact on my life. The new configuration of the street will reduce dangerous speeding, improve crossing distances for pedestrians and create a new high-quality bike lane that will be safe and comfortable for people of all ages and abilities to use. 47th Street is part of the city's High Injury Network, and it is essential that these safety upgrades be implemented soon. In July of last year, my neighbor Lily Natte was struck while trying to cross 47th Street. The driver of that car had run a red light. And Lily died two weeks later. In the future I would like to see these safety upgrades and bike lane upgrades extended along all of South 47th Street up to the Grays Ferry Bridge. This would create new bicycling access and help calm traffic in front of the Children's Community School, Johnson's Playground and numerous homes and businesses. It would also improve the connection with the multi-use path on the Grays Ferry Bridge, which ties in with the Schuylkill River Trail which is about to grow thanks to the new bridge. I want to thank City Council for hearing my testimony and I especially want to thank Councilmember Gauthier and her staff who have tirelessly engaged with the community about this project during the past two years. Thank you. ) MS. McCOY: Good morning, Councilmembers, colleagues and members of the community. My name is Ebony McCoy. Today I stand not just as an advocate for Lupus Awareness, but as a living, breathing testimony of God's grace and resilience. I was diagnosed with SLE, systemic Lupus erythematosus, in November of 2017. It is a chronic autoimmune disease where the body's immune system mistakenly attacks his own tissues and organs. At the time, I didn't fully understand the weight of what that meant. Since then I've battled flare-ups, fatigue, joint pain and days were getting out the bed felt like climbing a mountain with no end in sight. But through it all I've continued to show up. I show up as a wife, a mother, as a public servant and as a warrior pressing through with a smile. And above all, I show up as a daughter of the Most High God sustained by His grace and clothed in his strength. Lupus is an invisible and unpredictable disease. I can look perfectly fine on the outside while crying out in pain on the inside, but I give all glory and honor to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He has kept me thus far and carried me through the storm and continues to equip me daily. There's a quote that resonates deeply with me, "She wore her scars as her best attire, a stunning dress made of hell fire. Because behind every scar, there is survival. " I want to give a heartfelt thank you to my Minority Leader Kendra Brooks and the whole Team Brooks squad. Thank you for leading with compassion, for championing this resolution and consistently showing care not just for our physical but for our emotional, mental and spiritual health. And I want to give a shout-out to the Lupus Foundation of America for everything that they do within that organization. And to my husband and children, my family and friends, thank you for holding me up, praying for me, loving me through the highs and the lows. Your support has been my anchor.

If you know someone battling Lupus or any chronic illness, send some extra love to them today, because we may not always complain but this battle takes its toll. And although we may have shortcomings, God has called us victor, not victim, and we are worthy to walk in that promise every single day. So I leave you with this scripture, 2nd Corinthians 12 Verse 9, But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, For my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boost all the more clearly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may rest on me. Thank you. )

We have Virginia Hogman. Kate Perez, Lynn Landes, Paul Birdsong and David Alexander Jenkins, make their way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.)

I'm Lynn Hogman, a resident of the 4700 block of Windsor Avenue speaking in opposition to Bills 250266, and 250267. I want to call the City Council's attention critical relevant information concerning 47th Street, the street these bills seek to radically alter. These bills have been presented the choice of 47th Street for a bike lane as opposed to other suitable streets that could provide southbound or northbound bike lane, as been presented as a safety issue, that there is a safety problem with 47th Street. That is simply not true. 47th Street is not a street that PennDOT has found dangerous. I have brought with me and given to the Sergeant-at-Arms for distribution to City Council copies of the pages of the State Safety Assessment that list all the streets in Philadelphia that the state has found dangerous. 47th Street is not anywhere on that list. While OTIS has classified 47th Street, among many, many streets in this city as High Injury Network, examination of OTIS's own map shows that this is based on a total of three accidents, none of which was in the area south of Baltimore Avenue and north of Kingsessing and none of which involved bicycles. Indeed they show substantially more accidents on Kingsessing, which OTIS does not classify as high injury or seek to disrupt. In addition, OTIS's classification was based on data before installation of speed bumps on 47th Street, and there's no evidence that there is a safety issue that is not remedied by the speed bumps. Moreover, OTIS has now disclosed that it intends to remove 20 to 40 parking spaces in the area of Windsor and Springfield because of peculiarities about that intersection that make it uniquely unsuitable for reducing lanes and installing a protected bike lane. That sort of destruction of parking would not have to happen had another more suitable street been selected for the bike line. This major reduction in parking creates its own safety issues by forcing residents to park blocks away from their houses at 10 o'clock at night or 2:00 in the morning, endangering their safety. It also negatively impacts the quality of life when people do not feel comfortable that they can get back to their home safely. Please don't damage neighborhoods based on inaccurate safety information. We should make our decisions based on true, accurate information. And the tragedy with the bicycle accident last week, that is a horrible tragedy. It was an intersection collision. Protected bike lanes do not prevent intersection collisions. They prevent side collisions between intersections. We have to address safety in all respects, but we need to address it accurately. Thank you. I urge you to vote against Bills 250266 and 250267.

I'm Kate Perez. And May 15 is Nakba Day, commemorating the catastrophe in 1948 when Zionist militias massacred Palestinian villages and expelled 700,000 Palestinians who are still waiting to return. The Nakba never ended and has only since escalated. On mental health, we have children who were brought medically evacuated from Palestine to Philadelphia hospitals because there is no medical infrastructure left in their own country after the IOF took their arms and legs and then systematically dismantled the entire medical system, taking hospital staff hostage, currently holding more than 10,000 Palestinian civilians, at least 1000 of them being children, hostage in prison camps. On Mother's Day the new Pope said, May a ceasefire immediately come into effect, may humanitarian aid be allowed into the civilian population and may all hostages be freed. Pope Leo is calling for aid to enter as it's Day 74 of the complete blockade, with more than 60 civilians dying from forced famine since the 2nd of March and 84 civilians killed just yesterday in airstrikes. Watching massacres every day and knowing that we pay for it at our expense weighs on our mind. Tuesday I told you our sister city bombed two hospitals in 24 hours, claiming the European hospital had Hamas tunnels and then caught in a lie by submitting images of a nearby school. Yesterday the IOF was evacuating patients from the Al Shifa Hospital and five nearby U.N. schools to be bombed, sending hospital patients down a dirt road mid-surgery. Three hours ago today they bombed the Al Taba Medical Clinic in Jabalia Refugee Camp. The bombs could have come from -

Hey, Ms. Perez. Just a little bit on mental health awareness.

It's on my mental health knowing that I pay for it. These bombs could have come from us. Dan Zimmerman is their sole provider of the three most used munitions. It's weighing on me that they sit comfortably on Spring Garden Street. There's actually going to be another protest against them today. Tomorrow Jewish Voices for Peace is demanding a meeting with Stacy Garrity to get rid of our state genocide bonds, and we're still waiting for the City's divestment resolution. We have Palestinian students in our school district that are banned from wearing anything representing their heritage. What does that do to the mental health of a child whose homeland is denied at all levels? Their own teachers leak personal information without punishment and the city they live in partners with and sends weapons to an occupying state that has destroyed every single kindergarten, middle school, U.N. school, high school and university in their country. Philadelphia has to cut all ties with Israel. We need an arms embargo and we will see a free Palestine.

Lynn Landes, Paul Birdsong, David Alexander Jenkins, Obama Hagins and Roy Azain. (Witnesses approached podium.)

Good morning. I'm Lynn Landes of Healthalertphilly.org. I support Councilmember Harrity's resolution declaring May Mental Health Awareness Month. And to that end, I strongly suggest that the City Health Department stop urging parents to give their children vaccines, all of which have been linked to serious, harmful health effects, including an epidemic of autism, attention deficit disorder and other mental and physical ailments. In fact, all medications and medical procedures should go through a much more rigorous scientific testing, including antidepressants that can cause depression, including suicidal and homicidal thoughts. The public might also reconsider its use of alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, marijuana and other mind-altering and addictive drugs, not only because of their widespread harmful health effects but also because of the damage done to the general population, particularly young children, because our water is not filtered for drugs so our minds and bodies are all being adversely affected by the drugs other people take. Our U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has committed to taking big pharma to task for the dangerous drugs and medications that are on the market today. And I sincerely hope that both Democrats and Republicans fully support him in his efforts. Thank you.

My name is Paul Birdsong. Earlier I saw City Councilmembers stand up there and talk about predatory practices and regulation and fair housing and stuff like that. City Council President Kenyatta, I wanted to make you aware that the Panther Party and I asked our secretary just to make sure I had the numbers correct in the hallway. She said we received yesterday our 18th call that someone has put a for sale sign in front of a house that did not belong to them and that they went to some room here at City Council to try to show pictures when the people weren't home to try to claim that property illegally and take it from the homeowners. The Panther Party keeps getting called about this. Now, I'm pretty sure you know how we're going to respond and I'm pretty sure there's another way you'd like that to be responded to without us getting involved. So I think as you guys work on all of these oversight committees regarding housing, that that's something that you should take into consideration, maybe a task force to work on stopping people's houses from being illegally seized by these predators before the Panther Party feels the need to get involved on behalf of the people. I'm sure you guys have a much more peaceful way of handling it, you know what I'm saying. So the other thing, Qidere Johnson was shot with a shotgun over a chain, right. I want to speak to the youth of Philadelphia. I spoke to a 22-year-old young man in Crown Chicken on Broad Street. He had an FN on his hip. I said, that's a nice gun, brother. I got one of those. And I said, you got a license? He said, no. I said, how old are you? He said, 22. I said, you got felonies? He said, No. I said, hey, man, you should let the Panther Party buy you a gun license. It's $25 online. You don't got to walk around committing a felony and feel like you protecting yourself. You could get a gun license. You could responsibly protect yourself and your community. I'm going to tell you this real fast. There's a brother named Brother AK-47. He used to rob stores. He's a Christian minister now. He went to the store in Des Moines, Idaho in a predominantly black community. And when you went in the store, he said I knew that there was a security guard with an AR pistol and I wasn't scared of him, right. But when I went into this store, I saw a lady with a hip belt with a gun on it, a legal one. I saw another lady digging through a purse, she had a gun. I saw another lady, the cashier, had her purse right here and a little pistol mounted right there. There was a bunch of brothers walking around with guns on their hips and holsters that were clearly visible, meaning they were licensed, they were legal. He walked in that store ready to rob it and saw all those legally-armed Black people and turned around and went right back out, because he knew he wasn't going to make it out of there alive because that community was going to protect itself, right. I encourage everybody in the city of Philadelphia, right, who can legally arm yourself and protect yourself, to do so. Go online, get a gun license and do it the right way, right. In a community where people are legally armed that could protect themselves, things like what happened in Qidere Johnson go down because people are afraid to do things like that in a community that can protect and stand up for itself. And the Panther Party is willing to pay for the gun license of any young man who wants to get his gun the right way. We also offer gun safety courses for free. All power to the people. (Applause.)

David Alexander Jenkins. Then Ogbonna Hagins. May Roy Azain, Amir Barber and Helen McCrary also make their way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.)

Good afternoon, Mr. President, members and guests. David Alexander Jenkins. I rise in support of Resolution 250507, as introduced by Councilman Harrity, leaning on the gravity such of an awareness over a month of dedicated to mental health will bring to the city of Philadelphia. I stand here on the shoulders of greatness, particularly in the spirit of my grandparents, Dr. Charles High Debnam and Dr. Patricia Turner, whose life work was centered on mental health, as pioneers in the national landscape of dignified treatment, all encompassing care and mental health awareness. It is they who have created the champion of humanities forced upon you weakly in this public comment. So blame them and they whom haunt my thoughts from beyond the grave and direct my tongue to rest upon issues of homelessness, with knowledge that a large portion of the city's homeless population suffers from untreated mental illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, PTSD and substance use -- opioid and substance abuse crisis where in 2023 alone Philadelphia lost over 1,400 lives to drug overdose with more than 80 percent of them linked to untreated mental health conditions. Our emergency rooms and police departments are overwhelmed by mental health-related 911 calls, repeated ER visits and police interventions. Our school performance and dropout rates are significantly aided by challenges like undiagnosed ADHD, anxiety and depression. We incarcerate the mentally ill at an alarming rate with 17% of incarcerated people having been diagnosed with a serious mental illness and 40% of the incarcerated population prescribed psychotrophics. This makes our jails de facto mental ill health facilities where mentally ill inmates otherwise who pose no real threat to society are kept like animals. Poor mental health leads to a loss of productivity, a loss of jobs, difficulty maintaining meaningful employment which is directly related to the extraordinary rise in our eviction rate. In a city where suicide and self harm is the leading cause of death among young adults where 1 in 5 adolescents has considered ending their own lives, 1 in 5 people. Where gun violence prevails as a primary tool of conflict resolution dismantling our communities bringing many of us here today to tears, as we reflected on the murder of Qidere Johnson whose mission addressed these very issues. The importance of mental health awareness cannot be overstated. So it is that I beg your passage of this resolution with acknowledgement and gravity of the crisis we face. While reaffirming our commitment to address it, let us elevate conversations around mental health, Let us honor those working on the front lines of this battle of the mind. Thank you. ) MS. McCARY SALAHUDDIN: Good afternoon. My name is Helen McCrary Salahuddin. I am out of order if you're look going down the list. I'm sorry but the brothers, and I thank you for letting the sisters go first. I'm here in support of the resolution to rename the 400 block of South Broad Street to Teddy Pendergrass Way. I am the attorney for Teddy Pendergrass, the estate of Teddy Pendergrass, Teddy Pendergrass Enterprises and his widow Joan Pendergrass. That resolution is being voted on today. And Mrs. Pendergrass asked me -- this is Regina Ferrell, she is our legislative guru. She led us through this process and I want to thank her. And I have a message here from Mrs. Pendergrass who lives in Florida and is unable to be here today and she wanted me to read this to you: Good day, Council President, esteemed Councilmembers, honored guests.

It is with a full heart and deep emotion that I stand before you, Mrs. Joan Pendergrass, to offer my sincere gratitude. Though Mrs. Pendergrass could not be here in person, she's asked me to speak on her behalf and express what this moment truly means to her and her family and all who loved and admired her late husband, the legendary Teddy Pendergrass. Today's vote to rename the 400 block of South Broad Street Teddy Pendergrass Way is more than an official act. It is a deeply moving tribute to a man who gave his heart, his soul and his voice to this city and to the world. Teddy was Philadelphia's own, born here, raised here and proud to live his entire life in the city that shaped him. It was here just steps away from where we stand now that his iconic voice helped define the sound of a generation. From the studios of Philadelphia International Records to the global stage, Teddy carried Philadelphia in every note he sang. This honor is deeply personal for Mrs. Pendergrass as well. It is the fulfillment of a dream, a dream to see Teddy's name and legacy permanently etched into the very streets that inspired so much of his life and his music. Thank you. She wants to thank each of you, Councilmembers, community leaders and every person who supported this effort not only for your vote, but for recognizing the immense contributions Teddy made, not just to music but to the cultural identity of Philadelphia and to the heart of millions around the world. Teddy's legacy is not just in his songs. It lives in the joy he brought to others, the pride he had in his hometown and the love he shared with all who knew him. Though he has transitioned, his spirit remains here and now. His name will forever stand as a beacon of inspiration on the very street where his story began. Thank you. )

Good morning. My name is Ogbonna Hagins. I'm a fourth generation chattel slavery survivor. I appreciate Councilman Harrity's resolution recognizing May as Mental Illness Awareness Month. Because if we're really being honest, what's been going on in this chamber for the past few years is definitely mental illness. The Reparations Task Force started nearly two years ago. No update -

Mr. Ogbonna Hagins, you know, I enjoy you coming every day. But the insinuations, the remarks about this body, could you just focus on the resolution that talks about -

I am. This is all related to mental illness.

Yeah, but in terms of your comments saying the work that this body has been doing is mental illness is totally inappropriate. I just want to say that for the record, sir.

So I'm just asking you are you violating my rights to free speech?

I told you the same thing like I did last time. If you think I'm violating your free speech, you know the appropriate way to address it. I do have the right to address your comments regarding the operation of this body.

You have the right -

And you have the right to address it how you think so as we move forward.

Yeah, it's mental illness going on in this Council chambers.

And again, like I mentioned to you, sir --

(Inaudible).

Are you speaking on the topic of the resolution, sir?

I have to get it.

Okay. Proceed.

I can't just say mental illness all the time.

I said proceed, sir, or you won't be speaking at all. How do you want to handle it?

We have issues in this Council chambers such as the Roadmap to Safer Communities that specifically says that the root cause of gun violence is structural racism. This body has done nothing to address that study that was done in 2021. That's mental illness. We have the young man Qua who was murdered, gun violence. Mental illness in this chamber by not addressing structural racism as the root cause -

You know what, I think your comments are inappropriate. You can cut him. There will be no more comments from you today, sir. Address it how you see appropriate.

(Inaudible).

Address it how I said address it. Thank you very much. Please call the next person please for comment. Thank you very much.

We have Roy Azain, then Amir Barber. May Carlene Kirkpatrick and Tanya Hinton Green also make their way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.)

Please proceed, sir.

Good morning, Council and neighbors. I'm Roy Aizen. I live, walk, bike and drive along South 47th Street and I strongly support Bills 250266 and 250267, which would designate a protected bike lane on South 47th Street. We need real safety measures like this to prevent more violent crashes in our community and to support a healthy, accessible and growing mode of transit that many residents avoid for fear of being killed in a crash. Signs and lane striping are not enough. In addition to safety improvements for all who live or travel along South 47th Street, this change would help foster a thriving and prosperous community. This beautiful, welcoming mixed-use corridor does not benefit from drivers' ability to drive fast along South 47th. It benefits from pedestrians, bike users and drivers feeling comfortable and free to safely move around this area. Philadelphia has among the highest rates of traffic fatalities of any major city in the country. Every traffic death and injury is preventable. While this may not be the most dangerous street, this is our opportunity to ensure it gets better. Every additional measure taken to calm traffic and protect vulnerable road users is a step in the right direction. We absolutely must continue to move in that direction. Thank you, Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, for introducing this bill and working to create safe and thriving communities.

Mr. Motivate Youth 215. Thank you for being in the chambers today, sir.

Thank you very much.

And thank you for all the positive work that you are doing and the positive work that you are doing to bring a sense of positivity, not only to our young people but lifting up the spirits of the City of Philadelphia and also providing opportunities for our young people to flourish. So thank you for joining us. Please proceed.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Good morning, Councilmembers, community members and honored guests. My name is Amir Barber, better known on social media as Motivate Youth 215. My fault. I'm feeling a little emotional cause -

Take your time.

Qua's mom when I hugged her, there's like them chills. So many younger people in Philadelphia, man. Like, it's just sad. But I'm, you know, I'm going to proceed. First, I would like to recognize Abini Johnson and Sari Hudson for straight A's every year in high school. Can y'all please give them a round of applause. (Applause.)

That's not just Black excellence, but that's young, Black and youth excellence in Philadelphia. I stand here today with deep gratitude and an even deeper sense of responsibility. I accept my citation not for myself, but on behalf of every young soul we lost to gun violence in the city of Philadelphia. Names like LGP Qua and many others who never got the chance to grow into their purpose. They were mortar victims. They were visionaries, they were artists, leaders and light. Their lives matter, the dreams matter and the absence leaves a silence that echoes in every corner of every neighborhood. Today's recognition means something, but not just because of the loss it represents. It means something because of the legacy. It continues and it connects us to legacy. We are standing in a chamber, the chamber shaped by warriors, Black City Councilmembers who didn't just hold office, but held the line. Men like Cecil B. Moore who fought unapologetically for justice and desegregation in Philadelphia. Women like Augusta Clark, the first Black woman elected citywide who championed education and civil rights into our final days. Leaders like John Street, who took the fight from the streets to the seats of power. Legacies remind us that Black leadership in this city has always been rooted in love for the people and the willingness to confront injustice head-on. They didn't wait for permission. They acted. And because they acted, we are here today with the platform to continue that work. This work is urgent and it cannot be done in isolation. It demands the same change, courage, same unity and the same vision that our civil rights leaders brought to this very Council. To the young lives we bury, we carry your names, your pain and your promise, and we will not stop until your legacy becomes our city's transformation. As we prepare to bury the Voice of the Youth, let the echoes of his character speak loudly all over the city. Come on, Philly. Thank you for having me. It's an honor. (Applause.)

Good afternoon. My name is Carlene Kirkpatrick and we proudly support Councilmember Brooks' resolution and deeply thank her for honoring the Lupus community and shining a spotlight on this often misunderstood and invisible illness. By recognizing May 10th as World Lupus Month in Philadelphia, Councilmember Brooks and City Council are helping to affirm the voices of thousands living with this disease and moving the city closer to a future of compassion, equity and improved health care access. This recognition is more than symbolic. It's a sign that our struggles are being seen and that our advocacy is making a difference. I am a Lupus advocate and ambassador. I was diagnosed with Lupus in 1991 and I have endured the ups and downs of my Lupus journey. This resolution means so much to us in the Philadelphia area and across Pennsylvania. Raising awareness of Lupus helps people get diagnosed earlier and helps people with Lupus receive access to the care and treatment they need. Thank you. (Applause.)

Good morning, Council. Thank you for having me. My name is Tonya Hinton-Green, born and bred here in Philadelphia. I thank you for being a part of a significant moment. As we gather to recognize May as Lupus Awareness Month in our city today, we have taken another crucial step in raising awareness and extending support to those affected by Lupus. As an ambassador, support group leader and advocate with the Lupus Foundation of America, I am also a proud member of Lambda Sigma Sigma Lupus Sorority, Inc., which is the first sorority for women with Lupus ages 18 and older. I have dedicated almost 30 years to battling Lupus myself. I am honored to stand with you in advocating for change. Let's remain united in our efforts to elevate Lupus and recognize and understand that today and for future generations together we can bring hope and foster understanding for everyone impacted by this condition. Thank you again. (Applause.)

Council President, there are no further names for public comment.

Thank you very much. We will now consider the bills and resolutions on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendars. 5/15/25 - STATED - 2ND READING Would the Clerk please read the title of Resolution No. 250461.

A resolution also naming South Broad Street between Pine and Lombard Streets as "Teddy Pendergrass Way" to honor the life and legacy of South Philadelphia legendary entertainer Teddy Pendergrass.

Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Squilla for a motion regarding Resolution No. 250461.

Thank you, Mr. President. It is an honor and a privilege to introduce this resolution and also to what it meant to the City of Philadelphia for Teddy Pendergrass's voice and soul that he gave us and all the 5/15/25 - STATED - 2ND READING enjoyment, I'd like to have a roll call vote for this resolution. Thank you.

You're welcome.

I move for the adoption of the resolution.

It has been moved and properly seconded that Resolution 250461 be adopted. Chief Clerk, please call the roll.

Councilmember Gilmore Richardson.

Aye.

Councilmember Gauthier.

Aye.

5/15/25 - STATED - 2ND READING Councilmember Thomas.

Aye.

Councilmember Landau.

Aye.

Councilmember Young.

Aye.

Councilmember Brooks.

Aye.

Councilmember Harrity.

Aye.

Councilmember O'Rourke.

Aye.

Councilmember Driscoll. 5/15/25 - STATED - 2ND READING

Aye.

Councilmember O'Neill.

Aye.

Councilmember Squilla.

Aye.

Councilmember Bass.

Aye.

Councilmember Ahmad.

Aye.

And, Council President Johnson.

Aye. The ayes have it. The motion carries. The resolution is adopted. 5/15/25 - STATED - 2ND READING Would the Clerk please read the title of Resolution No. 250504. CHIEF Clerk: A resolution renaming the 4700 block of Rising Sun Avenue between Wyoming and Mascher Streets to "Officer Lauretha A. Vaird Way" in honor of her bravery, sacrifice, and dedication to public service.

The Chair recognizes Councilmember Gilmore Richardson for a motion regarding Resolution No. 250504.

Thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of Councilmember Lozada, I move the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.) COUNCIL PRESIDENT 5/15/25 - STATED - 2ND READING JOHNSON: It has been moved and properly seconded that Resolution No. 250504 be adopted. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. The motion carries. The resolution is adopted. Would the Clerk please read the title of Resolution No. 250507. CHIEF Clerk: A resolution declaring the month of May as Mental Health Awareness Month in the City of Philadelphia.

Chair recognizes 5/15/25 - STATED - 2ND READING Councilmember Jim Harrity for a motion regarding Resolution No. 250507.

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

It has been moved and properly second that Resolution No. 250507 be adopted. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. The motion carries. The resolution is adopted. Will the Clerk please 5/15/25 - STATED - 2ND READING read the title of Resolution No. 250509. CHIEF Clerk: A resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 423-27, 429-39 (incl. 429-39 Rear) East Ashmead Street; 226, 260, 278, 313 (a/k/a 313-15) East Bringhurst Street; 49 East Earlham Street; 4635 Germantown Avenue; 30 Good Street; 5608, 5618, 5619, 5642, 5669 Heiskell Street; 4946 Keyser Street; 5514, 5515, 5642 Morton Street; 6672, 6674 Musgrave Street; 53 East Pastorius Street; 207 East Penn Street; 248 East Phil Ellena Street; 42, 44 Reger Street; 35 East Seymour Street; 227, 261, 263 East Sharpnack Street; 218, 326, 342, 343 Shedaker Street; 4951, 4957, 4961, 4975 Sheldon Street; 111, 112 East Springer Street; and 4925, 5222 Wakefield 5/15/25 - STATED - 2ND READING Street located in the 8th Councilmanic District in accordance with the terms of Chapter 16-700 of The Philadelphia Code.

Chair recognizes Councilmember Bass for a motion regarding Resolution No. 250509.

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

It has been moved and properly seconded that Resolution No. 250579 be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.) 5/15/25 - STATED - 2ND READING

The ayes have it. The motion carries and the resolution is adopted. Would the Clerk please read the title of Resolution No. 250510. CHIEF Clerk: A resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 1520-40 Venango Street and 1600-20 Venango Street located in the 8th Councilmanic District in accordance with the terms of Chapter 16-700 of The Philadelphia Code.

The Chair recognizes Councilmember Bass for a motion regarding Resolution No. 250510.

Thank you. Mr. President. I move for the adoption 5/15/25 - STATED - 2ND READING of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and properly seconded that Resolution No. 250510 be adopted. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. Would the Clerk please read any additional resolutions in her possession for today's Calendar. CHIEF Clerk: A privileged resolution authorizing the Philadelphia City Council and 5/15/25 - STATED - 2ND READING Committee on Education to hold hearings to investigate challenges and make recommendations for a strategic plan for the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts. Introduced by Councilmember Thomas on behalf of Council President Johnson.

Chair recognizes Councilmember Thomas.

Thank you, Council President. On your behalf, 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.) 5/15/25 - STATED - 2ND READING

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted. Would the Chief Clerk please read the title of the next resolution. CHIEF Clerk: A privileged resolution declaring May 21, 2025, as Frank Kameny Day in the City of Philadelphia. Introduced by Councilmember Landau.

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

Thank you, Council President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.) 5/15/25 - STATED - 2ND READING

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

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. Would the Chief Clerk please read the title of the next resolution. CHIEF Clerk: A privileged resolution recognizing May 28, 2025, as LGBTQ+ Domestic Violence Awareness Day in the City of Philadelphia to shed light on domestic, family, and intimate partner violence in LGBTQ+ 5/15/25 - STATED - 2ND READING communities. Introduced by Councilmember Landau.

Chair recognizes Councilman Rue Landau for a motion on the resolution.

I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)

Was there a second I heard?

Second.

Second.

Thank you, Majority Leader Richardson and Councilmember Jeffrey Jay Young. It has been moved and properly seconded that the 5/15/25 - STATED - 2ND READING resolution be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Anyone opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted. Would the Chief Clerk please read the title of the next resolution. CHIEF Clerk: A privileged resolution declaring May 16, 2025, as National Honor Our LGBTQ+ Elders Day in the City of Philadelphia, a day to recognize and celebrate the contributions of LGBTQ+ elders who have been pivotal in the fight for justice, equity, and rights for every member of the LGBTQ+ community. Introduced by 5/15/25 - STATED - 2ND READING Councilmember Landau.

Chair recognizes Councilman Rue Landau for a motion on the resolution.

I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)

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

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. Will the Chief Clerk 5/15/25 - STATED - 2ND READING please read the title of the next resolution. CHIEF Clerk: A privileged resolution declaring June 2025 as Pride Month in the City of Philadelphia. Introduced by Councilmember Landau.

Chair recognizes Councilmember Landau for a motion on the resolution.

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.) COUNCIL PRESIDENT 5/15/25 - STATED - 2ND READING JOHNSON: Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. Council will be at ease. (Council at ease.)

Member Harrity, would you like to be recognized?

(Inaudible).

Okay. Your button is on for speeches. I'm sorry. Okay. Thank you. I know you will go first. I see your name there. Chair recognizes Council -- Chair recognizes the Chief Clerk. Please resume. CHIEF Clerk: A privileged resolution honoring the life and legacy of Qidere Johnson, 5/15/25 - STATED - 2ND READING known professionally at LGP Qua - a Philadelphia Rapper who used his platform to speak out against gun violence and became widely recognized as the Voice of the Youth. Introduced by Councilmember Young on behalf of Council President Johnson.

Chair recognizes Councilmember Young. And then we'll do a silent vote. Chair recognizes Councilmember Young.

Thank you, Mr. President. On your behalf, I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Silent vote.) (Duly seconded.)

Chief Clerk, please read the title of the next resolution.

A 5/15/25 - STATED - 2ND READING privileged resolution recognizing the month of May 2025 as National Foster Care Month in the City of Philadelphia. Introduced by Councilmember Young.

Chair recognizes Councilmember Jeffrey Jay Young.

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

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

Those opposed? (No response.) 5/15/25 - STATED - 2ND READING

The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. Will the Chief Clerk please read the title of the next resolution. CHIEF Clerk: A privileged resolution recognizing May as Lupus Awareness Month in the City of Philadelphia. Introduced by Councilmember Brooks.

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 5/15/25 - STATED - 2ND READING resolution be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. Would the Chief Clerk please read the title of the next resolution. CHIEF Clerk: A privileged resolution honoring the election of Pope Leo the XIV as the 267th Pope and celebrating his connections to the Philadelphia area. Introduced by Councilmember O'Rourke.

Chair recognizes Councilmember O'Rourke for a motion 5/15/25 - STATED - 2ND READING on the resolution.

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

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

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. Will the Chief Clerk please read the title of the next resolution. CHIEF Clerk: A 5/15/25 - STATED - 2ND READING privileged resolution proclaiming May 2025 as Dual Asian American Pacific Islander and Jewish American Heritage Month in Philadelphia to pay tribute to the rich history and significant contributions made by generations of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and Jewish Americans to our Country, Commonwealth, and City. Introduced by Councilmember Driscoll.

The Chair recognizes Councilmember Mike Driscoll for a motion on the resolution.

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

It has been moved and properly seconded that the 5/15/25 - STATED - 2ND READING resolution be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. Would the Chief Clerk please read the title of the next resolution. CHIEF Clerk: A privileged resolution authorizing the Committee on Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs to hold a hearing to explore strategies for incorporating youth voices in Parks and Recreation Advisory Council's and decision-making processes. Introduced by Councilmember Bass. COUNCIL PRESIDENT 5/15/25 - STATED - 2ND READING JOHNSON: Chair recognizes Councilmember Bass for a motion on the resolution.

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

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

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. Would the Chief Clerk please read the title of the next 5/15/25 - STATED - 2ND READING resolution. CHIEF Clerk: A privileged resolution authorizing the Special Committee on Child Separation and the Committee on Health and Human Services to hold a joint hearing to investigate the recent provisional licensing status of the Philadelphia Department of Human Services and the Philadelphia Juvenile Justice Services Center, and to examine the implications of alleged misconduct, breaches of confidential information and overall child safety within Philadelphia's Juvenile Detention and child welfare systems. Introduced by Councilmember Bass.

Chair recognizes Councilmember Bass for a motion on the resolution.

5/15/25 - STATED - 2ND READING Thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of myself and my colleague who co-authored the resolution, Councilwoman Nina Ahmad, we both call for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)

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

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. Will the Chief Clerk please read the title of the next resolution. 5/15/25 - STATED - 2ND READING CHIEF Clerk: A privileged resolution recognizing and celebrating the 2025 Philippine Independence Week Celebration in Philadelphia, taking place from June 7th to June 21st. Introduced by Councilmember Ahmad.

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

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

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

Those opposed? (No response.)

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