And a privileged resolution recognizing, celebrating, and honoring the Korean United Church of Philadelphia on the Occasion of its 50th Anniversary.
Also on this week's Calendar. Thank you very much. That concludes the introduction of bills and resolutions. Our next order of business is reports from committee, and the Chair recognizes Councilman Green for a report Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 on Regulatory Reform and Review.
Thank you, Council President. The Special Committee on Regulatory Review and Reform issued a report pursuant to Resolution No. 170179.
To the President and members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, the Special Committee on Regulatory Review and Reform, to which was referred Resolution No. 170179, entitled a "Resolution authorizing the creation of a Special Committee on Regulatory Review and Reform to identify archaic, superfluous, and confusing provisions in The Philadelphia Code and in departmental regulations; and to recommend revisions that streamline, clarify and enhance the City's regulatory environment, for the purpose of Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 2ND READING accelerating the growth of well-paying jobs in Philadelphia while ensuring the safety and well-being of its residents," respectfully reports that the Committee held hearings as authorized by Resolution No. 170179 on September 12th, 2018 and that the Committee issues to the Council the attached report on the matters discussed at the hearing.
Thank you very much, Mr. Decker. Our next order of business is the consideration of the Calendar. There being no bills on the First Reading Calendar, the Chair recognizes Councilman Henon for the purpose of calling up resolutions and bills on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar.
Thank you, Mr. President. The following resolutions and bills are being called up for the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendars today: Bill Nos. 180711, Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 180295-A, 180552, 180600, 180603. All other resolutions and bills are being held. In addition, 180555. All other bills and resolutions are being held today.
Thank you very much, Councilman. So before considering these resolutions and bills, we will consider our public comment session. It will go as follows: If you are interested in testifying on a bill or resolution that is on the Final Passage Calendar today, we'd ask, if you have not already done so, please sign up at the table to my left. When your name is called, you will go to the podium in the middle of the Council Chambers. There's a device with a light on it. When the light turns green, it will be your time to speak. When the light turns yellow, you will have 30 seconds to conclude your remarks. Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 When the light turns red, we'd ask that you please adhere to our guidelines and conclude your remarks. Thank you very much for your anticipated cooperation with these guidelines. Mr. Decker, please call the first name on the list.
Fred Snead-Ali, commenting on 180100. (Witness approached podium.)
Good afternoon, Council President Darrell Clarke and all his wonderful staff and Councilpeople that's in this room and the people that's here to represent what's going on in our Philadelphia community. I'm here to represent the Alpha Center that's Temple proposed. One thing that I would like to say, when the snake came into our garden, he came to our women. The snake of the day is crack cocaine and opioid pills, and the product that comes out of that, we will have a problem. And because Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 Temple was trying to build a place, a day care in honor of -- I mean, in respect of autism or mental health or personal health, I'm in 100 percent support of that. That's it.
Gregory Bonaparte, commenting on 180100. (Witness approached podium.)
-- and staff. I'm here, one, to represent Berean Presbyterian Church that sits on Broad and Diamond as a trustee and to represent the pastor and the congregation. They are totally in favor of the Alpha building, because it can bring great resources to the church as well as the community. And that's all I got to say.
Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 Thank you very much for your testimony.
Joe Danihel, commenting on 180100. (Witness approached podium.)
Good afternoon. This is an official decree of the people in writ to mandamus quo warranto and, as such, requires immediate action and remedy. Every week, Council, Mayor, and others transfer private property to the government, probably illegally. I quote, "A ship of state or government does not drift into unconstitutional waters. It is directed there by oath-violating officials," end quote. Council, Mayor, Governor, Senator, and others were repeatedly notified of my constitutional violation allegations and know my rights were violated, our Council, Mayor, Governor, Senator, and others spending HUD low-income housing money on the commercial mall to be built on my stolen Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 home. Clearly, officials have declared war on their constituents, the sovereign people, violating numerous amendments. Bill 180676 shows contempt for the government. You have sworn an oath to obey and protect. Borniable (ph) proof of consent of the government must be provided to fulfill your oath constituents demanded of their representatives. The constitutions require immediate remedy of this breach of law, breach of close, breach of fiduciary duty. Your oath of office requires you to act or face prison. 42 USC 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 18 USC 241, 242, 2381, 2384, PA Constitution, Article I, Sections 1 through 11, 26 PA CSA 703, 705, 708, 709, 712, 713, 716, and other laws listed in SCOTUS 15-8965, 14-1330, 14-4056 appear violated. I call for the federal and Commonwealth governments to perform their Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 constitutional obligations to investigate and prosecute all involved in the theft and illegal deed transfer of my home, 1038 West Wyoming Avenue. The denial of God-given 42 USC 1982 property rights for 24 years is egregious, extraordinary, oath-violating, and requires immediate remedy. A just government must obey the rule of law. This color of law government must have its Charter to government revoked until a constitutionally compliant government is installed. Public servants cannot refuse their sworn duty to act any more than a fireman can refuse to fight a fire. The sovereign people require oath, Constitution, and laws be enforced, and jail is required for all who violate oath, Constitution or law. I remind Council, it takes a lot of cooperation to create and allow monumental corruption. Stated Meeting September 13, 2018
J. Bennetch, commenting on 180100. (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning. My name is Jennifer Bennetch. I'm a resident of North Philadelphia. I live at 19th and Diamond Streets. I am here to state my opposition to the Alpha Center being built in my neighborhood. Over the years, I've lived in the same house for ten years. I have watched the growth of Temple devastate my neighborhood. I have watched it push residents out. I have watched it change policies and change the way of the life of the people around me. I have watched you, Mr. Clarke, sell our neighborhood off to the highest bidders for years. You allowed PHA to Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 remove long-term homeowners. You are allowing Temple to run native North Philadelphians out of this neighborhood. Our numbers have decreased. Why are there not a lot of people here? Because you ran half of us out of the neighborhood. There are no voters left. North Philadelphia is being destroyed by the growth of Temple, by Eric Blumenfeld Developers that you're bidding our neighborhoods off to and by you allowing a housing authority, who is there to provide housing for poor people, to run poor people out of their neighborhood. This Alpha Center is not a good idea. It's a bribe for Temple. It's a way for them to make money, and it's going to run the small day cares and preschools out of the neighborhood. We have small centers that are struggling already, where the workers and the educators understand the culture of our children. They are used to our children Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 and they are used to us, and they properly educate them. And when somebody comes and say "Alpha Center," what happens? Everybody runs. Alpha, which means a dominant person in a certain spirit. So this is psychologically going to lean people towards, oh, let me take my kids out of here and run them over to this Alpha Center. This is Temple saying that we are better than everybody else. We already are alpha male around here. Because they're clearly not saying that our children are going to become alphas, because they failed on five schools that they were supposed to reform. This is all a ploy for them to make money, for them to bribe us into having a stadium in our neighborhood, and then we have to accept the stadium in order to get them to clean up the trash after their own students. This is ridiculous. There has to become a time that you realize that Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 your constituents are North Philadelphians. Your constituents are not President Englert. Your constituents are not Eric Blumenfeld and Ed Hillas (ph). Your constituents are not -(Applause.)
-- Kelvin Jeremiah. Your constituents are us, the poor people who are being ran out of our neighborhoods, who have to live every day in fear. Are you going to pass some kind of law that's going to change my whole way of life? Are you going to pass some kind of bill -- are you going to give my house away after I paid all my taxes and my bills? We don't want this center. We don't need anymore peanuts from Temple, because all they're doing is destroying us, over-policing us, and stealing every little bit of culture that we have left in our neighborhood. Thank you. (Applause.) Stated Meeting September 13, 2018
My remarks originally said good morning. Good day, City Council President and members of the Philadelphia City Council. My name is Michael Brody. I am President of the Mental Health Partnerships, an organization that provides behavioral health services to the Greater Philadelphia area to over 10,000 people, as well as Delaware and Southwest New Jersey. I want to thank the City Council, and especially Councilwoman Gym, for giving me the opportunity to speak on a very important issue of suicide prevention, a topic as you well noted a few minutes ago that unfortunately hit close to home for Council this past Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 summer, and for considering a resolution this week recognizing September 10th, 2018 as National Suicide Prevention Week. One of the hallmarks of the work we do at MHP is peer support. It is one of our core beliefs that people with a behavioral health condition can and do recover from behavioral health issues. Over 60 percent of our staff has lived experience or has a family member with a lived experience. This past summer, one of our managers received a text from somebody we served, saying that she was thinking of committing suicide. In response to that, he asked her the three essential questions: Do you have a plan? Do you have intent? And do you have a means to do that? And she said yes to all three. He asked her, Do you want help? And he sensed a hesitancy in her voice, and when he asked her, What are you hesitant about, she said, I'd like to get some help, but I'm concerned about what's Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 going to happen to my cat. He listened and made preparations to have somebody take care of her cat such that she could go and hospitalize herself and be taken care of. After she was discharged from the hospital, she called our manager to thank him for two things. One, for asking her if she needed to receive treatment and care instead of forcing her to receive that treatment and care. And, second, and most importantly, really listening to her needs and helping her to create a plan for support. Because we made the choice to actively listen and to support her needs, she was able to make use of services and made choices to better her life, and today she is on her path of recovery. The recent losses of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain and many others have only served to highlight what we already know, that suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in this country in a Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 series of complex and societal problems. And like many mental health conditions, this crosses lines of economic and social status, race, and gender. It is the second leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 24 and is the tenth leading cause of death in this country, trailing only disease like cancer, heart disease, and others. These are disheartening numbers, but I'm able to offer this ray of hope that has been gleaned from the day-to-day work that we do. With the right support, suicide is preventable and recovery is possible. I want to thank you for your time and ask that you continue to be active listeners and to support services that give people real choices to create their own recovery journey. Thank you. (Applause.)
Thank you for your testimony. Stated Meeting September 13, 2018
Donna Richardson, commenting on 180100. (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning, everyone. My name is Donna Richardson. I'm a Program Administrator for the Norris Homes summer camp and after-school program. I am all for the Alpha Center. Not to push anyone out, because we have more kids than we have programs, so we need the programs. Also, I don't hear anyone speaking about the halfway houses that they're building. No protests. I don't see nobody protesting these delis. No protests. Or these stores that they're building on the corners and acting like they're grocery stores, but they're selling all kind of narcotics out of here. No protests. But we protest the Alpha Center that's going to have for Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 special need children. You protest it? Early childhood development, you protest it? Or you're saying that you're going to bring in employment, which if we sit down and can guarantee that there's employment will be in the surrounding community, not for just a few years and then you realize that maybe it is just Temple employees, but you make sure that that agreement sets out the life of that program. I don't see people protesting the fact that you're walking in the alleyways. You just want empty alleyways, but then you see in the suburbs you see all these beautiful things. That's because the suburbs are not going to let these little gas stations keep being built all over, these little corner stores that's not bringing the value to it. And why are we arguing about if you own your house or rent your house? Why is not everybody equal? So if you're Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 a homeowner, it means one thing, but you're a renter, it's another thing? And then you argue about PHA. How do you know what PHA is really doing and not doing if you have not walked in their shoes? Because there's a lot of people benefit from the PHA program. And if you want to talk about PHA, let's talk about the fact that they have an entrepreneurship program and they have a homeownership program and that they're taking people back to schools for GEDs and then send them out of the PhillySEEDS program for scholarships, and they're teaching them how to become entrepreneurs and CDL and all the -- nursing programs, but they're free. They're not costing them nothing. So I'm for the Alpha Center, not just because it's Temple. No. Because I'll fight Temple like anything else if it's wrong, but I have seen where our children that's went through the program, math is up 63 percent, reading Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 is up 76. We came with children who were low scored to honor roll students. A couple of our children have left. They went from our program into the summer work program that was affiliated with our program and to college. We have young men that have just joined Temple's Police Department and the City Police Department. People are going out and they're interested in. Do you know the percentage of PHA residents who are now owning their homes and are still in the program to buy, and the kids are now going to college? The dropout rate that was once there, when it came to the Norris community to see if they could put any kids in a program who have dropped out, they couldn't find one, and you're against it.
Thank you, Ms. Richardson. Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 (Applause.)
Jacqueline Wiggins, commenting on 180100. (Witness approached podium.)
Good afternoon. My name is Jacqueline Wiggins. Bill 180100 is on hold again as of today. Temple University wants to amend Philadelphia Zoning Maps and adopt a master plan amendment for the University to approve construction on the site of what is being called an Alpha Center. It is to house the early learning program, a dental clinic, etc. My focus is on the early learning center, as people and families find affordable and convenient the Temple University School of Dentistry. So why that's in there, we don't know. But the grave difficult piece is the early learning center. First, it will be used to conduct research on fragile, Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 vulnerable three- to five-year-olds. It will also undercut existing small early learning center businesses. Black people and black families do not need to be studied or researched anymore. The reality is that black children, black families do not need to be test specimens or guinea pigs to advance Temple University's College of Education goal to secure continuing research funding. How cagey, how deceptive. The card that I have, and I think that every Councilmember should have it by now, shows how Temple University did not turn around five schools. The reading and math scores are abysmal. Now Temple wants our younger children. As the committee person of the 32nd Ward, 11th Division, a No Stadium No Deal Coalition member, as a retired teacher educator, and as someone who knows this Alpha Center is being used to Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 gain favor for a 35,000-seat stadium to be built at Broad and Norris, we implore City Councilmembers to vote no, no, no on 180100. Thank you. (Applause.)
Bianca Parker, commenting on 180100. (Witness approached podium.)
My name is Bianca Parker and I'm a resident, and I want to say no and urge my Councilmembers to retract and do not allow the passage of Bill No. 180100, which will authorize the furtherance of predatory encroachment of Temple University's campus footprint, extend SP-IN district, building of a research facility and expansion of Temple Police surveillance and subject our Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 African American children to racial experiments. Camera surveillance is a common research method utilized and studied. Just as the Tuskegee experiments exploited African Americans for scholarly and scientific gains, Temple University plans the Alpha Center for research of African American North Philadelphia preschool children. This plan also competes with existing area day cares. Temple failed four schools during five years of the School District funding contract. Young African American children will be subject to mental health treatment and studied. As staff ungraded, Temple University students would be treatment providers at the psychology clinic. Patients of Temple University psychology clinic would be subject to research studies. Temple must abandon plans for Alpha Center to expand campus. Temple must abandon plans to subject African Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 American children and African American adults to research studies. And Temple must abandon plans for a dental clinic that already exists. I'm going to voice opposition to this travesty. I'm going to speak up and out against Temple. And I urge my Councilmembers to vote no to early learning research and mental health labeling of African American preschool-age children in North Philadelphia, and I urge the Councilmembers to vote no to Bill No. 180100. (Applause.)
Good afternoon. My name is Gina and I'm from the Tacony section of Philadelphia. I am here in support of Councilwoman Cindy Bass's proposal to offer regulation for recovery Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 homes in Philadelphia. In 2017, 1,217 individuals lost their lives to overdose. That's 1,217. That's families, children, those that love the person who are now left to deal with raising children, financial hardships in order to get through day to day. Councilwoman is proposing that the 100 unlicensed homes in the City of Philadelphia be regulated and licensed. This would give an opportunity to offer safe housing, treatment incentives, and other resources to families for people who are addicted. Sometimes my brother would call me and say, Hey, Gina, can you take me to go get treatment? And we would run around the City and we would go to a hospital, and they'd say, You know what, you're not capitated to here, you got to go to the outpatient center here or come back. Guess what? We don't have a bed. Come back every morning at 7:00 and there Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 will be an inpatient bed ready for you. You just have to keep coming back every day at 7:00 a.m. until there's an opening. And I would go with him, and the fifth day there was an opening. The problem was, the insurance then denied him. There's multiple times where addicts know what they need and we don't listen or we deny the financial piece to support it. They're forced then to go to recovery houses, and often unlicensed. Let's talk about the incarceration rate for those who are addicted. What other option do they have to fund their addiction? They're often committing crimes, end up in the criminal system. And, yes, there may be treatment programs in the prisons, but there's no real good plan for reintegration. My brother died ten days after release from prison. He was discharged with no housing plan. He was told to go to a recovery house, and he never had any Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 resources. While my mother would take him in again and again, it also became times where she couldn't handle it anymore. It was times where her own financial stress and personal emotional stress became a lot, and that's why we relied on these resources that are available in the City of Philadelphia. However, they weren't available oftentimes to my brother. I also just want to add that in terms of the Councilwoman's -- just thank you, Councilwoman, and I just want to add that just for one second -- I apologize -- that those in recovery pay $150 to $200 a week to live there. They also offer up their food stamps. It's impossible to maintain that, and it's no recovery in these recovery homes. There's no professional in there measuring data, using evidence-based practices. And that will complete my testimony. Stated Meeting September 13, 2018
Thank you, ma'am. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Case. The Chair recognizes -(Applause.)
Mr. Decker, before you call the next, the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Bass.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just wanted to thank Gina for her testimony and also for being so gracious. She brought in a picture of myself and her brother, James Fiorentino. And so I just really wanted to say thank you so much for sharing that. I believe he was at one of our summer events where this picture was taken, and just wanted to recognize that as well. Thank you.
Thank you, Councilwoman. Mr. Decker, our next speaker, please.
Ruth Birchett, Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 commenting on 180100. (Witness approached podium.)
Many of you Councilpeople received a copy of this yesterday. It's Temple University's report card for being the education manager and organization for five neighborhood schools from 2002 to 2007. Temple University got a failing grade. And now Temple University wants to experiment on our children. We say no. We're not having it. I have served as a block captain for 30 years in the City of Philadelphia. I've served as a democratic committee person, and now I stand as ward leader, republican ward leader, of the 32nd Ward. We're sick and tired of the contempt of the Democratic Party here in the City of Philadelphia, particularly for poor neighborhoods such as ours in North Philadelphia, and we are going to answer to every wrong that's been done to us at the ballot box. All Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 of you come up for election next year. You need to know, you need to know that when councilmanic prerogative is invoked and it's harmful to our communities, that we are tired of it and we don't like your buddy system of voting along with your Councilpeople. My question today is, what is the purpose in the City Charter for at-large members if you don't take -aren't able to take an independent stand on things? We will not tolerate Temple University continuing to use the miserable statistics that we live under every single day in our community to encroach on our community to gain Ph.D.'s and publications on our backs. We have enough footprints on our backs in North Philadelphia, thanks to John Street and Darrell Clarke. We're fed up. We're tired. We're taxpayers too, and we expect you to listen to us as well and not just Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 disregard it. It is an affront to every citizen in the City of Philadelphia that Councilman Clarke would push this bill out of Rules Committee, then suspend Council rules in order for it to go directly to passage and be on the Calendar today. That's not fair. It's not right. It's not just in Philadelphia, the birth place of America. (Applause.)
Kathleen McGettigan, commenting on 180100. (Witness approached podium.) MS. McGETTIGAN: Hello. If I were to say that I live in Old City, I don't care about what happens in North Philadelphia, I don't care about the social and economic welfare near Philadelphia, I'm ignorant of what the African American community in Philadelphia has given to the world. I Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 don't care about Paul Robeson. I don't care about John Coltrane. I don't care about the possibility that we may have future Coltranes, Marian Andersons, etc, waiting in the wings in North Philadelphia, if I didn't say that, I would expect to be hissed out of this Chamber, because it's not right. Now, if you're going to build a beer-proof fence around the 20th Ward and make sure that -- station ICE agents at the corner and make sure that nobody ever leaves the 20th Ward and comes into Old City, then fine. But I think the Alpha Center is an issue for everybody in this city, because what happens in North Philadelphia impacts the rest of us. Also, you can judge -- I think the only way to judge the future performance of the institution is based on their past history. Well, Temple University in five years ran four Philadelphia schools into the ground. Temple University is not alone in this. Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 We all know about the Tuskegee experiment. And closer to home, you can read in Acres of Skin how the University of Pennsylvania dermatology department experimented on helpless prisoners. And then more recently University of Pennsylvania more or less doomed a young man with a congenital disease by treating him with an experimental, unproven remedy, I think virus, but -- okay. I think that's about it. So I oppose the building of the Alpha Center because I don't think it's for the welfare of North Philadelphia. It's an obvious attempt for Temple University to encroach on areas outside of its current area boundaries, and that means gentrification. So I say pose it (unintelligible) gets in the welfare of Philadelphia at-large. Thank you. (Applause.)
Mr. Decker, our next speaker, please. Stated Meeting September 13, 2018
Norman O'Neill, commenting on 180100. (Witness approached podium.)
How you doing, City Council? My name is Norman O'Neill, and I'm just here to reaffirm and speak in support of the opposition of the Alpha Center. Thank you. (Applause.)
Rustin Ohler, commenting on 180498. (Witness approached podium.)
Good afternoon, Councilmembers. My name is Rustin Ohler, COO and owner of Harman Deutsch Architecture. I am here on behalf of the BIA to give public remarks on Bill No. 180498, which is being re-called today, in particular Section 16(a) Administrative Review. It is the limit of 30 days or Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 120 days, as I believe is being proposed today, that is our greatest concern and causes an impossible hardship on the owner of a property. As a background, my architecture firm has pulled hundreds of zoning and building permits this year alone. Due to the nature of our business, I personally appear in front of the ZBA on a weekly basis to assist builders, developers, investors, and homeowners in obtaining zoning variances. Without these variances, their projects and their properties would not be viable. Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control that arise through the remaining City approval process, these variances require some sort of amendment. On average, 30 percent of the variances we obtain required an amendment in the past year. This may have to happen at any point throughout the process, even during construction. Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 Several of these factors are entirely imposed on the owner of a property due to rules and regulations put into place by another City of Philadelphia department, including, but not limited to, Licenses and Inspections with the adoption of the new building code, Philadelphia Streets Department with the checklist to approval process, Philadelphia Water Department with the stormwater approval and utility plan approval process. Some of these processes take months to complete and result in dimensional changes to the zoning variance as previously granted. The majority of these amendments are very small in nature. Since this bill has been introduced, our firm alone has had approximately a dozen projects with necessary changes to pilot houses, roof decks, elevator overruns, parking configurations, first floor recess entries, etc, that are minor dimensional changes resulting in no Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 change to the use variances granted. Because of the pending bill, these haven't been able to be submitted. All of these were determined after the proposed 120-day period. Should this bill pass as currently drafted, all of these projects will require new zoning applications, new refusals, new appeals, new RCO meetings, and new ZBA hearings. This process would not only cause an unnecessary hardship to the property owner, but would burden the City of Philadelphia with an unnecessary use of resources and time, and result in a total failure to the zoning variance process. The ZBA is already currently overburdened by the amount of cases that they hear, and it's continuously taking longer to get hearing dates and have notice in the decision process. This would exacerbate this problem even further by drastically increasing the amount of cases the ZBA would need to re-hear. Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 These are just small examples of the impact this bill will have on construction and development in the City of Philadelphia. The BIA feels that the repercussions of this bill at this time are beyond measure and that no time limit to amend the previously approved variance should be placed upon the recipient of a variance issued by the Zoning Board. In order for our city to continue to prosper and its ongoing development to continue, zoning variances or special exceptions should be allowed to be amended as long as the zoning permit is valid and in full force and effect. Thank you.
Jeanette Patton, commenting on 170675. (Witness approached podium.) Stated Meeting September 13, 2018
Yes. My name is Jeanette Patton, but most of you know me by the name of Pam Africa, minister of concentration for the MOVE organization. (Applause.)
I'm here because of the concern of the zoning -- the ordinance of -- I can't see this really good. Anyway, it's got to do -- what I'm talking about is the zoning area that deals with the 2400 block of 59th Street and the zoning area. There was a resolution passed here in June calling for 2400 block of 59th Street to be named Wilson Goode Way. I'm very opposed to that, and the reason why I'm opposed to that is because the former Mayor of Philadelphia orchestrated a situation where 11 members of my family, men, women, children, was bombed to death, a situation that was cause where we're suffering today. My sister, Ramona Africa, is in a hospital fighting for her life because of what happened on May Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 13th, 1985. The reason again why I'm bringing this up -- and I really want to have a solution to a problem that is getting ready to affect Philadelphia in a very terrible way. When people found out that in this district, this zoning district, that this street was going to be named Wilson Goode Way, people was opposed. They went -- I'll do the abbreviation -- WTF, WTF, WTF, and it means simply what the -- and you can figure out the other four letters that begin with an F. What is going on in this city that you would name a street after a man that was responsible for the murder of 11 men, women, and children? What the F are you thinking about when we put neighbors who had nothing to do with that, the neighbors in the 1200 block of 59th Street -- sir, please pay attention to what I'm saying -- and the neighbors in that area, the habit that you're bringing Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 to them, because that's become a point of resistance, resistance to a bombing that took place that killed 11 men, women, and children. I came today like I came before in 1978 before the massacre of my family and the murder of a cop by the Philadelphia Police, James Ramp, and I came to you before the May 13th, 1985 bombing to warn you about what is going on here. These neighbors, my family is all -- and the City of Philadelphia is on the map again. You kind of had a scar over top of the wound, but you done ripped it open and people are looking again at the City that dropped a bomb on black men, women, and children. And this also had to do with just what's happening today, urban remains.
Your three minutes are up, please. Stated Meeting September 13, 2018
Oh, I see the red light. What I want to say, we got to sit down and have a meeting and, you know, to stop this. I'm begging, I'm pleading, because all hell is going to break out in this city because of an illegal -- I mean, an unconscionable -
-- WTF resolution calling for a street named after a cold-blooded murderer. I'm telling you this, we will not be stopped.
Mr. Decker, our next speaker, please. Stated Meeting September 13, 2018
I just want to follow up with that. I was appalled when I found out that this resolution was passed. I sat around here -- sat in here today and looked around and counted at least over 11 African American elected officials, black elected officials, that I am pragging (ph) myself trying to figure out how they could elect this kind of resolution to have Wilson Goode be named after a street, how that could have even passed. And I remember on that day May 13th, 1985 I woke up with a phone call from a friend to turn on my television because this city government was attacking the family Africa known as MOVE. And I watched it, and I watched the whole thing unfold. I watched the bomb drop. I watched that bomb dropped on this family that had women and babies, Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 children, and I watched the fire burn. And at the end of all of this, I saw where Wilson Goode was going to come on and have a press conference. Oh, boy, I sat there with bated breath waiting for him to come out, because I knew heads were going to roll. But he came out, and you know what he said? This man that you want to name a street after came on the TV and said that he took full responsibility for it and if he had to do it again, he'd do it again. I am appalled that this City Council would let a resolution like that pass. It needs to be rescinded. (Applause.)
There are no other speakers on the public comment list, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you very much. We will now consider the bills Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 9/13/18 - STATED - 2ND READING and resolutions on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar. Mr. Decker, please read the title of Resolution 180711.
A resolution also naming the 2900 block of Holme Avenue in honor of Police Officer Timothy Simpson.
It's been moved and seconded. All those in favor of the adoption of the resolution, please say aye. (Aye.)
Hearing none, Resolution 180711 is adopted. Mr. Decker, please read the title of Bill No. 180295-A. Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 9/13/18 - STATED - 2ND READING
An ordinance amending Title 14 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Zoning and Planning," by amending the One Year Rule; modifying certain public notice requirements and making related changes.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move for the adoption. (Duly seconded.)
Councilwoman, don't you have an amendment for this bill?
I do apologize. Yes. We have offered an amendment, Mr. Chairman.
Okay. It's been moved and seconded that the amendment to Bill No. 180295-A be adopted. Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 9/13/18 - STATED - 2ND READING All in favor? (Aye.)
Hearing none, the amendment is adopted. Mr. Decker, please read the title of Bill No. 180552.
An ordinance authorizing the Bond Committee to sell bonds at public or private negotiated sale, to provide funds toward various capital municipal purposes; providing for appropriations to the Sinking Fund Commission for the payment of such bonds; authorizing agreements to provide credit or payment or liquidity sources for the bonds in connection with issuance of the bonds, and certain other actions.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. I understand this bill will Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 9/13/18 - STATED - 2ND READING require a two-thirds vote. Mr. Decker, please call the roll.
Councilman Jones. Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 9/13/18 - STATED - 2ND READING
Council President Clarke. (No response.) Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 9/13/18 - STATED - 2ND READING
The ayes are 16; the nays are zero. Members voting in the affirmative, the bill passes. Mr. Decker, please read the title of Bill No. 180555.
An ordinance amending Section 9-204 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Sidewalk Vendors in Center City," and Section 9-205, entitled "Sidewalk Sales," to exempt sales of fresh fruits and vegetables on the abutting sidewalk of a property by the owner or tenant of that property from the requirements of Sections 9-204 and 9-205.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. Mr. Decker, please call the roll.
Councilwoman Bass. Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 9/13/18 - STATED - 2ND READING
Councilman Oh. Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 9/13/18 - STATED - 2ND READING
The ayes are 16; the nays are zero. A majority of members voting in the affirmative, the bill passes. Mr. Decker, please read the Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 9/13/18 - STATED - 2ND READING title of Bill No. 180600.
An ordinance amending Chapter 19-3200 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Keystone Opportunity Zone, Economic Development District, and Strategic Development Area," by providing for further Keystone Opportunity Expansion Zones.
Thank you very much. I'd like to offer an amendment to this bill, which has been circulated to all members of Council, and I move for its adoption. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and seconded the amendment be adopted. All in favor? (Aye.)
Hearing Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 9/13/18 - STATED - 2ND READING none, the amendment to Bill No. 180600 is adopted. And, Mr. Decker, please read the title of Bill No. 180603.
An ordinance amending Chapter 19-2900 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Senior Citizen Low Income Special Tax Provisions," by providing for regulations relating to eligibility.
This bill having been read on two separate days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. Mr. Decker, please call the roll.
Aye. Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 9/13/18 - STATED - 2ND READING
Councilwoman Quinones-Sanchez. Stated Meeting September 13, 2018 9/13/18 - STATED - 2ND READING