Yes. I guess my question was, I did receive some additional data last night at 7:00 p.m. -
No, no, no. You got the information at 11:53 Stated Meeting 153 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING a.m. yesterday. It was sent to both you and Councilmember Domb.
If I could finish what I was saying. I said I received some additional information regarding the question that Councilwoman Sanchez had in reference to the data in reference to the 3,000 businesses that are concerned asking about data by sector, and in that additional information I received at 7:00 p.m., for those 3,000 businesses, 642 are in hospitality and food services, 520 are in healthcare and social areas, as well as 418 in retail trade. I guess my question is, did this information go to all Councilmembers, especially District Councilmembers who have a lot of small businesses on their commercial corridors? Because that was one of the things that was stated last week, you would provide the data regarding this information.
The Stated Meeting 154 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING individual data was sent originally to the Councilmembers that requested it by information. The additional information was followed up and sent to other Councilmembers last evening.
Okay. So I just had a question, because last week you said you would meet with a small business group, which sounds like you did on Tuesday, but then you also would not call this up until you provided the data. I just wanted to make sure that all members of Council received the data.
All members of Council that specifically requested the data received it earlier than the other members of Council that were included in this vote, and everyone received it last night.
Thank you, Councilman. Councilwoman, did you -- you Stated Meeting 155 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING had earlier requested to be able to speak?
Yes, I did. Thank you, Council President. You know, I want to thank my colleagues and the many workers and labor leaders and business owners, the Diverse Chamber of Commerce for their feedback and collaboration on this bill. I'm confident that this bill in its current form represents the best interests of workers and business owners alike and will allow our city to move forward into the next phase of living safely in this pandemic together. And I want to acknowledge that the pandemic is unpredictable. Two previous iterations of this bill provided critical protections for workers. However, each of them lapsed, leaving workers vulnerable to the spikes of the highly contagious Delta and Omnicrom variants. With the City dropping the Stated Meeting 156 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING vaccine and mask mandates, the onus is on us now to protect our workers, their families, and the public from the spread of COVID-19. Reestablishing adequate paid sick leave is a key strategy to giving workers the confidence they need to continue to come to work every day, and it's critical in giving the public a peace of mind that sick workers aren't coming in because they can't afford to stay home. And, again, I want to thank the many people who provided their input on this bill, and I want to thank my Council colleagues for co-sponsoring this legislation, Councilmembers Parker, Squilla, Bass, Gauthier, Gilmore Richardson, Gym, and Thomas. Thank you, Council President, for your time.
Thank you, Councilwoman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Domb. Stated Meeting 157 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING
Thank you, Council President. And I want to explain my vote on this bill. Yesterday the City of Philadelphia linked its mask mandate -lifted its mask mandate, which really signals the pandemic has subsided and conditions have improved dramatically. So with regards to Bill No. 220051-A, the Public Health Emergency bill, I want to express my sincere gratitude to you, Councilmember Kendra Brooks, for the spirit of this legislation and its positive impact during the hardest moments of this pandemic. I'm in favor of providing leave options for employees managing COVID for a while longer, but it's the technical aspects of this bill that make it extremely difficult for small, medium-sized businesses, non-profits, who have already barely survived this pandemic, to recover fully. Many of them have loans they've taken out and will be Stated Meeting 158 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING paying back for two to five years. When this legislation was originally enacted, there was PPE money available and there was federal tax credits available to help small businesses and the non-profits stay alive and continue to employ many of our residents in the City of Philadelphia. Right now as we consider this legislation's extension to not the end of this year but December 31 of 2023, almost two years from now, we are expecting these same small businesses and non-profits, who have had no time to fully recover, to manage a large cost burden without any federal, state, or local financial supports. As I've expressed to the bill sponsor, I'm willing to compromise, but I will not put our small businesses and non-profits in such a precarious financial situation as this bill does in its current form. I've requested we apply this Stated Meeting 159 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING legislation to employers with greater than 50 employees and allow it to sunset the end of this year. Should we see spikes in our COVID cases or new variants come this fall, I'm sure this legislative body is willing to reassess the situation then. And speaking with our local small businesses and non-profits who employ so many of our local residents and speaking with the Diverse Chambers Coalition made up of all of our minority Chambers of Commerce, they all have concerns and oppose this bill. Philadelphia is on the brink of recovery, the brink, and this legislation will be yet another reason why employers will choose to either leave the City or locate elsewhere. I've said it many times in this body. Philadelphia does not exist on an island, and the more we head in that direction, the more our local economy will suffer and our residents in the long Stated Meeting 160 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING run will suffer from a lack of opportunity. For all these reasons, Council President, I'll be voting no on this bill. Thank you.
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Oh.
Thank you very much, Council President. I have heard from the four Diverse Chamber of Commerce. Today one spoke on their behalf. I have received the letters. I suppose other Councilmembers have. But the other Chambers of Commerce are very clear that they oppose this bill any less than 50 and anything in terms of timing that is not corresponding to the state's determination and certainly not more than a year. I think when I look at the fact Stated Meeting 161 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING that the national average for job loss is 2.6 percent compared to Philadelphia, which is 7.6 percent, and the fact that it mainly affects lower wage jobs, which is down 37 percent, and in 2020, this city lost 62,800 jobs, and it appears that between 11,000 and 19,000 jobs will not come back because these are remote workers, they're not coming back to the City. This is from the Pew report that has been referenced by this body on a number of occasions. One of the problems that we're facing, and I know that this problem about paid sick leave is a very important problem as well, but one is the lack of employers and the lack of employers that start their own businesses in the communities where there is a lack of opportunity. It is the fact that they have an ability to be their own boss, to hire their family and friends and neighbors, to hope to not only feed their families but to expand and hopefully one Stated Meeting 162 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING day be prosperous. That has been on decline in this city since the 1960s. There are less and less independently owned, particularly African American, businesses in this city, and I believe that the voice of those representatives of the small business community is very important. When I'm in doubt about things, I consider who testified for the bill and who testified against the bill, and sometimes no one testifies against the bill that I actually, quite frankly, am not clear that I would support, but no one testified against it. This is a different matter. I found, quite frankly, that oftentimes business does not speak up. So the fact that these four business chambers and others have been very clear in their opposition I find a very important consideration, and for that reason, I too will vote against the bill. Stated Meeting 163 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING Thank you.
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes -Councilman Green, you referenced a point of information again or you just want to tee up to speak?
Well, it is a point of information to Councilmember Brooks.
Thank you, Council President. I guess my last point of information for Councilmember Brooks is that in your meeting, which I think was about 47 small businesses that met with you this week, and based on the data that you provided to myself and some Councilmembers, about 2,800 establishments will be impacted by this legislation, and I just want to get an understanding that your thought is that Stated Meeting 164 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING by meeting with that group this week, that's an adequate outreach to businesses that will be impacted by this legislation?
Well, the meeting I had this week, I actually requested the meeting based on the conversation that we had with the Chamber. It was their responsibility to bring small businesses to that table. My staff took detailed notes and information around the data that we received, both in the chat and in the conversation, and we also followed up individually with each business owner that was on that call. Based on the data that I received and the questions that I asked in relation to this bill, I still felt it was important for me to move forward as is, as amended, today on this bill.
Stated Meeting 165 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Bass.
Thank you, Mr. President. I just had a quick question. My question was to the sponsor. Thank you for all your work on this. I know you've really been out here working hard on it, but I do have a concern that just came up. Does every member of Council have the same information, the same updated information about this bill?
They should. Everyone received the information yesterday.
Thank you, Councilwoman. Stated Meeting 166 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING Councilman Jones, did you still -- would you still like to speak? The Chair recognizes Councilman Jones.
Thank you. I'm joined by out-of-town students, so they're getting the opportunity to hear and experience democracy at its best. I just want to put on the record a couple of things put in context, and then I'm going to tell you how I'm going to vote on this bill, not that it will determine the outcome one way or the other, but I want it on the record. That there are certain corridors in the City of Philadelphia that have not recovered from the pandemic, have not recovered from the civil unrest. I can ride down those corridors and 20 or so percent, Council President, we always talk about have not come back and are not coming back. They either took that money from the insurance Stated Meeting 167 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING and ran or they just were underinsured and couldn't build back. I want us to remember this, because all too often as we start to move forward with good intentions as a body, we don't understand the impact or we aren't feeling the impact of some of the people that represent the small business community, particularly Black and Brown businesses. We this week, Mr. President, instituted a $2,000 assessment on businesses so that they could continue outdoor eateries, $2,000 on top of. And one of my businesses said to me, well, you know, it's like we went through the plague, we went through flooding with the hurricanes, and here you go again. And I looked them in the face, and it's hard sometimes to say that we don't come off as anti-small business. I'm going to tell you now, because my colleagues is right next door and I'm -- I'm going to vote for this Stated Meeting 168 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING bill. I'm going to say it again. I'm going to vote for this bill, but what I'm going to require is that in upcoming legislation and opportunities, that we fight just as hard, just as hard for small businesses as we do for their workers, because one without the other just doesn't work. If you give the worker all these opportunities but the business closes its doors, what's the point? And so I remember going back to paid sick leave with people like former Councilmember Greenlee who fought for these kinds of things. He was one of the original folk that fought for these kinds of things, but we as a body have to do things with balance. We got to understand that there's an intended and unintended consequences to our action. So I'm going to err on the side of this bill and pushing it forward, but believe this, I'm going to speak out in the future when we disproportionately Stated Meeting 169 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING impact stakeholders that are vital to the infrastructure of our city. So thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Gauthier.
I wanted to thank the bill sponsor for her hard work, not only on this version of the bill but on staying on this issue throughout the pandemic, which is now going into the third year, and making sure that workers are protected, and I want to echo Councilmember Jones's point. He was the first person in this conversation that I heard make the point that there are two sides to this, right? There are businesses, small businesses, and there are workers, and for much of this conversation, we've been talking about our concern for the business community, which I understand, without any mention that businesses do not exist Stated Meeting 170 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING in a vacuum. Businesses need people to drive them forward, and if those people cannot keep themselves and their families safe, then businesses will not prosper. And so that needs to be always just as -- we talk a lot about the Chamber. We've talked a lot about the Diverse Chamber. I understand their place in this conversation, but the people, many of them who are also Black and Brown, matter. And I would challenge -- Councilmember Brooks, she's been challenged a lot during this discussion on the importance of her meeting with the Chamber and the businesses, and I would just ask anyone who is voting no to consider is it also important to meet with workers? Is it also important to have conversations with people who are directly impacted? Do you all think that that's just as important as meeting with the business community? Because I do, because I think that their voices deserve to be heard in this Stated Meeting 171 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING discussion too. And I would just say again that many of those people are also Black and Brown.
Thank you, Councilwoman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Green.
Thank you, Council President. I wasn't going to speak again, but I thought it was important based on the fact that there was assumption that just because I talk up for small businesses, I don't also talk for workers. I have voted for every paid sick leave bill that has come up in this body, even though that was concerning to some in the business community. My concern is this bill at this level, when the African American Chamber, Hispanic Chamber, and the Asian Chamber step up and say their members are saying this is impacting them and I know that they are business owners but also they have Stated Meeting 172 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING relationships with their employees. They're concerned not only about the future of their business, they're also concerned about their employees and having a business to employ them. So I understand the issue and the concern making sure that everyone is safe, but we also need to make sure, as Councilmember Jones, as I've often stated, because I talk to both small business owners and individuals, that we need to make sure that we're looking at this in a collective perspective. And so the assumption that because I articulate issues regarding Black and Brown businesses and I'm not talking specifically about individuals is too often that the African American businesses are not spoken up for, because many of them are running their business and don't have the chance to come to a Council meeting or testify in Stated Meetings. So that's why I speak up for those who are not being spoken up for, Stated Meeting 173 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING which has often happened in this conversation and a lot of conversations in the public sector. Thank you, Council President.
To be clear, I didn't make an assumption. I talked about what I heard.
Okay. Let's not make it personal. The Chair recognizes Councilman Oh.
Yeah. Thank you very much, Council President, and I don't take it personally. I think it's a very legitimate question, where is, you know, the consideration of workers, and the consideration is there. And I will say that their place of employment, many of them have closed and they don't have a job and they can't go to some of the other places and get a job. Employment in the neighborhood, in the community or an opportunity downtown, it's very important. And so I think, as was said, Stated Meeting 174 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING they go hand in hand. There needs to be an opportunity for small businesses to get started, to grow, to provide services in the community where often services are lacking, with an understanding of the needs of the community by people from the community or who employ people in the community. I think that's important. I will also note, as Councilman Derek Green noted, that I introduced a bill and it was passed by this Council and signed by the Mayor at the outbreak of COVID to protect healthcare workers in a manner that does not sunset, that does protect them. And in the past Council sessions, we have fought for the employment of workers and union members in the healthcare industry, in the manufacturing industry, and continue to do so and with Councilmember Curtis Jones, with his efforts and international investment and opportunities, long history, and particularly on my part, for Stated Meeting 175 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING those interested in the creative arts economy and how important that is. But there's a point where those efforts have to turn into a sustainable method of employment. They want to create a business. They want to see it grow. They need to hire people, and they need to be prosperous in order to do that. So I think that is the balance, and I think that is there. I will say again I do think that this is a bad time to do it for the reasons that I stated in terms of the numbers, and I think that is a balancing act. And so that issue of the workers is very important and I want to ensure that they have jobs and they may one day themselves start their own business after having that experience. Thank you.
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Bass. Stated Meeting 176 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING
Thank you, Mr. President. I just wanted to make a suggestion. I did reach out to the bill sponsor and asked if it was a possibility, particularly on the sunset provision, if it was possible that if numbers continue to drop at a rate in which they're dropping right now in terms of COVID and the need for having this piece of legislation, if there was a willingness to basically do another bill to address ending the sunset a whole lot sooner than what is being suggested now, and the bill sponsor, Councilwoman Brooks, from my understanding from our conversation, our dialogue, is certainly willing to do that. So I just really wanted to thank her for being open and willing to compromise. I really do like to always give all of my colleagues the benefit of the doubt that we can always try to work Stated Meeting 177 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING something out. One of the problems I think with government is where we see something is not working or it's not working as intended and we don't address it, we don't step in, we don't use the tools that we have to make things better when we can, and I think that her willingness to make the change regarding the sunset is a big step forward and I really do appreciate that. So I just wanted to publicly acknowledge her willingness to compromise in this matter and thank her for that effort. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilwoman Brooks, did you -you're good? Okay.
All right. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Quinones-Sanchez. Stated Meeting 178 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING
Thank you, Council President, and actually Councilwoman Bass covered a little bit around -- you know, legislation is always fluid, this notion that what we do today can't be modified or amended as we move forward, you know, and I appreciate that she highlighted that the bill sponsor is willing to entertain that. You know, I strongly advocated to the bill sponsor to go to 25, understanding the reality of immigrant businesses in some of the commercial corridors and also understanding that you're not going to cover everyone. You know, would the bill be better at 50? Probably for many folks, especially the 2,800 businesses. Would it be better at 2022? Yes. But what we do in this legislative body, and we did it when we first did sick leave back, as Councilmember Jones was talking about, with Greenlee, that was very tough. It took us several years to get to a Stated Meeting 179 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING consensus around that, and it wasn't a consensus that everybody was happy about. So I appreciate my colleagues, the ones who are voting no, because they stand by their conviction and their position, and I appreciate the colleagues who may not be comfortable with this compromise and are voting yes. But what we're doing today is not the end of a conversation about how we treat workers and how we treat businesses. It's an ongoing conversation and a constant push and pull, and so we should continue to have these discussions. It's going to come up in our budget, how we support both of these sectors, and I want everybody to be as passionate in that conversation as we move forward and hope that, again, as we recover, if things change, as data analysis change, that this bill sponsor and other bills that we have on the table, whether it's the streetery debate that we'll have and some others, that we Stated Meeting 180 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING weigh both of those options and try to make the best decision with the information we have when we make those decisions. So thank you, everyone. Again, as someone who has been in constant communication with the bill sponsor and some of my colleagues, I'll be voting yes for this bill, and hopefully we'll continue to do the advocacy, particularly with the ethnic Chambers of Commerce who we work with every day. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Domb.
Thank you, Council President. I'll be brief. When Councilman Jones mentioned a business in his district, the gentleman I think who has a restaurant, I thought of the fact that it's unfortunate we Stated Meeting 181 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING can't categorize these bills by industry, because clearly technology and law and other life sciences did very well during the pandemic, but the industries that got crushed were hospitality. They got crushed, restaurants, hotels. And I can tell you that I'm aware of three restaurants in the City right now, one has one location, one has four locations, another one has three, all seeking loans from 200,000 to a million dollars to keep their businesses going. And I'm just going to say that this is just a tough time for hospitality. It's a shame we can't separate it on the hospitality side. They've been crushed by this pandemic. Thank you, Council President.
Thank you, Councilman. Councilman Oh, did you wish to be recognized again?
Yeah. I'm sorry. I mean, we're ready to vote. I Stated Meeting 182 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING think we have all made up our minds. I'm simply going to state that when a bill passes, when it's signed, people make decisions. They may not be here six months later or a year later when something is amended or reintroduced. The law that is passed today is what causes people to make decisions about tomorrow, and that is the issue that we're facing right now. But I appreciate the discussion. I think everybody has. There are reasons, and we are going to take a vote. As is said often, that's democracy in action. Thank you.
Thank you, Councilman. Okay. Mr. Decker, just read the title again since it's been a while and people may forget what we're going to vote on.
Bill No. 220051-A, an ordinance amending Section Stated Meeting 183 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING 9-4116 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "2021 Public Health Emergency Leave," to establish additional leave time under certain circumstance, modify existing provisions concerning the paid sick leave, and making technical changes.
Thank you. This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. Mr. Decker, can you please call the roll.
Aye. Stated Meeting 184 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING
Councilman Stated Meeting 185 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING Squilla is voting aye. Councilman Thomas.
Aye. The ayes are 12; the nays are four. A majority of members present voting in the affirmative, the bill passes. Mr. Decker, do you have any additional resolutions?
I do, Mr. President. A resolution authorizing Council's Committee on Streets and Services and Committee on Global Opportunities and the Creative/Innovative Economy to hold hearings on the Administration's plan for public electric vehicle charging, introduced today by Councilman Oh.
The Chair recognizes Councilman Oh. Stated Meeting 186 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING
Yes, Council President. May I be heard on this resolution before we do the motion?
Thank you very much. Council President, we had extensive hearings on this. It was very controversial. We had a lot of testimony, several bills introduced, and then we were working with the Administration. The Administration was very good about meeting all sides. At the end of it all, we were supposed to have a plan for public access high-speed charging, and we were in that, and it has been a while, perhaps it's COVID, but I am not aware of any effort to implement a plan and I'd like to see where we are, as my co-sponsor Councilman Mark Squilla. It's a lot of effort, a lot of bills dealing with a system that everyone Stated Meeting 187 3/3/2022 3/3/22 - STATED - 2ND READING agreed was not sustainable, well almost everyone, just a few people. And so we need a sustainable system. We need public access. We need the bills and authorizations to make this happen. And so I look forward to having this hearing so we can see where we are, and I will note that this has now become -- at the time, it was an unpopular thing we were doing, but now it has become a very popular thing, with even the President in his Address talking about the need for this infrastructure. So with that, I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor say aye. (Aye.)
Those opposed? (No response.) Stated Meeting 188 3/3/2022
There are no other resolutions on the Final Passage Calendar, Mr. President.
Thank you very much. That completes our Calendar for today. I see a note here that says we're not having any speeches today. Can't get away with that, huh? Okay. Any speeches on behalf of the minority?
Just real quick, just for the record. For the record, at this time we will use the Chat feature available in Microsoft Teams to allow members to signify that they wish to be recognized. In order to comply with the Sunshine Act, that Chat feature must be only used for Stated Meeting 189 3/3/2022 with that said, speeches on behalf of the minority?
Thank you, Council President. I first want to thank Councilmember Gym for co-introducing the resolution with me expressing firm support for the Starbucks stores in Philadelphia attempting to organize a union. Philly is a union town, and we know that workers coming together for the collective good is the only way that we can sustain equitable dignified workplaces. I am so impressed with the many young people who are coming together to build power and organize their workplaces and demand fair treatment, and I urge Starbucks to refrain from retaliation and to accept card check neutrality. As a person who came into politics out of organizing my community, Stated Meeting 190 3/3/2022 an inspiration, and City Council stands in solidarity with you. Today Council voted to pass my final installation in my Black History Month series honoring prolific Black Philadelphia women, and I'm so proud to honor my friend, community member, and trailblazer, Ms. Jackie Wiggins, honoring Jackie, especially to me, because I've seen firsthand how she lifts up other Black women and strengthened communities and pushes the narrative forward. You can see this with her activism around the Stadium Stompers, which helped prevent further encroachment of a football stadium by Temple University into North Philadelphia, and you can see this with her work to create enrichment programs called The Underground Railroad Camps for children, youth, and families. And you can see this in the way that she called today, not to take credit for her work but to advocate for workers who are in Stated Meeting 191 3/3/2022 leave. For decades, she has been a relentless advocate for Philadelphia Black communities, and she does not work for fame or credit but because she believes in doing the right thing. And I also want to thank Ms. Gail Loney for her beautiful and powerful testimony highlighting Jackie's legacy and ongoing leadership. So today we recognize her for her dedication to serving, teaching, and advocating for marginalized populations. Thank you so much, Ms. Jackie. And I want to give a shout-out to the Twin Sister Docs, my doctor specifically, Dr. Delana Wardlaw, and her sister, Elana McDonald. Thank you, colleagues, and thank you, Council President.
Thank you, Councilwoman. Speeches on behalf of the majority? Stated Meeting 192 3/3/2022 Thomas.
Thank you, Council President. At this point, good afternoon. I just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the fact that today is the day that the driving equality law will essentially be implemented, and for us as members of Council, I think this is something that we should be extremely proud of. We do all know that there is a lawsuit that's pending that's taking place. I'm not going to talk too much about that, because we don't want to have that type of public quarrel. That's what the courts are for. But we are optimistic that we will be able to withstand that lawsuit. For me and for my colleagues who can relate to what it means to drive around the City of Philadelphia and experience some of the different things Stated Meeting 193 3/3/2022 you're just trying to get from one place to another and you're a law-abiding citizen, sometimes those things don't always go our way as men of color when we are pulled over by law enforcement. It was an honor for me to wake up today to text messages from folks all across the City of Philadelphia, but I think what resonated with me the most was hearing from the English teacher at Frankford High School who has been teaching driving equality to his class and talking to them about me being an alumni of Frankford High School and the work that we've been doing in this legislative body, not just representing Frankford High School but the entire City of Philadelphia. So it's an honor to be able to see this day. In 2020, people literally set this city on fire and set other cities all across the country on fire because they wanted to see some level of Stated Meeting 194 3/3/2022 to how communities of color were policed and the relationships between communities of color and law enforcement. I'm honored to be a part of the process that is spearheading that conversation where as though today in Philadelphia we've answered that call. So thank you, colleagues. Thank you, Council President, for allowing me to make some brief remarks today, and thank you to the young people all across the City of Philadelphia but especially the young people at Frankford High School who are studying driving equality and who are looking to explore this legislation and ensure that it is a part of their academic journey. Thank you, colleagues.
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Green.
Thank you, Stated Meeting 195 3/3/2022 Council I mentioned a panel that occurred on Monday with the SBA Administrator, Isabella Guzman, as well as Marc Morial, former Mayor of New Orleans, current presidency of the National Urban League, as well as Andrea Custis from the Urban League of Philadelphia. I was joined by Councilmembers Domb and Brooks, and it was focusing on the Community Navigator Pilot Program to help small businesses, especially Black and Brown businesses, in the City of Philadelphia and around the country. During that panel, there were a number of African American business owners that were there, and the consistent issue that we heard from those business owners and also reiterated by both Andrea Custis and Marc Morial and SBA Administrator Guzman is that the lack of access to credit has been an issue and why they have not been able to grow. Stated Meeting 196 3/3/2022 city with a 44 percent African American population that only 6 percent of the businesses with employees in our city are owned by African Americans. And from the Latin diaspora, 15 percent population, but only 4 percent of the businesses with employees are owned by our brothers and sisters in the Latin diaspora. And we know this is an issue in our city, especially during the pandemic, how the fact that the economic calamity of COVID-19 decimated Black and Brown businesses. Not only have they had the challenge to stay alive, but they've had the challenge to thrive because of the lack of access to credit. And it's based on that issue, plus my past experience from working with my former boss, Councilmember Marian Tasco, on the anti-predatory lending bill, to my first job as a small business lender with Meridian Bank at Broad and Glenwood, why I moved forward on this Stated Meeting 197 3/3/2022 banking initiative and with the first step of that initiative, which was the legislation that was passed today, the Philadelphia Public Financial Authority. I want to thank all of my colleagues who attended a number of hearings, received a lot of e-mails and information regarding this issue over the years. This has been a large coalition that have helped all of us get to this point, and I just want to thank some of the members of that coalition. From the Philadelphia Banking Coalition, Stan Shapiro, Peter Winslow, Susan Windle, Tim Brown, Vanessa Lowe, and all of the members of that Coalition; Andrea Schlesinger from HR&A and all of her team who helped us from the very beginning on the first study regarding public banking some years ago; my staff, Frank Iannuzzi, Kyra Harris, Duwayne Terry, and all of my staff who have really been involved in helping us to get Stated Meeting 198 3/3/2022 point; the team from Holland and Knight, Kwamina Williford, Len Bernstein, Charlie Stutts, Kara Ward, and all the attorneys at Holland and Knight who have been our outside counsel helping us to get to this point; the City Law Department, from Dan Cantu-Hertzler, Valerie Robinson, Lewis Rosman; Treasurer's Office from Treasurer Jackie Dunn and all of the staff in both the Law and all the Treasurer's Office that have helped us in this legislation, as well as others from the Pennsylvania Public Banking Coalition and the National Public Banking Institute. I just want to thank all of them for working and spending a lot of time, a lot of hours, a lot of treasure to help us get to this point, this first step.
Now as we go into the budget process, I will call on the Mayor to make the appointments for this new Authority and also fund this new Authority so we Stated Meeting 199 3/3/2022 provide access to credit for the many businesses that we need to grow and thrive in our city, so that way, we can reduce the 25 percent poverty rate, which also impacts the public safety that we have in the City, to allow those small businesses to provide jobs, to make our city more safe and have a more thriving and growing city. Thank you, Council President.
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Jones.
Thank you, Mr. President. The State Court ruled against our lost and stolen gun law. Three-panel judge stood up and said that this law, our ordinance, would impede upon the Second Amendment rights of Pennsylvanians. When you sent me up there, Stated Meeting 200 3/3/2022 President, to represent City Council -- and I want to thank the City Solicitor's Office for valiantly representing our position -- I could tell when I left that court what that verdict was going to be, because the view of the world that they have is not the world that you and I have to experience every day in neighborhoods in Philadelphia. Lost and stolen guns, if you lose a cell phone, you report it. If you lose -- or a car is stolen, you report it. But yet when it comes to firearms, which are potentially fatal, that's doing too much. The other day tragically a 12-year-old was shot dead by a Philadelphia police officer. I'm not going to weigh into who, whether -- you know, how that happened, but the one fact that I do know is that gun that that young man had was stolen. When we look at the 100 Shooter Review, we realize that many of the Stated Meeting 201 3/3/2022 those triggers do so with stolen guns, straw purchased guns. The person that the court case for lost and stolen appealed admitted that he had purchased five guns, straw purchased, gave them to other people. Two of them wound up in shootings in Philadelphia. Lost and stolen. My colleagues and I - Member Johnson, Member Isaiah Thomas, Member Gauthier, Member Brooks - all of us went down to the Crime Lab, and from ceiling to floor, there was nothing but in five rooms guns that were used in the commission of a crime, many of whom were stolen. It is wrong for members at the Commonwealth level to look at Philadelphia, point the finger and say, tsk, tsk, tsk, look what's going on in Philly with all these murders. Yet when it comes to commonsense gun legislation, they fight. When it comes to looking at Stated Meeting 202 3/3/2022 occur and illegal gambling machines, no, can't do that. So it's like fighting a fight with your hands tied behind your back and then being accused of not doing enough by the people that tied your hands. So we're going to keep fighting, we're going to keep getting sued, and we're going to keep trying to protect the citizens of Philadelphia. But I am perplexed how they can confuse the protecting the rights of hunters versus safeguarding the citizens from people that are hunting them. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, Councilman. And, again, thank you for going to Harrisburg to represent Council in an extremely uphill battle, but at the end of the day, like the citizens of Ukraine where they won't give up, we won't give up. Thank you, Councilman. Stated Meeting 203 3/3/2022 Gym.
Thank you so much, Council President and colleagues. You know, obviously as we witness the horrors of war on the international stage, we are all held to account for the horrors happening here in our own city. Yesterday our colleague Councilmember Johnson held a key hearing in the Special Committee on Gun Violence on the state of mental health of children and young people here in the City of Philadelphia, and there's no question that the testimony that we're hearing indicates that we have to change the way we work and allocate resources here in the City, the levels of young people suffering from depression, the levels of young people not only contemplating but acting on suicidal ideation, the percentages of children, Black and Brown girls and boys, whose statistics are Stated Meeting 204 3/3/2022 on crises of isolation, of fears, of deprivation, and of institutions falling apart. You know, last year the Council -- our Committee on Children and Youth released a youth-powered anti-violence agenda that listed a number of priorities around mental health responses that were desperately needed with regard to gun violence prevention and intervention, and these came directly from the perspectives and recommendations that were put forward by young people themselves who had been directly involved in addressing gun violence. And I will say again, as we know, at every roundtable discussion, in every meeting that we have with young leaders, and at every town hall that we hosted, the lack of access to trauma-focused therapeutic services was always one of the highest priorities, and the absolute kind of collapsing of what used to be standard institutions, Stated Meeting 205 3/3/2022 schools, has been felt extremely deeply. I can't underscore enough the damage that is happening when we have over 300 teacher vacancies currently in the School District of Philadelphia. Those are empty seats right now, and that on top of that gets layered your common absences, people calling out because they're sick or they've got other things that have to be dealt with in an emergency. There are almost 1,000 substitute calls every single day in the School District of Philadelphia. That is thousands and thousands of children who do not have a teacher in the classroom. I talked to one individual who is doing substituting, because that's one of the requirements that 440 has, and landed at an elementary school in the Northeast where the children have not had a teacher since November, and there will be a substitute every single day for that eighth grade class until the end of the Stated Meeting 206 3/3/2022 counselors and nurses, social workers. We're talking about a crisis within our pipeline. So I say all of this because we have choices that we have to make with this budget session. We have a library system where the majority of libraries aren't even open five days a week, and none are open on the weekends, not a single one. We've got parks and rec centers are still below their budgeted allocated amounts. We've got children -- and at the other end of it, I'll never forget, you know, in August before the school year started, they held summer schools, entirely voluntary for high school students. You didn't have to go. It was not mandated. And I went up to Fels High School to visit one of these summer schools. Do you know how many children showed up on that very first day? Seventeen hundred high school students Stated Meeting 207 3/3/2022 a four- to six-week program to get them back. Our children want supports. They are ready and hungry for action, and we have to deliver. We have to deliver more than we ever thought that we had to do. And this is not a temporary thing, because I do believe the gun violence numbers ultimately will go down.
But it's not what happens when the numbers go down. It is that we have to fundamentally shift our resources into healing and, you know, like almost repenting for what we have done to a generation of children for years to come that we cannot ever fall down on delivery of resources to our schools, to supporting programs, sports leagues, after-school opportunities, guaranteed employment for young people for years going forward, if we're even ever going to have a shot at overcoming what has happened over the last two years and potentially for this year as well. Stated Meeting 208 3/3/2022 to doing that with us. I'm obviously wrecked by, you know, a 12-year-old and just constantly hearing news of shootings outside of schools and children desperately asking for help. But, you know, my commitment is for what we can do for this budget session and beyond and keeping our city deeply committed to a generation of young people who watch every single step that we do and ask every single day whether they will ever be seen or heard. So thank you, Council President.
Thank you, Councilwoman. That appears to be all of the speeches on behalf of the minority and the majority, so at this point, the Chair recognizes Councilman Jones for a motion to adjourn.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that Council stand Stated Meeting 209 3/3/2022 Thursday, March 10th, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It has been moved and seconded that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, March 10th, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. All in favor will say aye. (Aye.)
Thank you all very much. The motion carries. Again, be safe. God bless you. ) Stated Meeting 210 3/3/2022 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. o 70:14 88:2 179:12 189:14 207:25 189:15 190:23 95:2, 24 rg 105:21 work 29:7 190:25 206:4 years 20:8 193:5 199:5 107:19 125:11, 110:12 76:4, 10, 11, 12, worker's 23:19 26:11 203:18 19 126:9 Windle 69:14, 16 87:12, 23 100:14 27:10 28:17 ways 92:5 133:19 161:14 16, 18, 22, 23 90:18 91:14 workforce 44:21 80:16 weakened 172:13 179:10 197:17 93:21 94:3 19:16 20:17 81:17 83:10, 114:17 181:25 182:11, window 53:20 97:5, 11, 19, 21 24:23 105:15 13 87:6 91:2, wealth 66:19 22 188:10 Windrim 51:4 101:6, 10 109:6 8 107:10 83:8 85:4 202:9, 10, 11 wing 74:11 104:12, 21 working 24:17 109:17 114:15 wealthy 84:5 203:17 206:4 75:3 107:21 117:15 88:14 94:6 126:11 141:17, website 207:22 winning 122:12 124:4 95:19, 25 23 143:7 105:20 110:11 west 41:23 118:10 129:7 130:11 97:19 113:19 158:2, 13 131:21 52:21, 23, 24 Winslow 137:18 140:18 114:22 118:24 178:25 197:11, Week 36:16 54:12 72:3, 4 197:16 143:5, 11 119:22 165:11 22 207:16, 21, 65:25 93:21 76:10, 13, 24 Winter 36:20 156:8 165:9 177:4, 5 24 104:9 110:15 135:11 141:19 wisdom 8:10, 168:9 169:11 186:13 196:20 Yep 125:7 111:21 135:17 Westminster 24 176:25 180:13 198:18 yesterday 138:3 141:10 41:16 Wise 75:25 190:20, 24 working-class 153:2 157:5 149:4, 24 we've 84:22 76:6 191:5 193:17 123:10 165:18 203:11 153:23 154:8 91:2 125:21 wish 76:20 203:19 workplace Yewdall 49:6 163:20 164:2, 126:10 169:22 181:22 188:23 worked 76:7 90:15 100:13 Yo 137:3 167:12 170:8 193:17 wishing 60:25 81:16 133:21 113:8 118:22 yoking 70:16 206:10 194:9 206:13, Wissahickon worker 87:6 workplaces York 114:5 weekends 15 51:11 89:17 93:12 189:17, 20 118:2 206:11 Wharton 16:4 withdraw 100:10 124:7 young 128:12 13:17 168:10 130:16 189:19 Stated Meeting 28 3/3/2022 190:2 194:13, 200:23 203:15, 20, 22 204:14, 19 207:21 208:11 youth 76:13, 128:17 141:19 190:22 204:7 youth-powered 204:7 <Z> Zaccagni 28:13 Zamacona 85:18 87:2 Zoning 40:14, 15, 21 41:13 Zoom 79:10