Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA STATED MEETING The Met Philadelphia North Broad Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania January 6, 2020 10:02 a.m. PRESENT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT DARRELL L. CLARKE COUNCILWOMAN CINDY BASS COUNCILWOMAN KENDRA BROOKS COUNCILMAN ALLAN DOMB COUNCILWOMAN JAMIE GAUTHIER COUNCILWOMAN KATHERINE GILMORE RICHARDSON COUNCILMAN DEREK S. GREEN COUNCILWOMAN HELEN GYM COUNCILMAN BOBBY HENON COUNCILMAN KENYATTA JOHNSON COUNCILMAN CURTIS JONES, JR. COUNCILMAN DAVID OH COUNCILMAN BRIAN J. O'NEILL COUNCILWOMAN CHERELLE L. PARKER COUNCILWOMAN MARIA D. QUINONES-SANCHEZ COUNCILMAN MARK SQUILLA COUNCILMAN ISAIAH THOMAS MICHAEL A. DECKER, CHIEF CLERK Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING
Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. Welcome to the investiture of members of Council, the organization of the City Council, the inauguration of the Honorable James F. Kenney as Mayor, and the investiture of members of the Judiciary, City Commissioners, Sheriff, and Register of Wills. We ask that you please silence all digital communicative devices, all cell phones for the remainder of the ceremony. Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, please rise and bow your heads for the invocation given by Monsignor Daniel Sullivan from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
Let us pray. Mighty and eternal God, you have revealed your glory to all the nations. God of power and might, wisdom and justice, through you authority is Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING rightly administered, laws are enacted, and judgment is decreed. We pray today for James Kenney, Mayor of the City of Philadelphia. We pray for our City Council, the judges, and all elected officials who are entrusted to guard our welfare. May they be enabled by your powerful protection to discharge their duties with honesty and ability. May they all seek to preserve peace, promote the common good, continue to bring us the blessings of liberty and equality. We likewise remember in prayer all of those who support the cause of our common good. We pray for our police officers, firefighters, and first responders, whose sole mission is to make Philadelphia our home, a place where all of us can enjoy and share the many blessings with which you have gifted us. Today also we commend to your powerful mercy all the citizens of the Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING United States. May we be preserved in union and in peace and gratefully share these blessings with all of our sisters and brothers throughout the world. Be with us, Lord, today and always. Amen. (Amen.)
Ladies and gentlemen, please remain standing as the Philadelphia Police and Fire Departments and the Prison System guards present the colors, while the Philadelphia Boys Choir and Chorale lead us in singing the National Anthem. (Colors are presented and the National Anthem sung.)
Ladies and gentlemen, you may now be seated. And now citizens and friends, please welcome City Council President, the Honorable Darrell L. Clarke, to the podium. (Applause.) Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING
We can do better than that. I know there's a little Eagles hangover, but it's all good. They'll be back next year. So I'd just like to thank everybody so much for being here today to welcome you to the inaugural proceedings for the investiture of City Council, the inauguration of the Mayor, and the induction of the Judiciary and other elected officials. Our special guests joining us today are Monsignor Daniel Sullivan, the Reverend John Roberts, Reverend Martini Shaw, Imam Muhammad Abdul-Aleem, Reverend Naomi Washington-Leapheart, Rabbi Jill Maderer, former Mayor John Street, my mentor, former Mayor Bill Green, former Mayor W. Wilson Goode, Congressman Brendan Boyle, former Congressman Robert Brady, the Honorable Rosalyn Robinson, Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING and the Honorable Kevin Dougherty and the Honorable Patrick Dugan and the Honorable Carolyn Nichols. I also wish to acknowledge the elected officials joining us in the audience today as well as members of the Honorary Inaugural Committee. This being the day fixed by the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter for the organization of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, the hour has arrived, and we will now proceed with the organization of Council and the investiture of Councilmembers. The first order of business will be the election of a temporary chairperson. Nominations are now in order, and the Chair recognizes Councilman Henon.
Thank you, Mr. President. I nominate Councilwoman Cherelle Parker.
The Chair now recognizes Councilman Squilla. Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING
Are there any other further nominations? (No response.)
Hearing none, the Chair recognizes Councilman Domb.
The Chair thanks the gentleman. The Chair now recognizes Councilman Green.
The Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING ayes have it, and the nominations are closed. There being no further nominations, all in favor of the election of Councilwoman Parker will say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and Councilwoman Parker has been duly elected temporary Chairperson. Councilwoman. (Applause.)
Thank you. Thank you, Councilman Clarke. As the first order of business, I appoint Mr. Michael Decker temporary Clerk. I will also at this time remind all Bible holders to please follow the program and make your way to the stage at the appropriate time. The next order of business is the filing of the certificates of Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING election. The Clerk will call the roll. I direct the Clerk to call the roll beginning with the Councilpersons-at-large in alphabetical order and then to proceed with the District Councilpersons in order of their district, beginning with the First District.
Mr. Isaiah Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING Thomas.
Presente. Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING
Councilwoman Parker, a quorum of the members-elect is present, and I have in my possession certificates of election from the County Board of Elections in Philadelphia indicating their election on November 5th, 2019 for a term of four years, commencing the first Monday of January 2020.
Thank you. The investiture of members of Council will now proceed. The members-elect will rise to take the oath of office, which will be administered by the Honorable Kevin Dougherty, Justice of Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. (Applause.) JUSTICE DOUGHERTY: Will each member please rise. Place your left hand on the Bible, raise your right hand, and repeat after me. (Oath of office administered.) JUSTICE DOUGHERTY: Congratulations. (Applause.)
The next order of business is the election of a President of the City Council for Philadelphia to serve for four years, commencing January 6th, 2020. Nominations are now in order, and the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Gilmore Richardson.
I proudly and with great honor nominate Darrell L. Clarke.
Y'all can clap. (Applause.) Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING
Thank you. At this time, the Chair recognizes Councilman Thomas.
Hearing none, the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Gauthier.
Those opposed, nay. (No response.) Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING
There being no further nominations, all those in favor of the election of the Honorable Darrell L. Clarke as President of the City Council of Philadelphia will say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. However, the temporary Clerk will call the roll.
Aye. Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING
Councilwoman Quinones-Sanchez. Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING
The ayes are 17 and the nays are zero. Councilman Clarke, having been unanimously chosen by the members of Council, I declare that Councilman Clarke is the duly elected President of this body. Let's give our President a round of applause. (Applause.)
I appoint Councilwoman Gym, Councilman Jones, Councilman Johnson, and Councilwoman Bass to escort Council President Clarke to the rostrum. And joining Council President Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING at the rostrum will be Nita Wroten. The oath of office will be administered by the Honorable Rosalyn Robinson, Judge of the Court of Common Pleas. (Applause.) JUDGE ROBINSON: Place your left hand on the Bible and raise your right hand and repeat after me. (Oath of office administered.) JUDGE ROBINSON: Congratulations.
It is my honor and my privilege to present to each of you President of the City Council of Philadelphia, the Honorable Darrell L. Clarke. (Applause.)
Good morning. (Good morning.) Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING
It's an exciting day, and this will be an exciting year. I want to thank everybody who has come here today for the investiture and the organization of City Council. This is truly democracy in action, and I hope that you find today not only a pleasurable one but an interesting one, and it will be that. We are proud to bring this inauguration to The Met Philadelphia for the first time and celebrate the continuation of the North Broad Street Renaissance. (Applause.)
Its Chair, Ken Scott, sitting right in front of me. They strategically placed you, Ken. I asked that to be done. So before we begin, I just want to take one moment to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to four very Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING special people not only to me but of all of us, Councilmembers who are concluding their term. They leave a legacy that will be truly written in stone Councilman Bill Greenlee, Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, Councilmember Al Taubenberger, and Council Lady Jannie Blackwell. Let's give them a hand. (Applause.)
They were awesome. And to the newest members, you got some pretty big shoes to fill. So I want to acknowledge the four newly elected members being sworn in today Councilwoman Kathy Gilmore Richardson. (Applause.)
Councilwoman, I see you brought the crowd that you had at your inauguration party Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING Saturday night. And Councilwoman Jamie Gauthier. (Applause.)
And probably the only person that I can't beat in basketball on the stage, Councilman Isaiah Thomas. (Applause.)
Lastly, I just want to say it is truly an honor to have allowed me and a privilege to have served as your Council President for the last four years. I want to thank my members for again giving me this awesome opportunity. You guys, thank you all so much. We look forward to continuing some very good things for the City of Philadelphia. So to all of you, thank you so much. (Applause.)
Now the work begins. So four years ago, I stood on Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING stage at the last inauguration and I made a number of pledges as we sought new ways to grow our city's economy while helping more Philadelphians participate in that growth, and we made some progress. I said we would unveil a comprehensive energy strategy to help homeowners, businesses, City government increase efficiencies, reduce costs, and create 10,000 jobs over the next decade. And I got kicked three, four times by my staff that said, Darrell, what in the world are you saying. But I meant it. No, we didn't get 10,000 new jobs yet, but I'm happy to say that with the Philadelphia Energy Authority and the Office of Sustainability of Philadelphia, we have more than 1,000 new jobs in the very, very awesome energy-efficient projects coming on board. (Applause.)
More Philadelphians have actually installed Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING solar systems in their homes, and over $100 million has been invested by companies and government agencies to retrofit their buildings to become more energy efficient. Our comprehensive energy strategy is saving energy, reducing utility costs and, more importantly, creating jobs. We promise to continue our efforts to ensure equitable growth throughout Philadelphia and make sure every neighborhood is a community of choice. That is very important. And while we have made much progress, we still have much more work to do. Our Philly First Home initiative -- this was really, really a special program, which provides one-time grants to help first-time homebuyers afford the down payment and closing costs of their home -- is working extremely well. And if anybody bought a home Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING recently, you understand what a challenge that is. So as a result of that, in six months, this program has helped nearly 900 homebuyers achieve their dream of the most significant investment in one's lifetime, buying a home in the City of Philadelphia. (Applause.)
This program is also helping to stabilize our middle neighborhoods and returning money to the City. Now, frequently we spend money, and it doesn't necessarily come back. In this program, in return of 8 million in grants, the City actually realized $4.5 million to the City in real estate transfer tax. That's nearly a 60 percent return on investment. That's a win-win for everybody. But this is no time to rest on our laurels. We must build on all of the positive momentum happening in Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING Philadelphia, particularly in our downtown area. From the Comcast Technology Center to the FMC Tower in West Philly, our skyline is growing, our economy is booming. Look out, New York, we're coming for you. (Applause.)
Our world-class academic institutions Temple, Penn, Drexel, La Salle, and St. Joe's - are producing thousands of college graduates, ready to take on the world, and increasingly these graduates are staying in Philly, drawn to our neighborhoods, our affordability, our vibrant arts and culture, and restaurant scene that continues to grow. That momentum is real, and we should take a moment to celebrate it. But this is not the only story happening in the City of Philadelphia. We also are home to 400,000 people living in poverty. I want you to take that in for a moment. That's one in every four Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING person in the City that's living at or below the poverty rate that is hovering around 24 percent. That's unacceptable to me, and I assume that it's unacceptable to all of you in this room. So City Council took its first steps to address the significant problem. Council released a report. It's called Narrowing the Gap. com, a shameless plug, to look at that document, and it talks about strategies aimed at alleviating poverty in the City, and it utilizes best practices from around the country and around the globe. Next, Council created a Special Committee on Poverty Reduction and Prevention, and we put top people in charge - Councilmember Quinones-Sanchez, Eva Gladstein of the Kenney Administration, Sharmain Matlock Turner of the Urban Affairs Coalition, and my good friend, Mel Wells of One Day At A Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING Time. This past fall, the Special Committee met at City Hall and in neighborhoods around Philadelphia, hundreds of citizens and stakeholders participating, lending their best ideas to create jobs and develop additional strategies. I want you to get this next one. Philadelphians are currently eligible for over $450 million in federal and state benefits. That's $450 million. But for various reasons, they're not receiving those benefits. We're working with experts to develop an actionable, and I say actionable plan, to get these benefits to eligible Philadelphians. Can you imagine the impact on poverty when we obtain several hundred million dollars in benefits for Philadelphians? It will be significant. Soon the Special Committee will meet again to issue a complete set of actionable recommendations for the City Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING to help lift 100,000 people out of poverty by 2024, and we believe in setting goals. As I like to say, in the 1960s -- and I'm not sure I was around then. Somebody told me about it. I know folks will be on that Twitter trying to figure out how old is this guy. Our country, we rallied together to send a man to the moon, and everyone - academics, engineers, political leaders, everybody - worked together and America achieved its moonshot. This is our city's moonshot. We must resolve this very, very troubling problem. So I'm calling on everyone the business community, our top universities, colleges, non-profit organizations, City government, and all of our citizens - to work together to achieve this goal. That's an effort worthy of a world-class city. Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING And that is just the beginning of what we can do and must do working together. So last year much attention was paid to the City's effort to attract Amazon to Philadelphia. And we didn't win; they made a mistake. But we did learn what happens when the business community and local government works together. Philadelphia and Pennsylvania put together a very competitive bid for Amazon. And you know what? We didn't get it, but it taught us a lot. We need to keep working collaboratively - the Mayor's Office, the City Council, the business community, the Chamber of Commerce, our academic and non-profit leaders - to attract more companies and jobs to the City of Philadelphia. And we may not have gotten Amazon, actually No.
5 on the Fortune 500 list, but why can't we work together and attract companies from the Fortune 1,000 Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING list? That will be a goal. )
And one good example is our growing healthcare sector. Companies like Independence Blue Cross, Penn Medicine, Temple Health all employ thousands of people in Philadelphia. But what about all of the other companies emerging in the biosciences and life sciences field? This is what we need to do, go aggressively. As aggressively as we went after Amazon, we should go aggressively after those particular fields. So we need to work together, and it means jobs and opportunity for all of our citizens. So while we're talking about collaboration, I want to do this. Let's put to rest once and for all any notion that City Council is somehow anti-business. City Council represents a wide array of constituencies, from domestic Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING workers to the largest corporations in the City. Every constituency deserves equity and fairness under the law, and Council works to balance those interests every day in each bill or piece of legislation that we introduce. That is our job. We are for workers and we are for job-creating companies and for equity and opportunity for every individual and industry in the City. So when we work together, we achieve these goals. When we stand divided, we achieve none of them. Our recent reform to the City's tax abatement is a good example. And I had to bring up something controversial today, because it's in my nature. So some stakeholders wanted us to take no action to reform the abatement program, and it's credited with helping to ignite a building boom in the last decade in the City of Philadelphia that was unprecedented. And other Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING stakeholders wanted us to do away with it in its entirety. But what Council did was get to work. Our staff carefully studied the history and the impact of the abatement, and in the end, we altered the abatement for new residential construction over the next decade, and we project that it will generate over $300 million in additional revenues for our public school and essential City services. We kept the abatement in place for commercial activity, because that creates jobs. So we did the appropriate balancing act and we made sure that we continue to be competitive. So that's what we do when we work together. So as we focus on an economic agenda that creates good-paying jobs for everyone in our City, we must also pay attention to a growing gap between the jobs created by our technology economy and the skills possessed by our adults in our city. Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING This skills gap is one of the many issues associated with income inequality in Philadelphia, and we must narrow that skills gap. We need more adult education classes and curriculum for citizens across our city. The Community College of Philadelphia is playing a role, but we need more access to classrooms for adults who want to work but need to learn the skills to get the technology and healthcare jobs of today. On a recent trip to Baltimore, I met with Mayor Young and I learned what they're doing on this particular issue. By the end of the year, 75 percent of Baltimore's public schools will be community schools, and over half of them offer robust financial literacy, job training, and workforce development for adults living in that neighborhood. That's important. Our expansion of community schools in Philadelphia is encouraging, Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING and I want to thank the Mayor. Mayor, thank you so much, from that time we rode on that little rickety -- I don't know what you call it, on that river in Cincinnati when we saw the first community school and we were holding our breath. Thank you for keeping your commitment for this community school initiative. We really appreciate that. (Applause.)
And another issue that arises from a lack of economic opportunity is crime. And although violent crime declined slightly in Philadelphia last year, unfortunately shootings and homicides did not. More than 100 people, 100 people younger than the age of 18, were shot in 2019. We're talking toddlers, we're talking children, we're talking infants. That is totally unacceptable. So Council has done a few things, but we're going to need all of Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING you. Council has taken action to protect our citizens, prohibiting guns at playgrounds, making it more difficult to allow individuals who have protection orders to get weapons. We funded, with the Administration, a significant amount, millions of dollars, to ensure that we have violence prevention programs in the City of Philadelphia, meaningful programs. And, most importantly, in 2020, we will support our new police commissioner, Danielle Outlaw. (Applause.)
But as she said herself last week, she cannot do this alone. She needs all of our help. We need all of your help. So together we can make our neighborhoods safer, but we must work together. These issues all intersect with each other, 400,000 people living in poverty, a growing skills gap for people who want to work but they lack the skills needed in today's economy, a lack of Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING hope, too many guns on our street, too many people willing to use them. So to every citizen out there watching this inauguration who might think cynically that nothing will ever change, I simply say this: There is nothing we cannot achieve if we work together. Working together, we can lift 100,000 people out of poverty. Working together, we can create access to adult education that narrows the skills gap and helps individuals get on track to find jobs paying a living wage. Working together, we can support our new police commissioner and her efforts to reform our criminal system and make all of our neighborhoods safer for all our citizens. Let that be our moonshot. Now, I'm not suggesting the challenges that lie ahead are easy. I am saying that solving these problems is Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING essential to our future as a city that serves every citizen in the City of Philadelphia. President Obama said this -man, do I miss him, I'm telling you. (Applause.)
I'm talking about changing something to allow a third term. Oh, my God. I'm sorry. I'm going off script. I couldn't help it. So when you think about the challenges we face -- this is what President Obama said -- these are challenges that require us to look forward, not backwards. That's important. You got to look forward. So let's look forward and craft solutions that make Philadelphia a more thriving, inclusive, and a safer city for everyone. So today I want to thank everyone who has come to The Met Philadelphia, North Broad Street, right Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING in the heart of North Philadelphia for this awesome inauguration, and I want to thank all of you for continuing to love our City of Philadelphia. God bless you all. Thank you so much. (Applause.)
Thank you. Thank you. Now back to business. The next order of business is the election of the Chief Clerk of the Council of the City of Philadelphia. Nominations are now in order, and the Chair recognizes Councilman O'Neill.
Thank you, Mr. President. I nominate Mr. Michael Decker.
The Chair thanks the Councilman. And the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Gym.
Mr. President, I second that nomination. Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING
Thank you, Councilwoman. Are there any further nominations? (No response.)
Hearing none, the Chair recognizes Councilman Johnson.
Mr. President, I move that the nominations be closed.
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Bass.
Thank you, Councilwoman. It's been moved and properly seconded that the nominations be closed. All those in favor of that motion will say aye. (Aye.) Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING
The ayes have it, and the motion is carried. There being no further nominations, all in favor of the election of Mr. Decker as Chief Clerk of the Council will say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. However, the Chief Clerk will call the roll.
Councilwoman Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING Gauthier.
Aye. Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING
Aye. The ayes are 17; the nays are zero. Mr. Decker, having received a unanimous vote of the members of Council, I now declare Mr. Michael Decker duly elected Chief Clerk of the City Council of Philadelphia. (Applause.)
Councilman Squilla and Councilman Oh will please escort Mr. Decker to the rostrum. The Honorable Judge Dougherty will administer the oath of office to Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING Mr. Decker. JUSTICE DOUGHERTY: Mr. Decker, place your left hand on your Bible, raise your right hand, repeat after me. (Oath of office administered.) JUSTICE DOUGHERTY: Congratulations, sir. (Applause.)
Thank you. Mr. Decker, I see you were a little slow on the draw. You got all choked up from that nomination. It's all good. Mr. Decker is an awesome fixture in the City Council of Philadelphia. (Applause.)
At this time, I will name the officers of the City Council. Please be advised that by a vote of the democratic members of Council, the Honorable Cherelle Parker was elected Majority Leader, the Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING Honorable Curtis Jones, Jr. was elected Majority Whip, and the Honorable Mark Squilla was elected Majority Deputy Whip of the Council. (Applause.)
Thank you. The next order of business is the introduction of a resolution concerning the rules of government of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, and the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Quinones-Sanchez.
Thank you, Mr. President. I offer the following resolution.
The Chief Clerk will read the title of the resolution.
A resolution to provide rules for the government of the Council of the City of Philadelphia.
The Chair recognizes Councilman Jones. Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the rules, as set forth in this resolution, be adopted the temporary rules of the Council of the City of Philadelphia until the permanent rules are adopted.
Thank you. The Chair thanks the Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Henon.
All in favor of the motion will say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and the motion is carried and the rules contained in this resolution have been adopted temporarily. The resolution will be placed on the Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING Final Passage Calendar for consideration at our next session of Council. The organization of the Council of the City of Philadelphia and the investiture of the City Council members are complete, in accordance with the provisions of the Home Rule Charter. The Council is honored by the presence of the Reverend John Roberts. I ask you all please to rise, and I invite Reverend Roberts to lead us in prayer, my minister, Reverend Roberts.
The Bible says any two touching in the green asking anything in his name, that he would do it. I want to ask that you will take your neighbor by the hand. Our Heavenly Father, we thank you again for not only did you wake us up, but you helped us to get up. You gave us a portion of health and strength where we were able to bathe ourselves and put our own clothes on without any Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING assistance. And you brought us safely to this place on today. I ask now that you would bless everyone under the sound of my voice. Thank you for our President of City Council, my brother and friend, Darrell Clarke, for those that will be working along with him in City Council. I pray now even for the great Mayor of this city and all the elected officials that I know. Thank you so much for bringing us together. You are a God who cares about all of us, because all lives matter to you. Now, if you bless us, we'll be blessed. If you help us, we'll be helped. If you touch us, we'll be healed. Bless this day and make us a blessing to the day, for you said in your word how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. For united we stand, but divided we fall. Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING Now we ask, oh God, that you would bless all of us today. Give us wisdom and knowledge and understanding, these great leaders of this city. You said in your word that when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people mourn. Wipe the tears away. Put rejoicing down in our hearts and in our souls for these great leaders of this great City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection. I ask that you would do this, bind us together, make us one in the spirit. We ask this in Jesus' name. And as always, Lord, thank you for listening. Amen. (Amen.) (Applause.)
Thank you, Reverend Roberts. At this time, I invite the Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING Saint Thomas Gospel Choir to perform "This is the Day." The choir is directed by Walt Blocker. Saint Thomas Choir. (Saint Thomas Gospel Choir performs.) (Applause.)
All right. That's right. I heard that. So today we are also honored by the presence of the Reverend Martini Shaw. Before we proceed with the induction of the Mayor of the City of Philadelphia, I invite Reverend Shaw to lead us in prayer.
Let us pray. Almighty and eternal God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Rebecca, Sarah, Muhammad, and Jesus, this morning, oh Lord, we give you thanks, we give you praise, we give you honor as we lift in prayer our beloved and diverse City of Philadelphia, a city founded and grounded in both brotherly love and sisterly Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING affection. As we begin this new year of 2020, we pray for unity where there is division and separation. We pray for peace where there is discord and turmoil. We pray for love where there is hatred and antipathy. We pray for light where there is darkness and uncertainty. We pray for order where there is disorder and chaos. We pray for justice where there is injustice and inequality. We pray for healing where there is sickness, pain, and suffering. We pray for joy where there is sadness and despair. We pray for the eradication of all forms of racism and sexism and ageism. We pray for an end to xenophobia, homophobia, and all other phobias that divide and plague our city and poison our nation. We pray that we may strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being. Unite us, oh Lord, that we may be more loving and compassionate, more giving and Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING welcoming, that we may be a haven of your blessings. And, oh Lord, bless our Mayor, bless our City Council, bless all those elected to public office that they may serve with integrity, dignity, and faithfulness. May the spirit of brotherly love and sisterly affection always guide our thoughts and inform our actions. In the name of the omnificent, omniscient, and omnipresent God who is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we can ask or imagine, Lord, hear our prayer. Amen. (Amen.) (Applause.)
Thank you so much, Reverend. We will now proceed with the induction of the Mayor of the City of Philadelphia. The Chair appoints Councilman Green, Councilman O'Neill, Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING Councilwoman Quinones-Sanchez, and Councilman Oh to escort the Honorable James F. Kenney, Mayor of the City of Philadelphia, to the rostrum. The Chair also invites Mrs. Barbara Kenney to join him at the podium. The Chief Clerk will read the certificate of election of the Honorable James F. Kenney as the Mayor of the City of Philadelphia.
Jim Kenney, at an election held November 5, 2019, you were duly elected Mayor of the City of Philadelphia for a four-year term, commencing the first Monday of January 2020.
The Honorable Kevin Dougherty, Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, will administer the oath of office to the Mayor. JUSTICE DOUGHERTY: Place your left hand on the Bible, raise your right hand. Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING (Oath of office administered.) JUSTICE DOUGHERTY: Congratulations, Mr. Mayor. (Standing ovation.)
Thank you. The members of City Council, reverend clergy, elected officials, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I have the distinct honor to present to you His Honor, the Mayor of the City of Philadelphia, the Honorable James F. Kenney. (Applause.)
I want to begin by thanking my family for their support, especially my mother, Barbara. I want to take a moment to honor my father who is no longer with us, but is still by my side today and every day. (Applause.) Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING
I want to thank Council President Clarke and my friends in City Council for having me, as after all, this is your Council session. I want to specifically congratulate the new members of City Council. This new generation of thoughtful, conscientious leaders will help make this city a better place for decades to come. I congratulate our distinguished judges, our City Commissioners, Sheriff Bilal, and Register of Wills Gordon on taking their oaths of office today. I want to acknowledge former Mayor Goode and Mayor Green, also Mayor Street, Congressman Boyle, Councilman Evans, also Councilman Brady, and I want to recognize the members of our Administration who are here and the many more who are working throughout the City right now. Whether they're sanitation workers out in the cold making sure our Stated Meeting January 6, 2020 1/6/20 - STATED MEETING streets are clean or police officers and firefighters racing to save someone's lives, it's these individuals who make this city run, and we owe them all of our thanks. (Applause.)