And an ordinance authorizing Philadelphia Hotel Partners, owners of the property 410 South Front Street, to construct and maintain to canopies and two rigid awnings attached to the building and projecting over the west footway of Front Street, all under certain terms and conditions.
The bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And an ordinance authorizing Philadelphia Hotel Partners, owners of the property 410 South Front Street, to construct, own, and maintain underground conduit and four spotlight INTRODUCTION OF BILLS, RESOLUTIONS fixtures in and under the west footway of Front Street, all under certain terms and conditions.
The bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And an ordinance granting permission to Sunesys, its successors and assigns, to construct, maintain, and operate a telecommunications system along, over, and under the public right-of-way and City streets, all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And an ordinance granting permission to Sunesys, its successors and assigns, to construct, maintain and operate, replace and remove a telecommunications system along, over, in and under the public rights-of-way and City streets, all under certain terms and conditions.
The bill will be referred to the appropriate committee. And the Chair recognizes Councilman O'Neill.
Madam President, I have no bills or resolutions. INTRODUCTION OF BILLS, RESOLUTIONS
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke.
The clerk will please read the title of the resolution.
A resolution approving the redevelopment contract and disposition supplement of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia for the redevelopment and urban renewal of a portion of the Model Cities Urban Area.
It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. Those opposed? COMMITTEE REPORTS The ayes have it, and the resolution has been adopted. The Chair recognizes Councilman Longstreth.
The Chair thanks the gentleman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Rizzo.
The next order of business is reports from committee, and the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell for a report of the Committee of the Whole.
Thank you, Madam President. The Committee of the Whole reports out one bill and 23 resolutions with a favorable recommendation.
To the President and members COMMITTEE REPORTS of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, the Committee of the Whole to which was referred: Bill No. 010372, an ordinance amending Chapter 19-32 of the Philadelphia Code, entitled "Keystone Opportunity Zone," by extending the time period for exemptions, abatements or credits from certain tax, under certain terms and conditions; And Resolution No. 000422, a resolution appointing Bob Emberger to the Board of Directors of the Germantown Special Services District of Philadelphia; And Resolution No. 000423, a resolution appointing Brenda Stovall to the Board of Directors of the Germantown Special Services District of Philadelphia; And Resolution No. 000425, a resolution appointing Marilyn Tadlock to the Board of Directors of the Germantown Special Services District of Philadelphia; And Resolution No. 000426, a resolution appointing Larry Simmons to the Board of Directors of the Germantown Special Services District of Philadelphia; And Resolution No. 000427, a resolution COMMITTEE REPORTS appointing Tracy Beers to the Board of Directors of the Germantown Special Services District of Philadelphia; And Resolution No. 000428, a resolution appointing David Alexzcyzk to the Board of Directors of the Germantown Special Services District of Philadelphia; And Resolution No. 000429, a resolution appointing Donna Miller to the Board of Directors of the Germantown Special Services District of Philadelphia; And Resolution No. 000430, a resolution appointing Leroi Simmons to the Board of Directors of the Germantown Special Services District of Philadelphia; And Resolution No. 000431, a resolution appointing Steve Vaughan to the Board of Directors of the Germantown Special Services District of Philadelphia; And Resolution No. 000432, a resolution appointing Sabryia Hadi to the Board of Directors of the Germantown Special Services District of Philadelphia; And Resolution No. 000433, a resolution COMMITTEE REPORTS appointing Anita Hamilton to the Board of Directors of the Germantown Special Services District of Philadelphia; And Resolution No. 000435, a resolution appointing Steve Kuzmicki to the Board of Directors of the Germantown Special Services District of Philadelphia; And Resolution No. 010457, a resolution appointing Abdur-Rahim Islam to the Board of Directors of the Center City District; And Resolution No. 010458, a resolution appointing Barbara Potts to the Board of Directors of the Center City District; And Resolution No. 010459, a resolution appointing Evelyn Smalls to the Board of Directors of the Center City District; And Resolution No. 010460, a resolution appointing David Marshall to the Board of Directors of the Center City District; And Resolution No. 010461, a resolution appointing Robert Butera to the Board of Directors of the Center City District; And Resolution No. 010462, a resolution appointing Dean Adler to the Board of Directors of COMMITTEE REPORTS the Center City District; And Resolution No. 010463, a resolution appointing Janet Calderwood to the Board of Directors of the Center City District; And Resolution No. 010464, a resolution appointing Greg Dudkin to the Board of Directors of the Center City District; And Resolution No. 010465, a resolution appointing John Conners to the Board of Directors of the Center City District; And Resolution No. 010466, a resolution appointing Ricardo Dunston to the Board of Directors of the Center City District; And Resolution No. 010467, a resolution appointing John Sullivan to the Board of Directors of the Center City District; respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bill and resolutions to Council with a favorable recommendation.
Thank you, Madam President. I move that the rules of Council COMMITTEE REPORTS be suspended so as to permit first reading this day of Bill No. 010372.
It has been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading this day of Bill No. 010372. All in favor will indicate by saying aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it and Bill No. 010372 will be placed on today's first-reading calendar. Councilman Cohen, would you like to make a motion regarding the resolutions? I don't think that it's necessary that we vote on each resolution separately. If it's not your opinion that this would be a consent agenda, I think we would all be very grateful.
Consent agenda applies soley to ordinances. That's what the Home Rule Charter.
I think it would be COMMITTEE REPORTS very nice if you would do that.
Resolutions can be considered as one group requiring only one vote.
Wonderful. Thank you, thank you, thank you. (Laughter.)
All those in favor of the adoption of the resolutions as read by the Chief Clerk will please say aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it and the resolutions have been adopted. The Chair recognizes Councilman Mariano for a report from the Committee on Licenses and Inspections.
Thank you, Madam President. The Committee on Licenses and Inspections reports four bills with a favorable recommendation.
The Committee on Licenses and Inspections, to which was referred: Bill No. 000657, an ordinance amending COMMITTEE REPORTS Chapter 10-1200 of the Philadelphia Code, entitled "Posting of Temporary Signs," to prohibit the placement of temporary signs and political campaign posters upon public utility poles, street lights, and various other public fixtures without the owner's permission; And Bill No. 010269, an ordinance amending Title 9 of the Philadelphia Code, entitled "Regulation of Business, Trades, and Professions," by requiring any establishment that sells alcoholic beverages for consumption on or of the premises to install and maintain and use electronic equipment that scans identification cards and displays the age of the person as indicated on the card; And Bill No. 010274, an ordinance amending Title 4 of the Philadelphia Code by adding provisions for the dumping of waste materials, all under certain terms and conditions; An Bill No. 010369, an ordinance amending Section PM-309.0 of the Philadelphia Code, entitled "Emergency Nuisance Abatement Program," by amending the designated area in which properties must be located order to be eligible for participation in the Emergency Nuisance Abatement COMMITTEE REPORTS Program, 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.
Thank you. Bill No.'s 000657, 010269, 010274, and 010369 will be placed on the calendar for our first reading at our next session of Council. The Chair recognizes Councilman Goode for a report from the Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities.
Thank you, Madam President. The Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities reports out one resolution with a favorable recommendation.
The Committee on Transportation and Public Utilites, to which was referred Resolution No. 000957, authorizing the committee on Transportation and Public Utilities to conduct comprehensive comparative research into the state of the City's transportation and public utilities system and hold hearings into the same, COMMITTEE REPORTS respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached resolution to Council with a favorable recommendation.
Thank you. Councilman Goode, do you want to move for the adoption of the resolution?
It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it and the resolution has been adopted.
The next order of business is the consideration of the calendar. The clerk will please read the title of the bill on the first-reading calendar. FIRST-READING CALENDAR
Bill No. 010372, an ordinance amending Chapter 19-3200 of the Philadelphia Code, entitled "Keystone Opportunity Zone," by extending the time period for exemptions, abatements, or credits from certain taxes, under certain terms and conditions.
The Chair agrees. This concludes the bills on the first-reading calendar. The bill read by the clerk will be placed on our second-reading and final-passage calendar for our next session of Council.
The Chair now recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell for the purpose of calling up bills to be considered on the second-reading and final-passage calendar.
Thank you, Madam President. Today, Bill No.'s 000771-A, 010302, 000708, 000709, 010416, 010417, 010418, 010419, 010420, 010348, 010373, 010349, 010378, 010382, 010421, 010462, 010065, 010066, 010128, 010130, SECOND READING - BILL 000771-A 010267, 010268, 010336, 010339, 010342, 010343, 010344, 010345, 010346, 010350, 010370, 010375, 010376, 010377, 010379, 010380, 010381, 010383, 010384, 010385, 010386, 010387, 010388, 010389, 010390, 010391, 010393, 010394, 010395, 010396, 010397, 010399, 010400, 000602, and 010374 are being called up for second reading and final passage. All other bills are being held.
Thank you. The clerk will please read the title of Bill No. 000771-A.
An ordinance amending Title 4 of the Philadelphia Code by providing for certain penalties and abatement of trees that overhang or encroach adjoining property, all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is, shall the bill pass finally? The clerk will please call the roll.
Aye. The ayes are 16, the nays are 0. A majority of all members having voteded in the affirmative, this bill passes. The next bill to be called for consideration is Bill No. 000708. The clerk will please read the title of the bill.
An ordinance authorizing transfers in appropriations for Fiscal Year 2001 from the Grants Revenue Fund - the Director of Finance to the General Fund - Certain or All City Office, Departments, Boards and Commissions.
This bill having been read two different days, the question now is, shall the bill pass finally? The clerk will please call the roll.
Councilman Cohen? (Councilman Cohen not present at this time.)
Aye. The ayes are 16, the nays are 0. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. I believe we skipped Bill No. 010302. Councilwoman Krajewski, are you ready to go forward with that?
The clerk will please read the title of the bill.
An ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Frankford Avenue, Linden Avenue, the I-95 Expressway on-ramp, and Torresdale Avenue.
This bill SECOND READING - BILL 010302 having been read on two different days, the question now is, shall the bill pass finally? The clerk will please call the roll.
Councilman Cohen? (Councilman Cohen not present at this time.)
Aye. The ayes are 16, the nays are 0. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, this bill passes. The next bill being called for consideration is Bill No. 000709.
An ordinance authorizing transfers in appropriations for Fiscal Year 2001 from the Grants Revenue Fund to the General Fund Certain or All City Offices.
This bill SECOND READING - BILL 000709 having been read on two different days, the question now is, shall the bill pass finally? The clerk will please call the roll.
Councilman Cohen? (Councilman Cohen not present at this time.)
Aye. The ayes are 16, the nays are 0. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. The clerk will please read the title of Bill No. 010416.
An ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property, the Director of Commerce, and the Recreation Commissioner, on behalf of the City of Philadelphia, to execute and deliver a first amendment to lease agreement by and between SECOND READING - BILL 010416 the City and the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development with respect to certain lease agreements dated July 12, 1994 by and between the City and PAID, all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is, shall the bill pass finally? The Chair recognizes Councilman Kenney.
Thank you, Madam President. I will be brief 'cause I have spoken about this before. I believe in my heart that today we should be holding this bill or voting no until the Administration agrees to withdraw its appeal of the firefighters' hard-fought arbitration award, that we are going out of our way to provide additional funds on top of the hundreds of millions of dollars that we have provided for this project to create jobs and to build much needed sports facilities, while at the same time move forward with the promise that those teams and these corporations would not be back asking for additional money, and five months later, they're back. SECOND READING - BILL 010416 I think we have an opportunity to utilize this bill as leverage to help our firefighters, the only municipal union in the City without a contract today. If we were to hold this bill, I'm sure that come the fall, we would have a resolution to our firefighters' contract along with the severe problem of hepatitis C. I know that Councilmember have said that things like this should not be linked. I believe that this is the perfect opportunity for linkage. There's been linkage used in the past on other bills, and I think our firefighters should come before our sports teams, I think that our our children and schools should come before our sports teams, and I do not believe that we should be providing additional monies to this project unless and until our firefighters have a contract that was fairly awarded to them through an arbitration process that they depend on until they get the Administration to stop its appeals of this hard-fought arbitration award. Firefighters and police officers cannot strike and we don't want them to be able to strike, but but they depend on binding arbitration as a way SECOND READING - BILL 010416 in which to get fairness in their contracts. This arbitration was binding -- it should have been binding, but the Administration simply says, We're not going to abide by it and we're going to use taxpayers' dollars to go into court to fight our firefighters. Now, our firefighters haven't stopped working. They don't stop running into burning buildings or cutting you out of a car in a car accident because they haven't gotten their way, but I think this is the appropriate time to either turn this bill down, because construction won't stop on this project. We have provided, again as I said, hundreds of millions of dollars to provide good work for our construction employees in the building trades -(Sound system difficulties).
Thank you very much. I think that what we did back in December, although the circumstances were difficult, I think in the end, it was the right thing to do. It's going to create hundreds of construction jobs, hundreds of tax ratables. And the three teams there, both the Eagles and the Phillies and Comcast SECOND READING - BILL 010416 Spectacore, are decent, good companies who do great work in our city, and I'm happy that they're moving forward. This is not pitting one union against the other. This is our need and our responsibility to stand up in unison and to support our firefighters who unflinchingly support and serve us us by saying we will not do this bill until the City simply does one thing: And that's stop spending taxpapyers' money to appeal a binding arbitration award that is disgracefully being appealed and is keeping people in limo as it relates to their employment circumstances relative to the City of Philadelphia. So I would urge either our colleagues here to vote no on this bill or that we all should stick together and withhold the vote on this bill until September to do what's right by our firefighters because we've already done in December what's right by the teams and by those companies. Thank you.
Thank you, Madam SECOND READING - BILL 010416 Chair. I concur with Councilman Kenney and all of the issues that he puts forward. We have gone through this argument once before. The City had said that they were not coming back for any more money from the taxpayers, this and another return back to the taxpayers trough so that they can again subsidize the millionaires who own the baseball and football teams so that they can build their palaces. I don't believe the taxpayers should be in that type of business, not while the school is underfunded, not while we have joblessness in this city, not while we have neighborhoods who have homes that are sinking. I think our money better be spent somewhere where taxpayers get a direct benefit and not on corporate welfare. I am voting no on this bill and on the bill that follows for those reasons and reasons that I have previously stated.
Madam President, I concur basically with the sentiments expressed both SECOND READING - BILL 010416 by Councilman Kenney and Councilman Ortiz. Actually, with the firefighters, the situation is even worse. In the most recent hearing just held a couple days ago by the Law and Government Committee, it turns out that the City refuses to recognize the fact that firefighters and police injured on duty, that those medical claims ought to be paid under Workman's Compensation laws. Instead, the City seems to be requiring the health funds of both the firefighters and the police groups -- and maybe others, we don't know yet -- they're requiring the health funds to pay costs that properly are work injuries. So that the cause that Councilman Kenney espouses on behalf of the firefighters is indeed a very worthy cause. And, secondly, I wanted to state that on the question of linkage that Councilman Kenney raises, I think that's a very important concept. To deny that all issues are linked is to take away the power from Council. Even in the old wild west days, cowboys and others knew that if they were going into a tavern where there may be a fight, that it was a very unwise thing to disarm themselves or to turn their weapons over to the opponents because they SECOND READING - BILL 010416 know they might need them, but we in Council historically follow the policy of never being able to deal successfulfully with the Mayor because we always permit any mayor to convince us -- and it's a total fantasy -- that each issue should be treated separately. Everybody knows all these issues are linked, and the way in which a legislative body has leverage is by dealing with issues on a leverage basis. If the Mayor feels one way on one bill and comes to us for support, he certainly has to listen to our procedures on other bills. So I support fully this concept of linkage. I think this bill ought to be held for the various reasons given by Councilman Kenney and by Councilman Ortiz. But in addition, it would also begin to maximize the negotiating strength of City Council. There's no reason for us to be a pushover body. We don't accomplish the duties for which we were elected when we put ourselves in a position of having no power when we negotiate with the Mayor. We do put ourselves in a position to honestly represent those who elect us when we maintain our power and understand that City government consists of many issues, all of them are linked together, and SECOND READING - BILL 010416 you use leverage to deal not only with that issue but also with other issues. So for that reason, I urge strongly that we either take no action, as Councilman Kenney suggests on this bill, or vote in opposition to it. Thank you, Madam President. (Applause.)
Madam President, I would move that Bill No. 010416 be laid on the table until September, until we return to session in September. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and seconded that Bill No. 010416 be tabled. I think we need a roll-call vote on this. It has been seconded. All those in favor? I think we should have a roll-call vote, please.