Councilman STATED MEETING 64 4/28/2022 4/28/22 - STATED - 2ND READING Johnson.
Aye. STATED MEETING 65 4/28/2022 4/28/22 - STATED - 2ND READING The ayes are 16; the nays are zero. A majority of all members present having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. Mr. Decker, 220190.
An ordinance amending Chapter 10-700 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Refuse and Littering," by revising the annual fee for neighborhood sanitation and cleaning services and exempting owner-occupied duplexes from the annual neighborhood sanitation and cleaning services fee requirements.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. Mr. Decker, call the roll.
Councilwoman Brooks. STATED MEETING 66 4/28/2022 4/28/22 - STATED - 2ND READING
Councilwoman STATED MEETING 67 4/28/2022 4/28/22 - STATED - 2ND READING Parker.
Aye. The ayes are 16; the nays are zero. A majority of all members present voting in the affirmative, the bill passes. Mr. Decker, 220222.
An ordinance authorizing the relocation of the southwesterly curbline of Ridge Avenue, from Calumet Street to a point northwestwardly therefrom, and the STATED MEETING 68 4/28/2022 4/28/22 - STATED - 2ND READING northwesterly curbline of Calumet Street, from Ridge Avenue to Kelly Drive, on City Plan No. 163, authorizing the plotting on City Plan of an area for public pedestrian use extending along the northwesterly side of Calumet Street, from Ridge Avenue to a point southwestwardly therefrom.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. Mr. Decker, call the roll.
Aye. STATED MEETING 69 4/28/2022 4/28/22 - STATED - 2ND READING
Councilman STATED MEETING 70 4/28/2022 4/28/22 - STATED - 2ND READING Squilla.
Aye. Did Councilwoman Parker, did we hear that?
She was aye, okay. The ayes are 16; the nays are zero. A majority of members present voting in the affirmative, the bill passes. Mr. Decker, 220223.
An ordinance establishing a no truck parking regulation on South 61st Street, both sides between Lindbergh Boulevard just past Eastwick Avenue. STATED MEETING 71 4/28/2022 4/28/22 - STATED - 2ND READING
This bill having been read on two separate days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. Mr. Decker, call the roll.
Councilman STATED MEETING 72 4/28/2022 4/28/22 - STATED - 2ND READING Johnson.
Aye. STATED MEETING 73 4/28/2022 4/28/22 - STATED - 2ND READING The ayes are 16; the nays are zero. A majority of all members present voting in the affirmative, the bill passes. Mr. Decker, do you have any additional resolutions?
I do, Mr. President. Resolution No. 220329, entitled a "Resolution recognizing April 2022 as Autism Acceptance & Awareness Month in the City of Philadelphia, and commending the creators of the Autism 365 Collection at the Wynnefield Library." This was introduced by Councilman Green.
Thank you, Council President. I just wanted to just say a few moments before I move with this motion. I want to thank our School Board member, Cecilia Thompson, for spending some time STATED MEETING 74 4/28/2022 4/28/22 - STATED - 2ND READING during our public comment session to talk about this resolution. It's really a blessing to have the great resources we have in the City of Philadelphia, the fact that Mary Kachline and Ethel Funches at the Wynnefield branch have been able to create this special collection of autism-friendly resources and making sure that we think about the issues of autism, not just during April, which is Autism Acceptance and Awareness Month, but during 365 days out of the year and really making the Wynnefield branch a real jewel in our library collection. I know both Councilmember Jones and Councilmember Gilmore Richardson, who are both co-sponsors of this resolution, are incredibly proud of the work that they are doing at the Wynnefield branch. This week actually a friend of mine from high school, someone who I had not spoken to since I graduated from high school, reached out to me, because he knows of the work that I've done in STATED MEETING 75 4/28/2022 4/28/22 - STATED - 2ND READING reference to autism, and let me know in a very personal way that his son was recently diagnosed on the autism spectrum. And as I think about this month, this Autism Acceptance and Awareness Month, what I shared with my friend is that you're going to have a journey. It's going to be a journey of both pain and also joy. Pain in situations I can reflect my own personal experience with my son, situations where he's had a meltdown in a mall and wanting to go down an escalator and just getting very frustrated and just screaming "escalator" to the top of his lungs, and as a parent being really paralyzed and not being able to help him even though he wants to get through that moment. To the joy of seeing him score his first goal when he played soccer. To pain, the situations when as he was going through puberty, decided that he just didn't want to eat and we STATED MEETING 76 4/28/2022 4/28/22 - STATED - 2ND READING had to take him to Children's Hospital and have him on an IV. To the joy of coming home from a long day of Council and we're going through our budget hearings and every time I come into the house, the first thing he says is "hi, Daddy." To the pain of having a friend of the family who says that my son will never speak. To the joy of the fact my son is going on his high school graduation soon and going to prom and just recently was accepted to St. Joe's for a post-secondary program. So as I talked to my friend, I said you're going to have a lot of pain and also joy as you go through this journey, and the fact that we have great resources in our city, the Marys and the Ethels and all the resources here in the City of Philadelphia that's allowed my family, the Thompson family, my friend's family to have an abundant life with STATED MEETING 77 4/28/2022 4/28/22 - STATED - 2ND READING their children on the spectrum. So I move this resolution on behalf of all of the great heroes and sheroes who have done things to help my family and all the families that live on the spectrum to have an abundant and triumphant life with their children, and I move for the adoption of this resolution. Thank you, Council President.
Hearty second from all of our colleagues, Mr. President.
Second by us all. All in favor of the motion? (Aye.)
Clearly none opposed. That resolution has been adopted.
We also have a resolution authorizing hearings regarding the operations of the Philadelphia Gas Works, including but not limited to, STATED MEETING 78 4/28/2022 4/28/22 - STATED - 2ND READING mixed facilities, workforce and the sustainability and diversification of its products and services, introduced today by Councilman Green on behalf of Council President Clarke.
Thank you, Council President. This is a resolution, I think I'm introducing this on your behalf -
-- regarding this issues, and we'll move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
Those opposed? (No response.) STATED MEETING 79 4/28/2022 4/28/22 - STATED - 2ND READING
The ayes have it, and that resolution will be adopted.
And we have a resolution recognizing May 1, 2022, as National School Principal's Day in the City of Philadelphia, introduced today by Councilwoman Bass.
Well, thank you, Mr. President. Today I'd like to pivot our attention to the people who have led the teachers, established an enforceable policy, and oversee the overall health of a given school, and that's school principals. I don't want to overlook the work of these institutional leaders and the instructional work that they do, which is to ensure that children who attend their schools come first and are provided quality educational -- equitable STATED MEETING 80 4/28/2022 4/28/22 - STATED - 2ND READING educational opportunities in a safe, orderly environment, no matter who they are, where they come from, or where they live. They do this by providing teachers with strategic direction, assessing their performance, standardized curriculum development, monitoring student achievement, and encouraging the involvement of parents. Principals also have the task of overseeing student discipline, along with overseeing and developing their school safety protocols and emergency procedures. School principals deserve our thanks and an A plus for their educational, operational, and strategic leadership, as well as their commitment to keeping learning for all children a priority, principals like Tammy Pierce-Thomas, who leads Eleanor C. Emlen Elementary School in my district. We call it Emlen, of course. She's one of STATED MEETING 81 4/28/2022 4/28/22 - STATED - 2ND READING several principals who were recently awarded the 2022 Lindback Award for Distinguished Principals in recognition of their dedication to School District students in Philadelphia. In honor of Tammy Pierce-Thomas and every principal who is passionate about the work they do, I am introducing a resolution in recognition of National Principal's Day to honor those who lead and serve our children's educational needs each and every day. And with that, I move for the adoption of the resolution, Mr. President. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor of said resolution say aye. (Aye.)
Those opposed? (No response.) STATED MEETING 82 4/28/2022
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
There are no other resolutions on the Final Passage Calendar, Mr. President.
Thank you very much, Mr. Decker. Prior to recognizing members for speeches, I will note for the record at this time that we will use the Chat feature available on Microsoft Teams to allow members to signify that they wish to be recognized. In order to comply with the Sunshine Act, the Chat feature must only be used for this particular purpose. With that said, are there any speeches on behalf of the minority? (No response.)
I don't see any. And speeches on behalf of the majority? STATED MEETING 83 4/28/2022 Parker.
Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, on this morning before we got started, I received a text message from a group that I call my brother and sister Jewish family, and they sent me a message saying that when you all start Council at 10 o'clock this morning, do you know what's happening in Israel? And I told her no. And they told me at 10 o'clock this morning in Israel, the whole country came to a standstill for two minutes as sirens wailed in memory of the millions of Jews murdered by the Nazis. The Annual Holocaust Remembrance Day is one of the most solemn days on Israel's national calendar, and I wanted to be sure when they sent it to me on this day that we have seen the worrying and the increase in anti-Semitism over the past several years STATED MEETING 84 4/28/2022 and across the world. So I just wanted to note that April the 28th is Holocaust Remembrance Day. I know Councilmember Domb, he's been our leader in making sure that from an educational standpoint, we are well aware of this activity globally, but I wanted to note it and say thank you to my brother and sister Kaye family members. Also for those of you who don't know, I happen to live right around the corner of Valiance Hall, and Valiance Hall is the gathering location for Black firemen, women in the City of Philadelphia and those similarly situated, and last night I ran into a person at Wawa and they said to me, Cherelle, I didn't hear anybody say thank you to not just Commissioner Thiel, Mr. President, I didn't see the press conference afterwards, but I do remember what occurred in Fairmount, what occurred in Kensington, and then recently in the STATED MEETING 85 4/28/2022 so to the men and women from Valiance Hall, I want you to know we are paying attention to what it is that you do, and we do commend our Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel for his leadership and all of the men and women who serve as first responders, not only in the Fire Department but in every area in our city. I want us to pay attention to Commissioner Thiel's pleading for Philadelphia residents to ensure that they have proper working smoke detectors inside their homes. It's going to take block captains and every organizational structure that we have throughout the City of Philadelphia to do this work in every level of government, and I know we're all in. Thank you so very much, Mr. President and colleagues, for the leeway you provided.
STATED MEETING 86 4/28/2022 you, Councilwoman, and we clearly thank and commend all of our front-line workers in the City of Philadelphia. Without them, I have no clue what we would do. They are clearly the treasures as relates to our workforce. The Chair recognizes Councilman Johnson.
Thank you, Council President. I just wanted to share my experience yesterday out in the community with Parks and Recreation Commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovell, and we were doing outreach and canvassing the neighborhood to recruit lifeguards so we can have all of our swimming pools open during this upcoming summer. We all know that right now and over the past two years, we have been in the state of emergency when it comes to senseless gun violence, and we know one of the key ways to support our young STATED MEETING 87 4/28/2022 them involved in things that are positive, and one of those things is making sure that they all can go to a swimming pool during the summer and cool off. As Councilman Curtis Jones always says, our young people don't have the ability to go to Disney World during the summer. Our young people don't spend their summers down at the shore. And so by making sure we have enough lifeguards to keep all of our swimming pools open will give them the opportunity to enjoy themselves, most importantly cool off during this very, very hot summer that's coming up. And so I just want to encourage all my colleagues and everyone who is listening to encourage a young person to sign up to be a lifeguard this summer. It pays between $16 and $18, which is pretty good for me, and I think getting as many young people involved in a productive job goes a long way to keeping STATED MEETING 88 4/28/2022 So I just want to encourage you again, because I know we get those phone calls, especially District Councilpeople, hey, five of your swimming pools are shut down, and you're like, well, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute. So we can partner with Parks and Rec to help get that word out but, most importantly, it's about getting our young people off the street. That's the main thing more than anything else, getting them involved in something that's positive. Growing up in South Philly, I enjoyed going to Chew Playground, 18th and Washington Avenue. I had a little bit of heart, Curt, so I would also go across the tracks at Marian Anderson Playground at 18th and Catharine, Clarke. And so that's a whole different neighborhood, but it was all in an effort to take advantage of the free, it was a free Parks and Rec summer camp program. STATED MEETING 89 4/28/2022 lunches with the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, right? But, most importantly, the highlight of the day was going swimming. So we want to make sure that all of our swimming pools are open, and I would also point out this: We want to make sure swimming pools are open in neighborhoods most in need. We want to make sure that we're not just opening up swimming pools in neighborhoods that's developing through gentrification. I want to put that out there for the record as well. But the only way that we make that happen is by recruiting as many lifeguards as possible. Thank you very much, Council President, for your time.
Thank you, Councilman. Thank you so much. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. That's taking us back. The Chair recognizes Councilman Green. STATED MEETING 90 4/28/2022
Thank you, Council President. I want to thank our colleague Councilmember Parker for making that comment about the history that we've seen in this world. Unfortunately, we're seeing that history repeat in what's happening in Ukraine. So many of our Jewish bothers and sisters have historical perspectives of what's happened in Europe, and we're seeing that repeat itself in the Ukraine. But on a more positive note, we were in our budget hearings and I wanted to acknowledge SEPTA on their 10th Anniversary of their Accessible Travel Center, which they had a press conference yesterday, and they have been able to make sure that all of their more than 1,400 buses are accessible, and they've been doing this keeping with the Americans with Disability Act. And their Accessible Travel Center, which is located at Suburban Station, has helped STATED MEETING 91 4/28/2022 transition from high school to work, especially those on the autism spectrum and those that have various physical and learning differences, and they provided a great opportunity for people to move and be accessible in our city. So I just wanted to thank SEPTA for that work they're doing. I know as part of our budget hearings, we've also learned about the dollars that they are looking to put into the transit system through the Investment Infrastructure and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to make travel throughout our region even more accessible for everyone in our city, especially those that have a physical or learning difference. Thank you, Council President.
Thank you, Councilman. Thank you so much for that. Any other speeches on behalf of STATED MEETING 92 4/28/2022 majority? (No response.)
I don't see any. With that said, thank you all very much. I want to say how much I appreciate you all and all the awesome work you do. The Chair recognizes Councilman Jones for a motion to adjourn.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, May 5th, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It has been moved and seconded that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, May 5th, 2022, 10:00 a.m. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
Those opposed? (No response.) STATED MEETING 93 4/28/2022
The ayes have it. The motion carries. Thank you all very much. Again, be safe. Love you guys. Have a good day. ) STATED MEETING 94 4/28/2022 CERTIFICATE I HEREBY CERTIFY that the proceedings, evidence and objections are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me upon the foregoing matter, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. MICHELE L.