Stated Meeting, February 12, 2026

Stated Meeting COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA STATED MEETING Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania February 12, 2026 10:00 a.m. PRESENT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT KENYATTA JOHNSON COUNCILWOMAN NINA AHMAD COUNCILWOMAN CINDY BASS COUNCILMAN MICHAEL DRISCOLL COUNCILWOMAN JAMIE GAUTHIER COUNCILWOMAN KATHERINE GILMORE RICHARDSON COUNCILMAN JIM HARRITY COUNCILMAN CURTIS J. JONES, JR. COUNCILWOMAN RUE LANDAU COUNCILWOMAN QUETCY M. LOZADA COUNCILMAN BRIAN J. O'NEILL COUNCILMAN NICOLAS O'ROURKE COUNCILMAN ANTHONY PHILLIPS COUNCILMAN MARK SQUILLA COUNCILMAN ISAIAH THOMAS COUNCILMAN JEFFREY YOUNG, JR. ELIZABETH McCOLLUM NAZARIO, CHIEF CLERK Stated Meeting

The hour has come and a quorum of this Council is present. This Council is now coming to order. Before proceeding, I will ask all those present to please set your cell phone to silent and/or vibrate. Thank you very much. As a matter of personal privilege, I just want to remind our members that Council Caucus starts at 9:30 a.m. and City Council session starts at 10:00 a.m. To give our invocation this morning, the Chair recognizes Reverend Jeffrey Jordan, Senior Pastor of Whosoever Metropolitan Community Church in Philadelphia. He is here today as the guest of Councilmember Rue Landau. I will ask all members and guests to please rise. Stated Meeting

Mr. President, members of City Council, good morning.

Good morning.

I'm Reverend Jeffrey H. Jordan, the Senior Pastor of Whosoever Metropolitan Community Church, the oldest entity in Philadelphia that serves the LGBTQIA community. As one who lives at the intersection of homophobia and racism, it is an honor to be here during the time when there are so many who want to erase the history of my race and dismantle the flag of my sexuality. As I discussed with Councilperson Landau, this is not my first time or my first opportunity to give the invocation for this Council. This honor was first extended to me in the '90s by Stated Meeting Recently, I was with Councilman Ortiz and he expressed to me that, according to his knowledge, I was the first openly gay clergy invited to give the invocation. Whether that's true or not, I'm back this time. I have been invited by the first openly queer Councilperson, Councilperson Rue Landau. We've come very far here in Philadelphia, but still in our country we have far to go. Will you pray with me. To the one whom no single word or name can capture your full divine essence, we now pray, Holy, Sacred, Sovereign who is known by many names, we gather here today acknowledging our need for your guidance as we face the important matters of our city. We thank you for our Councilmembers Stated Meeting to public service and the opportunity that they have to steward the resources and well-being of this city. We ask that you grant this Council wisdom to govern amid the conflicting interests and issues of our time. May their decisions be driven not by fear, greed or personal ambition, but by a commitment to justice, righteousness and the common good. We ask for special wisdom for the Council to protect the vulnerable, support the marginalized and build bridges rather than walls. May their decisions build a foundation for a future of peace, prosperity and justice. Give them ears to listen to the people they serve, patience in their deliberations and courage to do the right thing. We pray that Stated Meeting protect them from those who would do them harm. And when they lay down their heads, may they rest well knowing that their struggles and weariness is for the good of all humanity. Ashe and Amen. (Amen.)

Council will be at ease. The Chair thanks the Reverend for his invocation. (Council at ease.)

The next order of business is the Approval of the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, February 5, 2026. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Cindy Bass.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the Journal Stated Meeting meeting of Thursday, February 5, 2026 be approved. (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and properly seconded that the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, February 5, 2026 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 the request for leave of absence. And the Chair recognizes Councilmember and Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson. Stated Meeting

Good morning, Council President. Good morning, colleagues. On behalf of the Majority, there are no requests for leave of absence today.

The Chair thanks the Majority Leader. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Deputy Whip and Minority Party Nicolas O'Rourke.

Thank you, Mr. President. I've asked for a leave of absence for Minority Leader Kendra Brooks.

The Chair thanks the Councilmember and leave will be granted. The Chair now recognizes Stated Meeting Katherine 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 today's Council 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 Stated Meeting 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 returning a 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 and Majority Leader Stated Meeting be added to the agenda for today should those matters arise during the course of this session of Council. All in favor will indicate 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 your time to join us as we attend the Stated Meeting great city. We certainly invite you to come again. As there are no presentations today, the next order of business the Chair recognizes Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson.

Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. President. Today I rise to recognize the presence of a School District of Philadelphia student who will be joining my office for the next six weeks for an internship program where he will shadow Philadelphia city government, specifically here in City Council. So allow me to welcome high school senior at Abraham Lincoln High School, Marco Enclave. Please welcome him to Stated Meeting (Applause.)

And for my colleagues in the Northeast, he's a resident of Fox Chase. So we welcome you all the way here to Philadelphia City Council. Thank you very much, Council President.

Welcome. Thank you very much. The next order of business is communications. The Chair requests that the Sergeantat-Arms deliver the messages from the Mayor to the Chief Clerk. The Chief Clerk will read the messages from the Mayor and other communications in her possession.

Council Stated Meeting President, there are no communications from the Mayor today.

Thank you. The next order of business is the introduction of bills and resolutions. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Dr. Anthony Phillips.

Thank you, Council President. I just want to quickly also just note that Samir Taylor is a student at Abraham Lincoln High School, and he's a senior and he's joining us in our office for the next six weeks as well. So just wanted to say that really quickly. I have no bills -- I missed my part. I have no bills and resolutions, Council President. COUNCIL PRESIDENT Stated Meeting JOHNSON: Thank you, Dr. Phillips. And the time to acknowledge individuals is during the welcoming part, sir.

I knew that was coming.

The Chair recognizes Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson.

Thank you, Council President. Today I offer one non-privileged resolution on your behalf.

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

A non-privileged resolution Stated Meeting confirming the appointment of Wesley R. Payne, IV, as a member of the Board of Ethics, to serve in the term ending November 16, 2029.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Jamie Gauthier.

Good morning, Council President. Today I'm introducing one non-privileged resolution and I'm co-introducing it with Minority Leader Kendra Brooks, Minority Whip Nicolas O'Rourke and Councilmember Rue Landau.

Thank you very much. Will the Chief Clerk please read the title of the Progressive Caucus resolution. Stated Meeting

A non-privileged resolution expressing support for Jerome Richardson and our First Amendment rights in the face of political persecution against protesters by the Trump Administration.

This resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at our next session of Council. The Chair recognizes Deputy -- Majority Whip Councilmember Isaiah Thomas.

Good morning, Council President. Good morning, colleagues. Good morning to the listening public. I have one resolution today. Thank you, Council President. Stated Meeting

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

A privileged resolution celebrating and recognizing February 15th as 215 Day of Giving, an annual observance that honors Philadelphia's identity while strengthening and highlighting the role of nonprofit organizations serving underresourced and underserved communities.

This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. Chair recognizes Councilmember Curtis Jones, Jr.

Good morning, Mr. President and Stated Meeting colleagues. Today I offer a privileged and a non-privileged resolution, one co-introduced by Dr. Nina Ahmad and the other Jeffrey Young.

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

A non-privileged resolution renaming the 3000 block of West Harper Street "Joyce Hill Way" to honor the life and legacy of Joyce Hill.

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

And a Stated Meeting privileged resolution Honoring and Recognizing the Observance of the Holy Month of Ramadan in the City of Philadelphia.

Shak vhir. This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Landau.

Good morning, Council President, colleagues and guests. I have nothing today.

Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Quetcy Lozada.

Thank you, Council President. Good morning, everyone. I have two privileged resolutions. Stated Meeting

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

A privileged resolution authorizing the Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development and The Homeless to hold hearings to examine the Office of Property Assessment, its assessment methodology, appeals process and the impact of rising property assessments and property taxes on Philadelphia residents.

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

And a privileged resolution authorizing a joint hearing between the Committee Stated Meeting on Public Safety and the Committee on Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs to examine the presence of firearms in public recreation spaces, the enforcement of existing laws and strategies to reduce gun violence in parks and playgrounds across the City of Philadelphia.

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

Good morning, Mr. President. No Bills or resolutions today.

Thank you very much. Chair recognizes Councilmember Jim Harrity.

Stated Meeting Thank you, Council President. I have nothing today, but I also would like to ask that everybody keep Senator Street's Executive Director Kasib Carter in prayer. He had a heart attack last night. Thank God his wife came home, found him on the floor and was able to resuscitate him, and then the ambulance came and took him to the hospital, but he is on a ventilator and all breathing tubes. So please keep him in prayer.

We will. And I prefer for you also to make that announcement during the announcement section at the end of Council. Okay?

Yes, sir.

All right. Thank you Stated Meeting very much. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Nicolas O'Rourke.

Thank you, Mr. President. Nothing today, sir.

Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Mike Driscoll.

Mr. President, I have one bill today.

Thank you very much. Would the Chief Clerk please read the title of the bill.

An ordinance authorizing the installation, ownership and maintenance of an elevator encroachment in the vicinity of 3400 Aramingo Avenue, Philadelphia, Stated Meeting PA, 19134, under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee. Will the Chief Clerk -Chair recognizes Councilmember Brian O'Neill.

Thank you, Mr. President. I offer no bills or resolutions.

Thank you very much. Chair recognizes Councilmember Mark Squilla.

Thank you, Mr. President. No bills or resolutions.

Thank you very much. Chair recognizes Councilmember Stated Meeting Cindy Bass -- I'm going to recognize Councilmember Dr. Nina Ahmad to introduce bills on behalf of Councilmember Cindy Bass.

Thank you, Council President. My colleague has four privileged resolutions.

Thank you very much. Will the Chief Clerk please read the privileged resolutions introduced by Councilmember Dr. Nina Ahmad on behalf of Councilmember Cindy Bass.

A privileged resolution honoring and recognizing Reverend Michael A. Major, Sr. during Black History Month for his extraordinary leadership, faith-driven service and unwavering commitment to the renewal, restoration, Stated Meeting revitalization of the NicetownTioga community, and celebrating his Installation as Senior Pastor at Zion Baptist Church.

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

And a privileged resolution recognizing and honoring February 20, 2026 as Love Your Pet Day in the City of Philadelphia.

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

And a privileged resolution honoring Rev. Dr. J. Henry Buck, Jr., for his service, visionary ministry and contributions to the community as Senior Pastor of Grace Baptist Stated Meeting Church of Germantown in recognition of Black History Month.

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

And a privileged resolution honoring Bishop J. Lewis Felton from the Mt. Airy Church of God in Christ for his extraordinary lifetime service, leadership and lasting contributions to the spiritual, civic and social well-being of the City of Philadelphia during Black History Month.

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

Stated Meeting 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 February 17, 2026 as the Lunar New Year, and celebrating the cultural and historical significance of Philadelphia's Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.

This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. The next order of business is reports from committees. The Chair recognizes our Stated Meeting Richardson for a report from the Committee on Law and Government.

Thank you, Mr. President. The Committee on Law and Government reports out two bills with a favorable recommendation.

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

The Committee on Law and Government to which was referred the following, bill and resolution: Bill No. 251098, an ordinance providing for the submission to the qualified electors of the City of Philadelphia of the proposal set forth in a Resolution approved by Council proposing an amendment to Stated Meeting Charter relating to the creation of the Office of the Youth Ombudsperson; and authorizing and directing the appropriate officers to publish notice and to make arrangements for the special election, respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bill to Council with a favorable recommendation. And Resolution No. 251108, resolution proposing an amendment to the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter providing for the creation of the Office of Youth Ombudsperson; and providing for the submission of the proposed amendment to the electors of Philadelphia, respectfully reports it has considered and amended the same and returns the attached resolution to Council with a Stated Meeting no further bills or resolutions to report out from the Committee on Law and Government, Council President.

Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson for a motion.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended as to permit first reading 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 as to Stated Meeting 2ND READING permit the consideration of these bills just read by the Chief Clerk at today's session of Council. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Anyone opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it and the motion carries. These bills will be placed on our First Reading Calendar for today. The next order of business is the consideration of the Calendar. I note that the bills just reported from committees with the suspension of rules have been deemed to have had a First Reading. These bills will be placed on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar for the next Stated Meeting 2ND READING session of Council. As there are no additional bills on the First Reading Calendar, the Chair recognizes Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson for a motion concerning certain bills and resolutions on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar.

Thank you, Mr. President. The following bills and resolutions are being called up from the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendars today: Nos. 260086, 260089, 250988 and 251031. The following bills and resolutions on the Calendar are being held: 241070, 241056, 250768, 250807, 250843, 250917, 250980, 251025 and 251097. 250989 is being amended. Stated Meeting

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 at 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. Don't give her a hard time. She's from South Philly too. Once you have signed up, you will be called in the order in which your name appears on the sign-up sheet. Under ideal circumstances, public commenters each will have three minutes to Stated Meeting speak. However, this time limit may vary from session to session. Today, the time limit will be two minutes. In order to be fair to all those wishing to speak, I intend to hold faithfully to the two-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 please conclude your remarks. Once two minutes have passed, the light will turn red and the Sergeant-At-Arms will disconnect the microphone. Please don't get an attitude with him. He's only doing his job. At that point, please yield the podium to the next speaker if you have not done so already. I also reserve Stated Meeting the right, pursuant to our rules of City Council, to limit repetitious comments on the same subject matter. I will now ask the Chief Clerk to please read the name of our first speaker.

Will Lindsey Harteis, April Velez, Jeremy Blatstein, Jody Applebaum and Judith Robinson, please make your way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.)

Jody Applebaum -- there we go. Jody Applebaum. I agree that indiscriminate breeding contributes to shelter overcrowding. However, by classifying all breeding by individuals as indiscriminate and contributory, this bill affects the very people to whom buyers should Stated Meeting turn for a puppy. I am an AKC breeder of merit. It means I have demonstrated outstanding commitment to breeding high-quality dogs from champion lines. I follow the recommendations specific to my breed for health tests of any dog used in breeding. The goal is to have puppies with good, even temperaments who are structurally sound and are free from inherited health problems. We vet our potential owners thoroughly and often say no. My puppies are registered with the AKC within weeks of their birth. We have contracts and our relationship begins with that contract. If for any reason the owner cannot care for the dog at any point in its life, we will take it back without Stated Meeting exception. Nobody who goes through the interview process and pays what we ask for our dogs is going to abandon that dog to the streets. Activists have done their very best to remove all distinctions between responsible and irresponsible breeders. It is insulting to be lumped together with the people at whom this bill is directed. What makes us different? Dedication to a breed, to their health, to their structure, to their temperament, to our puppies and to their owners. Breeders like me are actually allies because we do our very best to educate people away from the backyard breeder, the Lancaster puppy mill and the slick internet website. If this bill passes, I will be forced to leave the city that I love so I do not Stated Meeting endanger a breeding program that has taken years. Thank you.

Once again, will Lindsey Harteis, April Velez and Judith Robinson, please make your way toward the podium.

My name is Jeremy Blatstein. Thank you, Councilwoman Bass, for your bill. My friend Jess would be very supportive of this. She adopts from the SPCA time after time, and this bill is really important to her. The other two bills were speaking of, of course is everyone's favorite Councilman, Councilman Young. Hopefully -yes, thank you for withdrawing your Hahnemann overlay bill. I know your goal was to get more housing built in your district, so goal accomplished. Thank you very much. Stated Meeting The other two bills that you have, you're holding one of them. It's regarding the demolition ban that you say is going to stop blight and gentrification. It's just not true and is a problem. It's just going to add cost to small developers, right. We're really trying to help small developers be successful and more blue tape is not what we need. Mayor Parker said it herself yesterday, in order to tackle this problem, we need to do supply and production. That should be the goal of every bill, and this bill is going to prevent that. The goal is to grow Philly to 2 milli. And your other bill, in terms of small businesses, is just going to hurt small businesses, right. 11:00 p.m., I don't know, what if you want to get Stated Meeting something to eat real fast? What if you want to get something from the corner store? This bill prevents that. And realistically, restaurants that don't have liquor license would have to close at 11:00 p.m. I don't think you should be over the -- the restaurant thing is a big deal right now. And last but not least, we're talking about SEPTA. The GM of SEPTA, he was here last week, right, fighting for SEPTA funding. I encourage each and every one of you to ride SEPTA right now. I think you'll see the improvements that have been happening with the SEPTA system, with these new fare gates. But realistically, it's a partisan issue and everybody should be advocating for more SEPTA across the aisle because we need this for Stated Meeting Philadelphia in 2026. Thank you.

Will Amanda Eldridge, Samantha Craven, Charles Hull, Adam Oldman and David Jenkins, please make your way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.)

Good morning. Amanda Eldridge. As a veterinarian, I have seen firsthand the effects of irresponsible backyard breeding. These consequences include poor genetic planning, resulting in congenital defects, a complete lack of veterinary care, significant rise in preventable infectious diseases and an increase in surrendered animals. The following instances are not hypotheticals or potential outcomes. These are actual events Stated Meeting I, myself, have experienced. These consequences show in the entire litter of eight puppies brought in with parvovirus and losing their lives because the breeder did not vaccinate the mom, who therefore cannot protect her puppies by passing on the antibodies. This shows in the dog showing up in dystocia, which is having trouble giving birth, who requires an emergency C-section and has had zero medical oversight. No vaccinations, no genetic or health screenings, no imaging to even know how many puppies are in there, as this all cuts into profit margins. Backyard breeding prioritizes profit over welfare. This is a deliberate and reckless practice. When overbred females are no longer profitable and puppies are no longer selling due Stated Meeting to overabundance or illness or when people who have purchased these animals cannot afford the care they need due to actions or lack thereof of these breeders, these animals are surrendered or worse, abandoned, and ACCT Philly picks up the pieces. This legislation represents a critical step toward reducing suffering, protecting our community and giving ACCT Philly a fighting chance to fulfill its mission responsibly and humanely. So as a Philadelphia born-andraised resident, as a veterinarian and as an advocate for both animal welfare and public health, I strongly urge you to support this bill. Thank you. (Applause.)

My name is Charlie Hull. I'm speaking on Stated Meeting behalf of the American Kennel Club and the responsible dog owners and breeders in Philadelphia who share the same concerns as the Kennel Club of Philadelphia. We share your go of reducing shelter overcrowding and improving animal welfare. We recognize the serious challenges facing ACCT Philly. However, we respectfully urge Council to table Bill 250989 rather than move it forward as written. The bill applies a blanket three-year moratorium that would primarily impact responsible hobby breeders who are not contributing to the shelter intake. It does little to address truly ill-responsible operators. Supporters suggest small breeders can simply obtain a Pennsylvania kennel license, but state only requires licensing when Stated Meeting 26 or more dogs are held or transferred in a year. Hobby breeders never approach that number, and the system was designed for large kennels, not families raising one litter in their home. Requiring licensing would also create practical problems, including zoning conflicts, significant new burdens on Pennsylvania Adult Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement and hundreds of new inspections a year that could be required with no resources to conduct them. No data has been presented showing that responsible Philadelphia breeders are supplying dogs to ACCT. It's specific individuals who are causing problems. The answer is target enforcement, not shutting everyone down. Rather than rushing a Stated Meeting three-year moratorium, we urge Council to table Bill 250989 briefly and convene a stakeholders group. Per the bill, temporary moratorium on dog breeding is a targeted measure intended to address the emergency conditions while considering and adopting permanent regular resolutions. The bill does not take effect until 90 days. Let's use those 90 days to come up with those solutions. Philadelphia deserves solutions that work in practice, not on paper. Thank you for the opportunity to submit my testimony.

Adam Goldman. Good morning, members of Council. My name is Adam Goldman. I'm Director of the Philadelphia Unemployment Project. I'm here today to testify in support of Stated Meeting Councilmember Landau's resolution commending the PA General Assembly for including the Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit in this year's state budget. With more and more Pennsylvanians struggling to make ends meet, having a state version of the earned income tax credit will help hundreds of thousands of residents across the Commonwealth put food on the table. I'd also like to mention that Philadelphia already has a local version of this program, but it's barely used, with less than 5% of eligible residents getting it last year. This is because the process is unnecessarily complicated, requiring residents to first apply and be approved for a separate, more restrictive state tax forgiveness program. It also Stated Meeting doesn't allow for a refund of the entire wage tax. With hard-working Pennsylvanians and Philadelphians struggling to get by, every dollar we can put back in their pockets helps. To fix this, we should tie the city wage tax refund to the new Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit and work with the state to automate and streamline the process. Until every Philadelphian receives these dollars back who's eligible, we're doing them a huge disservice. This really is a no-brainer. The program is there. Let's just make it work for everyone. Thank you.

Once again, will Samantha Craven please make your way toward the podium.

Madam Chair, members and guests, I rise Stated Meeting to address 241070 and 241056. It feels silly that I should stand before you this morning as people beyond the hall who have elected the members sat before them in front of the rail to put their best interest to the people before themselves, will be looking at such a resolution. When people are losing their jobs at an alarming rate when we are creating resolutions that amount to job security for politicians with an election year ahead of us, what are we doing. The proposal to remove the resign-to-run rule asks us to weaken one of Philadelphia's clearest ethical guardrails. This rule exists for a reason. It prevents misuse of offices, reduces incumbency advantage. It eliminates divided loyalty between Stated Meeting campaigning and governing. It ensures officials cannot use the city staff for public visibility as companion tools. It keeps taxpayer-funded and time focused on taxpayer-funded work. Most importantly, it protects the public trust. We know the argument other governments allow it. Have you watched the news lately? I don't know if you've seen other governments and how they operate. I don't know if you're paying attention, but this dog won't hunt as an argument. I don't know if the chamber recalls this, but voters in Philadelphia have already spoken in 2007, in 2014. They rejected eliminating this rule by clear margins. In 2020, the resolution was pulled before it reached the Stated Meeting ballot box. That is not ambiguity, friends. That is public will. Good governance is not about legality. It's about perception. The public must trust that the office you occupy is not a campaign infrastructure. Members, now that I have properly put your panties into a bunch, let me offer you a compromise. I would rather pay every city officer who resigns to run a transition compensation and greatest thanks for the legislative work, noting that if they lose, they face what every American faces when changing jobs, uncertainty. Public office is not a safety net. It is a public trust. This is not a hard one. Philadelphia has told you no, not once, not twice, not thrice. Don't make them do it again. Stated Meeting (Applause.)

Hi. My name is Samantha Craven. Good afternoon, Council President and members. My name is Sammie Craven. My main emphasis on Bill 250989 needing to be passed is due to the significant impact it will have on the overcrowding issue at ACCT Philly, this city's only open intake shelter that has euthanized over 2000 innocent souls since 2024 to now, simply due to lack of space and time. For the past several years, I have been deeply involved in reducing euthanasia for space at ACCT Philly, not as a spectator, but as someone actively moving animals towards live outcomes. I designed and distribute free, shareable graphics, highlighting ACCT Philly's timestamped dogs, Stated Meeting encourage outreach citizens to use their voice at meetings such as this, promoted posts I make on social media and build a network of over 80 lifesaving rescues and adoption groups, including 30 across the tristate area. Through a consistent targeted outreach, these posts regularly reach over 1000 across tristate area. And with consistent targeted outreach throughout a week-long campaign, they reach up to 20,000 people. So these views translate directly into rescue pools, foster placements and adoptions. And I personally have adopted and transported from there. This bill is targeted temporarily and strategic. By pausing certain commercial breeding and transfers, it reduces intake pressure, gives existing animals Stated Meeting more time to find homes and prevents healthy, adoptable dogs from being killed simply because they arrive at the wrong moment. Philly's shelter crisis spills across state lines. As a New Jersey resident, I clearly see every day how New Jersey adopters, rescue transports and foster networks are already absorbing Philly's overflow, meaning Philly's policy decisions already have affected New Jersey residents. Many of the adopters, rescue transporters keep these animals alive from New Jersey and beyond. Though I may live there, I work there and see the crisis every day in Philly. That's why this city requires -- okay, sorry. Delaware is a no state kill as long as other countries. So if Philly can't get Stated Meeting on board, then I don't know what the excuse is. You're one of the biggest cities and influential cities in the county, so voting yes is what needs to be done because the animals don't have a voice, but you do. (Applause.)

Will Jonathan Stein, John McAuley, Lynn Landes, Elaine Petrossian and Marie Marinakis, please make your way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.)

Good morning, everyone. I'm Jonathan Stein. I'm the former Executive Director of General Council at Community Legal Services and a former member of the City Tax Reform Commission in 2002, appointed by the City Council Stated Meeting President at that time. I'm here to support the resolution of Councilwoman Landau's resolution on the adoption for the first time in history of the state earned income tax credit, which joins the 50-year-old Federal EITC. And I'm here to really pinpoint the fact that this City Council has an extraordinary opportunity to revisit the current city ordinance providing for a wage tax credit or refund. The last time Council addressed that ordinance in 2020 with Councilmember Allan Domb and others, a number of people in this hall today. The reforms were adopted unanimously. And every time this bill has come up in the past, it got unanimous support by City Council. And what you have before you is a Stated Meeting bill introduced by Councilwoman Kendra Brooks and other co-sponsors in the hall today that would revisit this ordinance, which is simply not working. Fewer than 5% of low-income working people, fulltime, working people get this wage tax credit. That is 95% of eligible people in the city don't get it because it's tied to the state special tax forgiveness provision, which has a very low arbitrary eligibility level. And the full wage tax refund is not there because the PICA portion is not allowed. So this bill would address these impediments to this wage tax credit ordinance that we already have. The principle you should keep in mind is that our tax system should not be driving low-income people into deeper poverty, and that's Stated Meeting what the regressive wage tax does today. And I encourage you to revisit this bill, have hearings on it and adopt its contents. Thank you very much. ) MR. McCAULEY: Good morning, everybody. My name is John McCauley. Once again, I'm with a grassroots organization called Flip Philly Red. We are here to bring you something different because you've been voting Democrat for the Mayor's Office for the past 70 years. If I'm supposed to be excited about a state tax credit for $240, then that's what the average would be. The max would be $805, but the average per person would be $240. I'm supposed to be excited about that. We're supposed to give the General Assembly a pat on the back Stated Meeting for the state credit. Stacy Garrity is running for Governor. This should be a watch. This should be easy while you guys continue to get rich, continue to get money to continue to advance -- yes, I'm looking at you -- while you continue to advance in your careers and we supposed to be happy about a whopping $240. If you want to help us out, then champion eliminating property taxes. 5 billion. We're struggling out here. So I'm supposed to be excited about $240. That's what the average would be, when he continues to spend taxpayer money, Stated Meeting millions of dollars on his stupid Tiktok videos. And y'all don't say anything about that. I'm supposed to be excited about $240 while the Philadelphia Parking Authority made it impossible to park down here in Center City. You got the bike lane mafia down here that's made it impossible to park down here in Center City. E. Plan that we're going to have to pay back, that our children is going to have to pay back over time. You look at me like I'm crazy, but $800 million in bonds borrowed that the taxpayers will have to pay back. So why? I'm supposed to be excited about $240 when you got stupid 25 miles per hour speed limits on Broad Street. Stated Meeting I'm supposed to be excited about that. We're not giving pats on the back for that. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Good morning. I'm Lynn Landes of Safestreetsphilly.org and Philly's Republican Network. I support the resolution to lock up commercial dumpsters. Our local civic association was told by the police that this regulation would hopefully deter the homeless population from using dumpsters to live on the street. However, most of our local homeless people are seriously mentally disabled and/or drug addicted and must be ordered by a court into secure facilities in order to receive the care that they require, for the safety of both themselves and the public. To that Stated Meeting end, President Trump has signed an executive order to restore mental facilities across America after decades of failed policies by both Democrats and Republicans that have left the mentally disabled and drug addicted living on our streets. We request that the City Council support President Trump in this endeavor. On a different subject, I and many other Philadelphians support commonsense efforts by City Council to direct our waste towards recycling and storage, not incinerators and landfills, both of which are toxic to public health and a waste of valuable resources. In fact, the Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1976 requires that states develop and implement plans to maximize recycling and minimize waste. But that act has been Stated Meeting largely ignored by both Democrats and Republicans. In the 1990s, I was very involved in the zero waste movement and helped to develop state legislation to create disposal bans on waste streams, but that bill failed due to the opposition of both Democrats and Republicans. Several decades later, hopefully these laws and efforts will stand a better chance of success with both parties. Please go to my website zerowasteamerica.org to learn more. Thank you.

My name is Elaine Petrossian and I am rising in support of Councilman Young's bill, 250988, which is a zoning overlay in certain parts of the 5th Council District to provide overnight respite and relief to Stated Meeting neighbors and commercial corridors from relentless 24-hour day, sevenday-a-week operation of "mini marts" that are operating as smoke shops, which in reality are often times selling unlicensed and unregulated intoxicating substances. So I rise in support of that bill. I want to say also that as a neighborhood volunteer, neighborhood committee person and stalwart member of our civic association in the Spring Garden section adjacent to the North Broad Street corridor, this is an issue that is affecting many, many parts of the city. It will not be solved by diligent and a patchwork of zoning overlays, which is why I also want to say I look forward to and I thank Kathy Gilmore Richardson for her leadership on Stated Meeting holistic approaches to this new threat to our commercial corridors and the hearts of our neighborhoods. I also look forward to this body exercising oversight, meaningful oversight of the executive branch of government, because this body can make the laws but cannot enforce them. So I look forward to those times, and I want to say thank you to everyone for taking this very seriously. (Applause.)

Will Robert Gray, Jessica Graaf, Devon Cairo Rodriguez, Vanessa Raymond Garcia and Ian Griffin, please make your way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.)

Hi. My name is Marie Maranakis. I wanted Stated Meeting to thank the Councilmembers and attendees for the opportunity to just speak. I have volunteered at ACCT Philly for the past 12 years, and I am here to support the moratorium on puppy breeding, Bill No. 250989. I would like to invite everyone who either supports or opposes this bill to actually visit ACCT Philly and see the scope of the problem for yourself. Last Sunday, I did a kennel count. Came up with 117 large dogs, 105 pit bulls, German Shepherds, husky, mastiffs, Rottweiler, lab, terrier mixes, 1 cocker spaniel and 1 Collie mix. The scope of this problem is enormous and the suffering goes well beyond just the animals. The kennel staff I think has the most difficult job. The young men and women Stated Meeting in this entry-level position are required to feed, walk and clean kennels for the 20 to 30 dogs that ACCT Philly takes in daily. If they are still at the shelter at the end of three weeks, dogs are timestamped. The lucky ones are adopted, fostered or pulled by rescue groups. The kennel attendants then walk remaining dogs to a room at the back of the shelter and restrain them while vet techs administer the lethal ejection. Afterwards, the attendants take the lifeless bodies to the shelter's freezer and they are later removed for cremation. I ask everyone, how would you feel if you had to do this job. I think I'm almost out of time. But thank you for Councilmember Cindy Bass for this important legislation. Thank you Stated Meeting for your time. (Applause.)

Good afternoon, Philadelphia. I am here today to speak on several issues. There's a lot at stake today.

Excuse me. Please state your name for the record.

I will state my name, which is Robert Gray. And as I was saying, there's a lot at stake today, Philadelphia. A lot of our individual freedoms are being infringed upon. And I want to make comments in reference to several bills on the docket today. 251098, 241070, 241056, 250843, 250989 and 251097. So as I said, my name is Robert Gray and I'm here today to speak against legislation that while well-intentioned only, Stated Meeting ultimately infringes upon our individual rights, misuses taxpayer resources and expands bureaucratic power under the guise of social justice. Let me be clear from the outset. We all love our puppies here in this city. Protecting animals from abuse is a worthy and necessary goal. No reasonable person disputes that. But what we must dispute is how we attempt to do it. This legislation proposes restricting breeding unless individuals obtain a specific license, licenses that overwhelmingly benefit the elite, certified and commercially-favored breeding institutions. Organizations like the American Clinical Club and Westminster may dominate the conversation, but they do not Stated Meeting represent the full reality of animal ownership in the city. Philadelphia is a city of mixedbreed dogs, pit mixes, bully breeds, red-nose pits, dogs that exist not because of profit, but because of natural circumstance and responsible ownership. I want to put a face to that reality. This is my dog Kilo, a red-nose pit bull, and he's a champion in my eyes. He was raised responsibly. I also want to say that this adoption is biased and presidential -- sorry, prejudicial, because I've been to the ACCT and they've also decided what dogs go where, ladies and gentlemen. And that's what they want to do is essentially control more of our freedoms. And I thank you for your time today. Let's support more freedom and not ordinances that Stated Meeting waste taxpayer dollars.

Hi. My name is Jessica Graaf. I'm the President of Philly Bully Team. We are a nonprofit dog rescue here in Philadelphia. We work directly with ACCT Philly. We also do work with the police and take owner surrenders when we are able to, which is not very often because we're always full. I fully support Bill 250989, as somebody that has a front row seat to the overpopulation crisis in Philadelphia. I think that putting a temporary ban on the selling of puppies is a responsible and commonsense approach to a problem in the city that is only getting worse year after year. We have a foster network of over 100 homes. And even with Stated Meeting all of our resources, we are unable to keep up with the amount of dogs in need, not only from ACCT but from citizens of the city who want to surrender their dogs. Many of these dogs were purchased from somebody who intentionally bred them for the purpose of profit and not for temperament or genetic stability. A few of these dogs are also registered with the AKC per the owner's claim. Yet they are thrown away like trash regularly with no accountability of their well-being by the club they are registered to. The owners will often offer their AKC paperwork with a surrender request, which we decline because honestly, it doesn't mean a whole lot. Many of these dogs were also born with painful and Stated Meeting heartbreaking genetic deformities that require the rescue to spend thousands of dollars on surgeries to improve quality of life or even save their life. Sadly, those surgeries aren't always enough and we have lost a lot of dogs due to birth defects or neglect that would be avoidable with responsible breeding. Just last week, a breeder reached out to me to ask for assistance with rehoming his 3-day-old puppies because they hadn't sold fast enough for him. We obviously said no to that. I've also discovered one of my own dogs, who we found abandoned on the street, is related to 15 other dogs that have come through ACCT that we brought into our rescue as well through DNA testing. I want to ask you to vote as if these dogs' lives Stated Meeting are depending on it because they are. Thank you for your time and consideration. (Applause.)

Good morning. My name is Devon Rodriguez Cairo. I work at Hand the Paw, a youth development and animal welfare organization, and previously worked at ACCT Philly. I've seen firsthand the consequences of backyard breeding in our city. For years, irresponsible breeding has contributed directly to overcrowding in our shelters, increased strain on our city resources and public safety concerns. I've worked extensively in canine behavior. When dogs are bred without regard for temperament, health or early Stated Meeting socialization, we see the consequences: Fear, reactivity by incidents, the spread of preventable diseases like Parvo and ultimately dogs struggling to succeed in homes. These challenges don't exist in a vacuum. They impact families, neighbors, public safety across our city because profit is prioritized over responsibility. Those on the front lines of animal welfare know the pain of losing a dog because of overcrowding, especially after using every ounce of effort to find that dog placement. It looks like sitting on the floor of a euthanasia room with a healthy, happy dog who did nothing wrong and watching their life end simply because there is no kennel space. I personally cannot count the Stated Meeting number of times I have held dogs who should have been in loving homes, whose only fault was being one of too many. I have heard the objections raised by breeders today. This bill contains an exemption for licensed kennels. And despite what has been suggested, anyone can obtain a state kennel license regardless of how many dogs they produce. This legislation does not target responsible licensed breeders. It creates accountability for those operating without oversight. We cannot adopt our way out of a supply problem. We must address the root cause. This is a necessary step towards accountability, responsible breeding practices and reducing the preventable loss of life in our Stated Meeting shelters. This is about compassion, public safety and creating a city where animals are not treated as disposable. Thank you. (Applause.)

Once again, will Vanessa Raymond Garcia, please make your way to the podium. And also, Darian Johnson Manny, Ryan Harris, Ogbonna Hagins, James Buck, III and Reverend Dr. Sherman Kershaw.

My name is Vanessa Raymond Garcia. Good morning, Council President Johnson and all Councilmembers, and thank you for the opportunity to speak today. My name is Vanessa Raymond Garcia and I am here to voice support for Bill 250980. I come representing Regional Housing Legal Services as their senior Stated Meeting policy analyst. RHLS is a nonprofit legal aid firm working alongside communities in the fight to create and protect safe, affordable homes. We provide legal representation for groups, serving those with low incomes and advocate for policy changes. Some of our current and past Philadelphia clients include New Kensington Community Development Corporation, Habitat for Humanity and the Philadelphia Community Land Trust. We published a report late last year examining institutional investment in single family homes, multi-family properties and manufactured home communities across Pennsylvania. That research documented what many Philadelphians already feel every day, large-scale, absentee and Stated Meeting LLC-shielded property owners are reshaping our housing market in ways that harm renters, aspiring homeowners and entire neighborhoods. No property owner, especially those operating from out of state or behind a web of LLCs, should be able to avoid accountability for tenants or to the city. When landlords hide behind anonymous or unverifiable contact information, the people who suffer are the tenants who cannot get repairs, the neighbors who cannot report ongoing safety issues and the city departments that cannot enforce basic codes. Requiring a verifiable physical address and a designated local agent is a basic expectation of responsible property ownership. If someone profits from Stated Meeting Philadelphia's housing market, they must also maintain open lines of communication and meet their legal obligations. Thank you, Councilmember Phillips, for your leadership on this issue and I urge Council to pass Ordinance 250980. Thank you.

My name is Ian Griffith, 40-year resident of Philadelphia and a 10-year volunteer at ACCT. ACCT came in existence in 2012 and every single dog that has left ACCT, since 2012 every single dog that's left the PA SPCA, every single dog that's left rescues like Philly Bully Team, every single dog that's left doggy star pet stores have all been spayed and neutered in the last -all those years. So not a single dog has left any of those facilities that was able to breed. Stated Meeting And yet some time this year, some time in April of this year '26 ACCT will have brought in its 100,000 dog in only 14 years of existence. Now, think how many 100,000 dogs are. The notion that there's 100,000 Philadelphians driving to Lancaster to buy dogs is simply ridiculous. I think that it's pretty crystal clear who the villains are in this piece. In 2020, it was a catastrophic year for humans but it was a great, fantastic year for our dog mates, mostly pit bulls in Philadelphia. With only 4000 dogs, ACCT Philly was able to manage that population so they didn't do a single euthanasia for space. They didn't have to do a single timestamp other than for medical emergencies. For 2026 now, they have 22 dogs coming in daily. They Stated Meeting have to clear 20 kennels daily for space. Part of that is they have to timestamp 90 dogs a month. Thank you. (Applause.)

Greetings, Philadelphia City Council. Today I, Darian Johnson Devos, stand before you eight months pregnant with immense hope and gratitude. For today we are here in celebration of something truly special to come, 215 Day of Giving. See, I go hard because my life is dependent on it, because soon come I too will have to raise a son in this city, the same city that once raised me, from neighborhood drill teams to community block parties. And like many of those you see behind me, I have always been surrounded by people who have Stated Meeting made something out of nothing. And it was because of the work of my neighbors, the surrounding organizations of my community that I am who I am today. And it's also a testament to exactly why initiatives like 215 Day of Giving must exist, because we exist and our work matters. True to the radical organizing tradition of Black communities, especially here in Philadelphia, where government and businesses fall short, the people step up to meet the need. And with over 3000 documented nonprofits in our city, but only 81% of funding going to the top 5% of organizations, it says it's work to be done. When two-thirds of the organizations in our city operate on less than 90 days of cash Stated Meeting reserves and don't know how they will sustain their programming, it says there's work to be done. When the City of Philadelphia currently stands as the second biggest, poorest city in our nation and one-third of families live below the poverty line, it says there's work to be done. So we say thank you to City Council. Thank you to Councilmember Thomas for recognizing this day and to the endless organizations doing the work in our city, including Week Off Now, Hunting Park Coalition, Power Circle Mentors, Hey Mommy, Inc., Learning Institute of Philadelphia, Positive Youth Outlet, Bosses Give Back, People Philly of Hope, The EpiLog's Project and These Kids Construction. Stated Meeting We see you and we invite you to join the celebration. Text 215 Day to 444-321 or visit 215dayofgiving.com to give and get behind the work of the organizations doing the work in our city every single day. Thank you. (Applause.)

I'm a little nervous to follow up behind that. My name is Emmanuel Manny215 Clark. I hate to speak on myself in his way because I hate to sound selfaggrandizing, but I believe the mission of 215 Day in the setting is permitted and fit for me to speak in his way. I stand here today as a young man growing up in the city who at the age of 21 years old decided to fill the gap, right, to look at and say everybody that I seen give back to the community was Stated Meeting 35 and older with a suit on, right. I never seen nobody in their 20s really step up and do this in my community, right. I stand here today eight years later as a decorated community leader from different facets, from Councilpeople like Jamie Gauthier, right, and I have beautiful relationships. I'm going to run through my time mentioning all you guys, but also as this year's NFL-inspired Changemaker Award winner from the Philadelphia Eagles, and the youngest since the beginning of the award to get that award and that honor. But also, I stand here today as an organization currently with no budget, who does the work every day, who has a team of people that work with me that I have to ask them to do stuff for free. And Stated Meeting then sometimes I got to bear with them because I can't hire, right. This is what we represent. So when y'all see me on the Instagram promoting for 215 Day of Giving know that I represent all of these organizations that need this funding to be distributed to them in a proper manner. Thank you for y'all support.

How y'all doing today. My name is Ryan Harris. I'm the founder and CEO of a non-profit organization As I Plant This Seed. And I think I can speak on behalf of what we got going on today for the 215 Day of Giving because if y'all do not know, I'm the one that was standing on Broad Street that people was calling crazy. I stood outside for two and a half days and fasting and Stated Meeting praying until we raised $30,000 to get our own building in our community center that we offer 13 free programs without no funding. We've been doing that for 13 years and able to provide resources and a safe hub for the community around us and beyond. So today is a very, very big deal and we are able -- I'm sorry. And we are able to meet the needs of the people that we serve today with this resolution. So we were able to meet the needs with this resolution. So thank you, City Councilman Isaiah Thomas. We appreciate you for presenting this resolution. This resolution supports a model rooted in stewardship and governance. We are committed to transparency, lawful distribution and capacity building so that no organization that is Stated Meeting behind us remains dependent, but instead grows stronger through structured support. So we appreciate y'all for getting back behind this bill -- I mean, behind this resolution and being able to support us in a major way, because the smaller nonprofits is putting a lot of work on the ground and a lot of times we get unnoticed. A lot of times we get overlooked when it comes to funding, but we are able to steward and be able to be good stewards over the funding that we are able to get. And now, we are building that capacity within the organizations with us. So we appreciate y'all. (Applause.)

Will Ogbonna Hagins, James Buck, III, Reverend Dr. Suzanne Kershaw, Stated Meeting Reverend Michael Major, please make your way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.)

My name is Ogbonna Hagins. I'm a fourth generation chattel slavery survivor. Today I rise regarding Resolution 241070. This is not a technical adjustment. This is a constitutional issue. Resolution 241070 creates two unequal classes of elected officials in Philadelphia. Class A, City Councilmembers would be permitted to run for another office without resigning. They could retain their seats if they lose. They gain a structural political advantage. Class B, every other elected official in this city must resign to run. They cannot return to Stated Meeting their seat if they lose. They remain bound by the Charter's accountability requirements. That is a clear intragovernment classification. Under the Equal Protection clause, classifications must at minimum satisfy rational basis review. But when legislation grants a political privilege to the very officials voting on it, courts examine it more carefully because it raises concerns about selfdealing, incumbent enrichment, voter dilution and reduce public accountability. Even under rational basis review, self-protection is not a legitimate governmental interest. If Resign to Run is truly unfair, then fix it for all elected officials. Do not carve out a special exception for Stated Meeting yourselves. Equal protection is not selective. It is universal. Resolution 241070 fails that principle. Ogbonna Hagins. Over and out.

Chair recognizes Councilmember Isaiah Thomas.

Thank you, Council President. I just want to thank everybody who provided public comment on Resign to Run. First and foremost, we're not running that bill today so I just want to make sure that that's clear. And secondly, just so that the listening public understands, Resign to Run as amended out of committee does not only apply to City Council. It applies to every city-elected official, not just legislators, but roll officers as Stated Meeting well too, every city-elected official besides the Mayor. So I just want to provide clarity, not just for the people who are in chambers today, but the people who are listening online. And I also want to thank members of the public for commenting on the bill because it shows that people are paying attention to the work that's being done. So thank you, Council President. Thank you, colleagues. And sorry to interrupt, Council President.

Hello. My name is James Buck, III. And I greet you in the name of the one who was, the one who is and the one who is surely to come, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I go to school here in Philadelphia, Stated Meeting St. Joe's Prep and I am a senior, and I have recently fully committed to Penn State University where I will go. (Applause.)

I will go there and I will earn my major in business, and for the rest of my life continue to minister through music at my church, the Grace Baptist Church in Germantown, which is the Shepherd, my dad, the Reverend Dr. James Henry Buck, Jr., preaches there. I am involved in our youth and I am a Boy Scout there, Boy Scouts of America. Well, I am still waiting to hear back so I can receive my Eagle Scout rank, which is the highest rank in Boy Scouts. (Applause.)

On behalf of my church, we are a church in the Stated Meeting community seeking to win the community's heart, and we have a vision there. And I hope that that place will not only just be a house of worship, but will also be a refuge for people who are looking for help. Thank you. (Applause.) REV.

Good morning. My name is Rev. Dr. Suzanne Kershaw and I serve as an Associate Minister at the Grace Baptist Church in Germantown. I've been a member there for 50 years. And during that time, I can ditto what my brother in the Lord has said in the heart of the community, seeking ever to win the community's heart. Our journey is one that has reached over generations. We have Boy Scouts who became Eagle Scouts, as he spoke about, but we Stated Meeting have over 70, I believe, Eagle Scouts in this country of African American descent. But what I want to tell you is that we're not just a church opening up on Sunday morning, but we serve the community. We feed the poor. We do things that uplift. We have Bible Study, not just Bible Study to sit, but Bible Study to go out into the community, be with our neighbors. We pray with our community. We help our community. We also do mission work home and abroad. Here's some of the ladies here who work for Uganda. We sew, make dresses, make clothes for those in other places, but also we do those things every day that you see. We have a pastor who visits the sick, prays for the sick. He reaches out to other Stated Meeting people. We have a first lady who works with our women, supports our women. We do the work of not just opening the doors on Sunday, but we touch lives to change lives that God may be glorified, that those who walk this earth may walk in dignity. Thank you. (Applause.)

Chair recognizes Councilmember Cindy Bass.

Thank you, Mr. President. I just wanted to say that we offered a resolution this morning, recognizing two of our great pastors in the Northwest in honor of their commitment to community and civic leadership. And as we celebrate Black History Month, we recognize that the clergy had a lot to do with the Civil Stated Meeting Rights Movement and with Black History in this country. So I just didn't want to let it be lost that I know that we had some presentations from Grace Baptist Church, but that Reverend Buck, we wanted to recognize also Reverend Buck and have him say a few words as the Pastor and the honoree this morning from Grace Baptist Church of Germantown. (Applause.)

If I may, Mr. President, thank you so much.

The floor is yours.

Thank you so much, Councilwoman Bass. Thank all of you who are present here today. It's so good to see democracy in action. I stand on the shoulders of those who have Stated Meeting come before me for 138 years here in this city, persons and pastors whose names you may be familiar with, Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Sr., who's the father of Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr., who pastored at Grace Baptist Church of Germantown, also the Rev. Dr. G. Daniel Jones. And then my tenure started as the 10th pastor. But I could not be who I am if it were not for many of the members at Grace Baptist Church of Germantown, and equally the community that we are sitting in for 138 plus years. It was at the Kaiser Estate in 1886 that we had the privilege of coming into fruition. And so, now sitting in the community where we are now being led and driven by a wonderful Councilperson, one whom I am unapologetically proud to call a Stated Meeting good friend and a leader in our community. As our persons shared this morning, much of the ministries that are taking place, we seek to even approach it in an economic stance. We do seek to do housing. We are in the process of opening up restaurants to hire returning citizens, disabled vets and troubled teenagers. And so, looking at the economic landscape and the geography of where we are, we seek, as my son said, to really have a profound effect on our community as being a church in the heart of the community, seeking ever to win the community's heart. Thank you so much, Councilwoman, for this privilege and this honor, and we look forward to working with you many more times in this opportunity. And thank you Stated Meeting so much to all of you who are serving this morning. (Applause.)

Like my brother and my friend, my name is Mike Major, the Pastor at Zion Baptist Church of Philadelphia. And like our brother Dr. Buck, I want to thank Councilwoman Bass for this opportunity and this honor for being with us this morning. Thank you, City Council, as well. I want to thank my son, Michael, Jr. is over there as well and Zion members. Our members are called to serve colleagues and friends who are here and a host of folks, family and colleagues online as well. The work that we do here at Zion and a call to serve is not theory. If you want to see a living, breathing example of what Stated Meeting is possible, look at me. Of course from Zion, the work under Reverend Sullivan happened and I'm a byproduct of that work. And so, our efforts are really to replicate my story on scale. So thank you this morning for the honor and may God continue to bless you. One note, as my sister, Pastor Leslie Small Lewis knows, I'm called to serve, return to build a building. It's now $20 million. And so, I want to this afternoon say we need money. And so, Council, we thank you for your support up to this point but we still need some more money. So when we come knock on your door, please say yes. Thank you so much. (Applause.)

There are no further names for public comment, Council President. - STATED - 2ND READING

That concludes today's public comment period. We will now consider the bills and resolutions on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar. Would the Clerk please read the title of Resolution No. 260086.

A resolution commending the Pennsylvania General Assembly for including the Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit in the 2025-2026 budget, a crucial new tool to provide essential resources and lift families out of poverty across the Commonwealth.

Chair recognizes Councilmember Rue Landau for a motion regarding Resolution No. 260086. - STATED - 2ND READING

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

It has been moved and properly seconded that Resolution No. 260086 be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it and the motion carries. The resolution is adopted. Would the Clerk please read the title of Resolution No. 260089.

A - STATED - 2ND READING resolution calling on the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework and conduct a formal safety and labor impact review of driverless rideshare vehicles operating in Philadelphia and throughout Pennsylvania.

The Chair recognizes Councilman Jim Harrity for a motion regarding Resolution No. 260089.

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

It has been moved and properly seconded that Resolution No. 260089 be adopted. All those in favor will - STATED - 2ND READING signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. The motion carries. The resolution is adopted. Will the Clerk please read the title of Bill No. 250988.

An ordinance amending Chapter 9-600 of The Philadelphia Code (entitled "Service and Other Businesses") to add business hour restrictions in the Fifth Councilmanic District; and amending Section 14-529 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "/VDO, Fifth District Overlay District," to restrict certain commercial uses and make other related changes, all under certain terms and conditions. - STATED - 2ND READING

This bill has been read on two different days. The question now is shall the bill pass finally. Chief Clerk, please call the roll.

Councilmember Phillips.

Aye.

Councilmember Gilmore Richardson.

Aye.

Councilmember Gauthier.

Aye.

Councilmember Thomas.

Aye.

- STATED - 2ND READING Councilmember Jones.

Aye.

Councilmember Landau.

Aye.

Councilmember Lozada.

Aye.

Councilmember Young.

Aye.

Councilmember Harrity.

Aye.

Councilmember O'Rourke.

Aye.

Councilmember Driscoll. - STATED - 2ND READING

Aye.

Councilmember O'Neill.

Aye.

Councilmember Squilla.

Aye.

Councilmember Bass.

Aye.

Councilmember Ahmad.

Aye.

And, Council President Johnson.

Aye. The ayes are 16. The nays are 0. Majority of all members haven't voted in the - STATED - 2ND READING affirmative, the bill passes. Would the Chief Clerk please read the title of Bill No. 250989.

An ordinance amending Title 10 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Regulation of Individual Conduct and Activity," by adding a new Section to impose a temporary moratorium on breeding and transfer of puppies, all under certain terms and conditions.

The Chair recognizes Councilmember Cindy Bass for a motion.

Thank you, Mr. President. I would like to offer an amendment to Bill No. 250989. A copy of the amendment has been circulated to all members of - STATED - 2ND READING Council and I move for the adoption of the amendment. (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and properly seconded that the amendment to Bill No. 250989 be adopted. All those in favor signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it and the bill has been amended. This bill will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for our next session of Council. Will the Clerk please read the title of Bill No. 251031.

An - STATED - 2ND READING ordinance repealing in its entirety Bill No. 241055 (approved December 23, 2024), entitled "An ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Packer Avenue, Seventh Street, Pattison Avenue, and Darien Street. To amend Title 14 of The Philadelphia Code by adding Section 14-541 entitled "/PAK, Packer Avenue Overlay District and making other related changes, all under certain terms and conditions."

This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. Chief Clerk, please call the roll.

- STATED - 2ND READING Councilmember Phillips.

Aye.

Councilmember Gilmore Richardson.

Aye.

Councilmember Gauthier.

Aye.

Councilmember Thomas.

Aye.

Councilmember Jones.

Aye.

Councilmember Landau.

Aye.

Councilmember Lozada. - STATED - 2ND READING

Aye.

Councilmember Young.

Aye.

Councilmember Harrity.

Aye.

Councilmember O'Rourke.

Aye.

Councilmember Driscoll.

Aye.

Councilmember O'Neill.

Aye.

Councilmember Squilla. - STATED - 2ND READING

Aye.

Councilmember Bass.

Aye.

Councilmember Ahmad.

Aye.

And, Council President Johnson.

Aye. The ayes are 16. The nays are 0. Majority of all members haven't voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. Will the Clerk please read any additional resolutions on today's Calendar.

A privileged resolution celebrating and recognizing February 15th as 215 Day of Giving, an annual - STATED - 2ND READING observance that honors Philadelphia's identity while strengthening and highlighting the role of nonprofit organizations servicing underresourced and underserved communities. Introduced by Councilmember Thomas.

Chair recognizes Councilmember Thomas 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.) - STATED - 2ND READING

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.

A privileged resolution honoring and recognizing the observance of the Holy Month of Ramadan in the City of Philadelphia. Introduced by Councilmember Jones.

Chair recognizes Councilmember Jones for a motion on the resolution.

Thank you. I move for its adoption. (Duly seconded.) COUNCIL PRESIDENT - STATED - 2ND READING JOHNSON: 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.

A privileged resolution authorizing the Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development and The Homeless to hold hearings to examine the Office of Property Assessment, its assessment methodology, appeals process and - STATED - 2ND READING the impact of rising property assessments and property taxes on Philadelphia residents. Introduced by Councilmember Lozada.

Chair recognizes Councilmember Quetcy Lozada 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 signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Anyone opposed? (No response.) - STATED - 2ND READING

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

A privileged resolution authorizing a joint hearing between the Committee on Public Safety and the Committee on Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs to examine the presence of firearms in public recreation spaces, the enforcement of existing laws and strategies to reduce gun violence in parks and playgrounds across the City of Philadelphia. Introduced by Councilmember Lozada.

Chair recognizes Councilmember Quetcy Lozada for a motion on the resolution.

- STATED - 2ND READING 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 signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Anyone opposed? (No response.)

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

A privileged resolution honoring and recognizing Reverend Michael A. - STATED - 2ND READING Major, Sr., during Black History Month for his extraordinary leadership, faith-driven service and unwavering commitment to the renewal, restoration, revitalization of the NicetownTioga community, and celebrating his Installation as Senior Pastor at Zion Baptist Church. Introduced by Councilmember Ahmad on behalf of Councilmember Bass.

Chair recognizes Councilmember Cindy Bass for a motion on the resolution.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of this resolution and congratulate Mr. Major, Reverend Major, in advance on his installation. (Duly seconded.) COUNCIL PRESIDENT - STATED - 2ND READING JOHNSON: It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Anyone opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Anthony Phillips.

I thought that was the last one, Council -

Okay. Trying to get the jump on Member Jones. I see that. Will the Chief Clerk please read the title of the next resolution. - STATED - 2ND READING

A privileged resolution recognizing and honoring February 20, 2026 as Love Your Pet Day in the City of Philadelphia. Introduced by Councilmember Ahmad on behalf of Councilmember Bass.

Chair recognizes Councilmember Cindy Bass for a motion on the resolution.

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

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

Anyone opposed? (No response.)

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

A privileged resolution honoring Reverend Dr. J. Henry Buck, Jr., for his service, visionary ministry and contributions to the community as Senior Pastor of Grace Baptist Church of Germantown in recognition of Black History Month. Introduced by Councilmember Ahmad on behalf of Councilmember Bass.

Very fitting acknowledgement, Member Bass. Chair recognizes Member Bass for a - STATED - 2ND READING motion on the resolution.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of this very important 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.

A - STATED - 2ND READING privileged resolution honoring Bishop J. Lewis Felton from the Mt. Airy Church of God in Christ for his extraordinary lifetime of service, leadership and lasting contributions to the spiritual, civic and social well-being of the City of Philadelphia during Black History Month. Introduced by Councilmember Ahmad on behalf of Councilmember Bass.

Chair recognizes Councilmember Cindy Bass for a motion on the resolution.

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

It has been moved and properly seconded that the - 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.

A privileged resolution, recognizing February 17, 2026 as the Lunar New Year and celebrating the cultural and historical significance of Philadelphia's Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Introduced by Councilmember Ahmad.

Chair recognizes - STATED - 2ND READING 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.)

Anyone opposed? (No response.)

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

There are no further resolutions, Council President.

Thank you very much. As we prepare for speeches, I just want to take a moment to acknowledge that next week we'll be celebrating the birthday of our Majority Leader Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson. (Applause.)

Any speeches on behalf of the Minority? The Chair recognizes Councilmember Nicolas O'Rourke.

Thank you, Mr. President. Really brief today. It is very exciting to find out that 40 degrees is a whole lot better than 17. I think Stated Meeting the warmth of God smiling on us. Even in the midst of freezing temperatures, there's a big difference in those degrees. It also highlights, I think, if anyone noticed and been riding around the beginning of the melting process of the ice that seemed to not ever want to go away. And so, grateful for that. Today I just want to comment briefly and say that our office actually submitted a letter to the Administration urging the Administration, in light of all this happening, to actually respect and include D.C. 33's leadership in all decisions that shape their jobs and their livelihoods. Folks may not know this, but there obviously was a wonderful, I think makes a lot of sense idea in terms of Stated Meeting otherwise not have some employment the opportunity to do same-day-working pay to break up the ice and do that work. Unfortunately, as it came to my attention, there was no communication with the union whose job it is to do that work prior to doing that. And so, I just want to urge, as a member of the body, the Administration to be mindful to always first consider the uniontrained labor before making such decisions. This was a unique storm and I don't think anybody can dispute the fact that real leadership called on folks to move urgently. I know I was one of those that wanted to get out of my parking spot and get around. And so, I think it's heard and Stated Meeting to move to make something shake and happen. And also, can we do that at the same time by respecting the longterm relationship that we've had with D.C. 33 and honoring their labor and their work prior to making decisions that kind of undermine their power. So again, thank you for the time. I'm also naming this in light of the fact that we, many of us colleagues and all, went over to Member Bass' District to honor the life of Mr. Sapp, who we honored last week of a moment of silence, a standing moment of silence. And we want his memory to continue to be a blessing. So I think all these are important things for us to consider. And just want to make sure that we commented on that in light of all that shifting. Stated Meeting you, Mr. President.

Thank you, Member O'Rourke. Speeches on behalf of the Majority. Chair recognizes Councilmember Dr. Anthony Phillips.

I just wanted to rise and also just say happy birthday to our incredible Majority Leader. Her birthday is this Saturday and she's been -

Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Day. She's been a great help to so many of us on City Council that a lot of us can attest to. And I just want to say happy birthday to you. Stated Meeting

Thank you.

And also, just let you know all those in the 9th District, please visit our social media on Phillipdst9 on Facebook and Instagram. We're having a town hall series across our district, which starts this Tuesday at the Oxford Circle, Castor Gardens at the Bushrod Library, from 6:00 to 7:30. We're creating a space for dialogue and communication and for an opportunity to hear from you about what's important to your neighborhood. So please check out our Instagram and social media. Also, sign up for our newsletters or call our office at 215-686-3454 to learn when the town hall is near you. Thank you so much, Stated Meeting

You're welcome. Chair recognizes Councilmember Curtis Jones.

Thank you so much, Mr. President. Today I rise to support a group of professional nurses, nursing assistants, doctors who work on our eyes down at Will's Eye. I had the privilege of being worked on by them four times. First thing I saw when I came out of anesthesia was his wife and she fed me Ginger Ale and cookies -

Pause, pause, pause.

And those were the best Ginger Ale and cookies, because you don't get to eat before surgery. But I rise for the fact that that institution does Stated Meeting locally, nationally and internationally for the people here. On their mission statement, they clearly say that we will turn no patient down based on their ability or inability to pay. That's an amazing mission. The people that go there can go there confidently to get the services that they need. Some of the services they provided in the Middle East. When the young ladies were taking off their hijabs and they were shot in the eye by soldiers so that they could later identify them because of the damage to their eye, they flew them here to work on their vision for free. It doesn't get much better than that by way of corporate good neighbors. They are fighting not just for their own wages. They are Stated Meeting they have management issues, but all they have to do is look down I-95 and see that hostile takeovers by investors are taking over local hospitals. And when a Crozer closes, it affects Lankenau up here because the overflow, the overcrowding goes right up here, and the quality of service you receive when you go into the emergency room is impacted. So they have a keen eye, no pun intended, on that. We must support them, not just for their individual families, the Squilla family is important to me, but because of all of us and because you can go there and it's a world-renowned facility producing all of these doctors right in our midst, and we should not let corporate scavengers take Stated Meeting it off for parts. Thank you, Mr. President. (Applause.)

Thank you, Member Jones. Very well said. Chair recognizes Councilmember Cindy Bass.

Thank you, Mr. President. Today I'm introducing amendments to my bill calling for a moratorium on unlicensed breeding, to strengthen the language and ensure that all provisions are clear and enforceable. The most significant changes clarify that accountability rests with bad actors engaging in illegal breeding, not with social media platforms where content may be posted. Stated Meeting those violating the laws, and this revision will make that intent explicit. We have listened carefully to advocates on both sides of the issue, and the updated version reflects thoughtful input and a shared commitment to meaningful, workable reform. This bill represents an important step forward in protecting dogs in our city, and we know it is a part of a broader effort to improve animal welfare in the city of Philadelphia. I want to thank everyone who came out today to testify, who contacted our offices and who worked collaboratively with us to reform this legislation. Your input has made this bill stronger. And it is only fitting that we also recognize and honor Stated Meeting 20, 2026 as Love Your Pet Day here in Philadelphia. Dogs, cats, birds, other companion animals are more than just pets. They are family. And so, we wanted to make that clear as well. Love Your Pet Day is a chance to spend a little extra time walking, playing or simply sitting beside the animals who you love, who give us so much love. It is also a call to support our local shelters, rescue organizations and veterinary professionals and to recommit to responsible, compassionate pet ownership. Let us celebrate the joy pets bring to our city and ensure every animal is treated with care and dignity as they deserve. Now, during Black History Month we honor the powerful role of church leaders who have Stated Meeting in the Civil Rights Movement, preaching justice from the pulpit, organizing in fellowship halls and reminding America that equality is a moral calling. Here in Philadelphia, that legacy lives on. Reverend Michael A. Major, Sr., continues the historic tradition of Zion Baptist Church advancing renewal and opportunity in the Nicetown-Tioga neighborhood through faith and community development. Reverend Dr. J. Henry Buck, Jr. at Grace Baptist Church of Germantown carries forward a vision of ministry that meets both spiritual and practical needs, expanding education, health access and economic opportunity. And Bishop J. Lewis Felton of the Mt. Airy Church of Stated Meeting decades of servant leadership advocating for justice, education and civic engagement across our city. These leaders stand in the proud tradition of clergy who have helped the Civil Rights Movement, proving that the Black church is not only a place of worship, but also a force for transformation. This Black History Month we celebrate their faith, their service and their enduring impact on Philadelphia, and we say thank you. Thank you, Mr. President. (Applause.)

Didn't you leave out Reverend James Buck, Southern Flames Barbecue, world-renowned.

Stated Meeting Well, let me speak on that for just a second, if I may. Some of the best Southern food cooking in the city of Philadelphia is through Southern Flames Barbecue, which is currently at the Chestnut Hill Farmer's Market but moving into a location yet to be, you know, we won't put out the actual address until it's actually confirmed, but a location in I believe the Germantown section of Philadelphia. So we're very, very, very excited about that and we'll keep you posted. And hiring folks who are returning citizens from incarceration, helping folks get -

Give him all his flowers.

Yes, absolutely.

Good job, Member Bass. Stated Meeting

Thank you, Mr. President.

And that's the Zion Baptist Church, Broad Street?

The legendary Zion Baptist Church.

Can we give them a round of applause, y'all. (Applause.)

Good job, Member Bass. Those that know, know. Broad and Venango.

Yes.

I'm a little guy. I never really get that invite. But one day I'll be there.

You're welcome to come up. COUNCIL PRESIDENT Stated Meeting JOHNSON: But congratulations in all seriousness as we celebrate Black History Month and it's also in the spirit of our Reverend on our Council, Reverend Nicolas O'Rourke as well. Chair recognizes Councilman Jim Harrity.

Thank you, Council President. I'm also in support of my union brothers and sisters at Will's Eye as well as our Penn grad students, who are also exercising their right to protest for fair wages and fair treatment. And again, I also as the Chair of Labor, sent a letter to the Mayor today. I am also a fan of the same-day pay. I think it gives people opportunity, especially those in recovery, but I believe there needs to be dialogue Stated Meeting work from another union person, especially if you are paying them more than the union person that works every day. So very concerned about that. And then last, just again please keep Kenneth Kasib Carter in your prayers. He is Senator Street's Executive Director. He was found unconscious in his home last night. Thank God his wife was able to revive him when she got there by CPR. He was then rushed to Jeanes Hospital where he is now. As of late last night, he was still unconscious. He took a bad fall and they're actually more worried about his head trauma than the heart attack. But please keep my brother in prayer. He's a brother Mason. He's just a good dude. Thank you. Stated Meeting

Thank you, Member Harrity. We will definitely keep Kasib in prayer. Very good gentleman. Chair recognizes Councilmember Dr. Nina Ahmad.

Thank you, Council President. I first will start by wishing our Majority Leader a very happy birthday. Maybe, may there be cake. I also wanted to thank Councilmember Curtis Jones for the opportunity to co-sponsor the resolution honoring and recognizing the observance of the Holy Month of Ramadan. It is one of the holiest months in Islam and very grateful to him for this acknowledgement of the month for over 300,000 people in Philadelphia. I also wanted to speak Stated Meeting introduced recognizing February 17th as Lunar New Year in Philadelphia. For a lot of neighbors, Lunar New Year is not a festival in the abstract. It's a family moment. It's checking in on parents and grandparents. It's the food that takes hours to make, because that's what love looks like in a lot of our households. It's the reset. It's saying it's a brand new year. Let's try again. Let's do better. Let's be healthier. Let's be kinder. Let's have some luck. This year is the Year of the Horse. People talk about energy and determination. To me, it's that steady idea of momentum. You keep moving forward even when the year behind you was a lot. And that's something I think the city Stated Meeting something we see in the AAPI communities across Philadelphia every day. People are working, building, raising families, caring for relatives, holding on to language and tradition and still contributing so much to the life of the city. So I thank all my Councilmembers for supporting this resolution. And what it says very plainly, we recognize you, we respect you and we are celebrating with you. Thank you, Council President. I yield back.

Thank you. Chair recognizes Councilmember Quetcy Lozada.

Thank you, Council President. Stated Meeting the last two years about the need to increase the housing stack in the city of Philadelphia. We're hearing today from the Governor apparently having conversations about housing. And I believe that before we continue those conversations about development, we need to get our own house in order. And that is why today I introduced a resolution authorizing the Committee on Housing and Neighborhood Development and The Homeless to hold hearings on the Office of Property Assessment to examine how property values are assessed, the appeals process and how rising property taxes are affecting Philadelphians. When a home's value goes up, so do the taxes. While this is a financial burden for residents Stated Meeting Philadelphia, especially seniors and low-income homeowners, it is particularly burdensome in the 7th Council District where the median income is only $38,000. Many residents in the 7th Council District can barely afford their mortgages, let alone the rising cost of property taxes. For many families, especially older residents or those who are on fixed incomes, it can make it hard to stay in their homes. We cannot allow that to happen. In some neighborhoods, home values are increasing significantly because of new development, even though their incomes are not. There is an older couple in my district who have lived in their home for over 30 years. When they first moved in, their property Stated Meeting few hundred dollars. Today they are several thousand dollars. Equity in our assessment systems is not optional. It is about fairness in our policies, stabilities in our neighborhoods and dignity for all of our residents. I'm really looking forward to hearing in this hearing how the recommendations of a past audit that called for fairness or would have allowed for fairness have actually been put in place and what we are doing to ensure that those who choose to live in specific neighborhoods can stay in their neighborhoods, regardless of the investment that comes into that community. Thank you, Council President. COUNCIL PRESIDENT Stated Meeting JOHNSON: Thank you. Chair recognizes Councilmember Rue Landau.

Thank you, Council President. Today my resolution commending the Pennsylvania General Assembly for including the Working Pennsylvania's Tax Credit in the 2025-26 budget passed right as we gear up for tax season. I'd like to thank those who came out for comment. These tax credits are some of the greatest anti-poverty tools people have at their disposal. More than 1 million Pennsylvanians are eligible for the Working Pennsylvania Tax Credit, which will provide $193 million in tax relief for working families this year. The Earned Income Tax Credit as well as the Child Tax Stated Meeting back in the pockets of Philadelphians. That can be lifechanging money, especially for the 12% of Pennsylvania households that live below the federal poverty level, and another 28% earn above poverty but still struggle to afford basic needs. These credits consistently lift people out of poverty each year, which is increasingly challenging as our city and country endure an unaffordability crisis that is more harmful to the most vulnerable people. I'd also like to extend my deepest condolences to the family who lost their home recently with the recent ICE raid in Montgomery County that was described by onlookers as a family in shock and a home destroyed after agents broke Stated Meeting was a visible reminder that Philadelphia and our surrounding counties are already feeling the deep impacts of ICE's reign of terror. Similar raids are happening right here in Philly, and I'm proud that we as a legislative body are speaking out. And finally, I wanted to note the shameful act by the federal government for removing the Rainbow Pride Flag from the Stonewall monument in New York City, the birthplace of what many see as our birthplace of queer rights and the visibility movement across the country. Their attempt to remove queer visibility is short-lived. But the message I want to tell people is that we will not be erased and we will continue to show our pride 365 days a year. Flag or no flag. Thank you. Stated Meeting (Applause.)

Thank you. Chair recognizes Councilmember Jeffrey Jay Young.

Thank you, Mr. President. I want to also acknowledge Mr. Mike Major. Thank you to my colleague Cindy Bass for recognizing and honoring him again for his work. He's also the President of Called to Serve CDC, which serves the Germantown and Erie commercial corridors right across from Zion Baptist Church, right across from the 8th District, our neighbors. I had the opportunity to feature him on Fox 29 a couple of weeks ago for the amazing work they're doing on that Broad and Venango corridor. So I just want Stated Meeting Major, thank Councilmember Bass for recognizing the work of Mr. Major and Zion Baptist Church and congratulate him on his succession to pastor. Next week, our office in conjunction with the Mayor's Office of Muslim engagement, our Commissioner's Office, our Councilmember Jones office, we will be hosting a Ramadan toy drive during the month of Ramadan. Please reach out to our office with information on where you can donate toys. We're asking for new and unwrapped toys during the month of Ramadan. As my colleague mentioned, there are hundreds of thousands of Muslims who are celebrating in our city. We want to make sure they have a blessed Eid. I want to thank the Stated Meeting the Commissioner's Office as well. This past Monday we hosted a civic education program for our community to educate them on how to become a committee person. This was very informative. It was engaging and it allowed residents and community members the opportunity to learn about how to get involved at a grassroots level. That's what this program is about. We need our communities to stay involved in order for us to do our jobs as elected officials. And so, we encourage people to continue to get involved civically, whether it is as a committee person or as a block captain, as a nonprofit executive. We saw a bunch of folks here today who are grassroots community organizers. A few of them are in the 5th Council Stated Meeting And, Mr. President, I do have a couple of bills that are on Final Passage today. We did hold one, but these bills are to improve the quality of life of residents in the 5th Council District, right. So particularly the one bill regarding demolitions, this is about preserving housing, preserving affordable housing in our district. In August, there was an article in the Inquirer that said there was 121% increase in the price of a newly-constructed home versus one that was already existing, right. So that's what this is about. This is about creating naturally-occurring affordable housing in our communities, right. It's a term that folks like to throw around Stated Meeting this bill does. And I'm looking forward to continuing to work with all stakeholders to make sure that this bill is more fair. I'd also like to thank my colleagues today for passing Bill No. 250998, which will protect the public health, safety and welfare of the residents in the 5th Council District and all patrons of small businesses on the commercial corridor where it applies. We've consulted and connected with the community on this bill, and this bill defines specifically and clearly what a commercial establishment is on those commercial corridors. So I want to thank the community leaders who testified today. They live with this issue each and every day. We heard from Stated Meeting the 8th Ward, and she alluded to we have to make sure that we're able to enforce these types of legislation, because the things that they have to live with each and every day, we shouldn't have to endure that in our communities here in the city of Philadelphia.

This bill is about the need for our businesses and our community to just be a little bit more responsible and it sets those guidelines on how to act responsibly in our communities, on our commercial corridors. And so, we have over a projected billion dollar budget surplus, right. So I hope the city can properly enforce these laws -- we can properly fund the efforts to enforce these laws. I hope we can fund those grassroots organizations that are on the Stated Meeting our quality of life for our neighborhoods each and every day. So, Mr. President, I want to continue to fight for our community, for our neighbors, because their quality of life matters, right. And to any resident, any patron listening, if your community is enduring these, I would say, unscrupulous business practices, please reach out to our office. We will work with you to ensure that we can we get those businesses to act responsibly. These businesses are open literally 24/7 selling narcotics. This is worse than the open-air drug market that used to be on the corners because they have a legal cover. So we really have to figure out how to tackle this issue holistically. And I want to Stated Meeting Gilmore Richardson, who is continuing to work on this issue. And so, last but certainly not least, Mr. President, I want to wish my wife a Happy Valentine's Day and ask her, Please be my Valentine this year. Thank you so much, Mr. President. )

This boul just got husband of the year. That's what's up. I love that though. That's what it's all about. Chair recognizes Councilmember Isaiah Thomas.

This boul putting the pressure on me, man. I was just trying to encourage people to donate to the grassroots nonprofit organizations Stated Meeting today. But I will say -- so, no, in all seriousness, the organizations that came up here today, organizations who've been doing the work across the city of Philadelphia, these are the type of organizations where $250, $500, it really goes a long way. So the effort this year is to support 10 grassroots nonprofit organizations. Every donation that's made will go to those organizations. I'm pledging myself to donate to the effort on Sunday for 215 Day of Giving. Thank you, Council President. Thank you, colleagues.

Thank you very much. I look forward to seeing that on your budget list. Chair now recognizes my Stated Meeting Whip, the outstanding, hard-working advocate for all young people here in the city of Philadelphia, Councilmember Isaiah Thomas for a motion to adjourn.

Thank you, Mr. President. Happy Valentine's Day to everybody. And I move that Council stands adjourned until Thursday, February 19, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and properly seconded that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, February 19, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. All those in favor signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Anyone opposed? (No response.) Stated Meeting

The ayes have it. The motion carries. Thank you all very much. ) Stated Meeting C E R T I F I C A T I O N I, hereby certify that the proceedings and evidence noted are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me in the foregoing matter, and that this is a correct transcript of the same. m. C. E. m. org 65:16 Zion 27:5 103:7,15,22 104:3 124:10 144:11 147:5,8 159:17 160:4 zoning 47:10 65:22 66:21 114:5,6 City of Philadelphia City Council Calendar Thursday, February 12, 2026 PUBLIC COMMENT Please note that this is an in-person meeting, and it is open to the public. com/watch-city-council/ Public comment will be received in-person regarding those matters printed on the agenda on the following pages. m. the day before the meeting and they must submit the following information: " Full name (including proper pronunciation and spelling) " Identify the bill number or resolution number that will be addressed " State whether you support or oppose that particular bill or resolution " Telephone number where you can be reached Speakers may also sign-up to participate in public comment on the day of the meeting in Room 400, City Hall. Speakers who submitted the above information within the required time frame will be added to the list. Speakers will have up to three minutes to speak; the Council President, however, reserves the right based on circumstances to establish a different time limit. The Council President may also limit testimony where repetitious comments are offered on an agenda item. City of Philadelphia -1CITY COUNCIL Calendar for Thursday, February 12, 2026 ORDER OF BUSINESS IN A COUNCIL SESSION Note: Some items do not occur at every session: Invocation. Approval of the journal of the preceding meeting. Requests by Councilmembers for permission to be absent from the session. Reading of communications from the Mayor. Introduction of bills and resolutions (to be referred to appropriate Committees of Council). Reports from Committees of Council. Special business. Bills on first reading. Public comment on bills and resolutions on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendars - titles are printed below. Bills that Council passed but that need to be returned by the Mayor for reconsideration. Consideration of bills and resolutions on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendars. Bills and resolutions on the Suspension Calendar. Speeches by Councilmembers. City of Philadelphia -2CITY COUNCIL Calendar for Thursday, February 12, 2026 . BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS ON FINAL PASSAGE 241070 INTRODUCED BY: Councilmember Thomas Resolution proposing an amendment to the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter to eliminate the requirement that City officers and employees resign from their City office or employment before becoming candidates for public office; and providing for the submission of the amendment of the electors of Philadelphia. 260086 INTRODUCED BY: Councilmember Landau Resolution commending the Pennsylvania General Assembly for including the Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit in the 2025-2026 budget, a crucial new tool to provide essential resources and lift families out of poverty across the Commonwealth. 260089 INTRODUCED BY: Councilmember Harrity Resolution calling on the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework and conduct a formal safety and labor impact review of driverless rideshare vehicles operating in Philadelphia and throughout Pennsylvania.

BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS ON SECOND READING AND FINAL PASSAGE 241056 INTRODUCED BY: Councilmember Thomas An Ordinance providing for the submission to the qualified electors of the City of Philadelphia of the proposal set forth in a Resolution approved by Council proposing an amendment to the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter to eliminate the requirement that City officers and employees resign from their City office or employment before becoming candidates for public office; and authorizing the appropriate officers to publish notice and to make arrangements for the special election. City of Philadelphia -3CITY COUNCIL Calendar for Thursday, February 12, 2026 250768 INTRODUCED BY: Councilmember Gauthier An Ordinance amending Title 17 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled <Contracts and Procurement,= to prohibit contractors providing solid waste, recycling or composting services to the City from incinerating discarded matter, under certain terms and conditions. 250807 INTRODUCED BY: Councilmember Squilla An Ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to acquire, on behalf of the City, fee simple title or a lesser interest, by purchase, dedication, donation, condemnation, agreement in lieu of condemnation or otherwise, for the purpose of making, enlarging, connecting, extending, operating, and maintaining public parks for recreational use, certain parcels of land, generally bounded and located between Vine Street, Fairmount Avenue, 8th Street and 12th Street, together with all improvements thereon and all associated easements and appurtenances; and to lease the property, or a portion thereof, to the Center City District; all under certain terms and conditions. 250843 INTRODUCED BY: Councilmember Squilla for Council President Johnson An Ordinance amending Chapter 10-700 of the Philadelphia Code, entitled <Refuse and Littering,= to require locking dumpsters; all under certain terms and conditions. 250917 INTRODUCED BY: Councilmember Young An Ordinance amending Section 14-529 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled </VDO, Fifth District Overlay District,= to provide for building requirements to prevent vacant lots, all under certain terms and conditions. 250980 INTRODUCED BY: Councilmember Phillips An Ordinance amending Chapter 9-3900 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled <Property Licenses and Owner Accountability,= by requiring non-resident landlords to provide verifiable contact information and a designated local contact and establishing penalties for non-compliance, all under certain terms and conditions. City of Philadelphia -4CITY COUNCIL Calendar for Thursday, February 12, 2026 250988 INTRODUCED BY: Councilmember Young An Ordinance amending Chapter 9-600 of The Philadelphia Code (entitled <Service and Other Businesses=) to add business hour restrictions in the Fifth Councilmanic District; and amending Section 14-529 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled </VDO, Fifth District Overlay District,= to restrict certain commercial uses and make other related changes, all under certain terms and conditions 250989 INTRODUCED BY: Councilmember Bass An Ordinance amending Title 10 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled <Regulation of Individual Conduct and Activity,= by adding a new Section to impose a temporary moratorium on the breeding and transfer of puppies, all under certain terms and conditions. 251025 INTRODUCED BY: Councilmember Driscoll An Ordinance regulating the direction of movement of traffic on Ryan Avenue between Leon Street and Frankford Avenue. 251031 INTRODUCED BY: Councilmember Bass for Council President Johnson An Ordinance repealing in its entirety Bill No. 241055 (approved December 23, 2024), entitled <An ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Packer Avenue, Seventh Street, Pattison Avenue, and Darien Street.

= 251097 INTRODUCED BY: Councilmember Phillips An Ordinance amending Chapter 9-4400 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled <Responsible Business Operations,= to add illegal sales of tobacco products to minors and unlicensed tobacco retailing as nuisance behaviors, and require completion of a Department-approved Tobacco Retailer Education and Compliance Training as a condition of lifting a Cease Operations Order, all under certain terms and conditions. City of Philadelphia -5CITY COUNCIL Calendar for Thursday, February 12, 2026 RESOLUTIONS RESOLUTIONS 260098 INTRODUCED BY: Councilmember Thomas Resolution celebrating and recognizing February 15th as 215 Day of Giving, an annual observance that honors Philadelphia9s identity while strengthening and highlighting the role of nonprofit organizations servicing under-resourced and underserved communities. 260100 INTRODUCED BY: Councilmember Jones Resolution honoring and Recognizing the Observance of the Holy Month of Ramadan in the City of Philadelphia. 260101 INTRODUCED BY: Councilmember Lozada Resolution authorizing the Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development, and the Homeless to hold hearings to examine the Office of Property Assessment, its assessment methodology, appeals process, and the impact of rising property assessments and property taxes on Philadelphia residents. 260102 INTRODUCED BY: Councilmember Lozada Resolution authorizing a joint hearing between the Committee on Public Safety and the Committee on Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs to examine the presence of firearms in public recreation spaces, the enforcement of existing laws, and strategies to reduce gun violence in parks and playgrounds across the City of Philadelphia. 260103 INTRODUCED BY: Councilmember Bass Resolution honoring and recognizing Reverend Michael A. Major, Sr. during Black History Month for his extraordinary leadership, faith-driven service, and unwavering commitment to the renewal, restoration, revitalization of the Nicetown-Tioga community and celebrating his Installation as Senior Pastor at Zion Baptist Church City of Philadelphia -6CITY COUNCIL Calendar for Thursday, February 12, 2026 260104 INTRODUCED BY: Councilmember Bass Resolution recognizing and honoring February 20, 2026, as <Love Your Pet Day= in the City of Philadelphia 260105 INTRODUCED BY: Councilmember Bass Resolution honoring Rev. Dr. J. Henry Buck, Jr. for his Service, visionary ministry, and contributions to the community as Senior Pastor of Grace Baptist Church of Germantown in Recognition of Black History Month 260106 INTRODUCED BY: Councilmember Bass Resolution honoring Bishop J. Louis Felton from The Mt. Airy Church of God in Christ for his extraordinary lifetime of service, leadership, and lasting contributions to the spiritual, civic, and social well-being of the City of Philadelphia during Black History Month 260107 INTRODUCED BY: Councilmember Ahmad Resolution recognizing February 17, 2026, as the Lunar New Year and celebrating the cultural and historical significance of Philadelphia9s Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. City of Philadelphia -7-