I don't know what budget constraints could allow us not to do the requirement of the Home Rule Charter. I have expressed my concerns over the -- just remain there, Ms. Reed. I have expressed my concerns over the availability of the EMS 66 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. positions with the Fire Department. Will you explain for the record how you recruit these positions and the availability of the lists? Ms. Reed, I think the issue -- while you're looking for an answer, I just want to remind Ms. Reed, I think this is a very serious problem about not meeting the requirements of the City Charter and we would like something in writing from you, because I cannot believe that the City -- unless you have an opinion from the City Solicitor that you want to provide us, that would be fine.
Certainly. For some time, I have been expressing my concerns about the 67 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. availability of EMS positions within the Fire Department. Please explain for the record how you recruit for these positions and the availability of a list.
The Fire Department does the actual recruiting for the paramedic positions in government and we assist them by providing or correlating when we announce the exam during the time that they're actually doing their recruitment. We do have a list that was established for fire paramedic. It was established on October 26th and expires on October 25th of '08. There are currently eligibles on that list, and 18 the Fire Department is currently processing that entire list for hire, and we are going to reannounce early this year.
Can you tell us how many vacancies we have in the Fire Department for EMS?
For paramedics, I 68 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. am not sure. I can get that information for you.
I don't know how many vacancies currently exist for the paramedic title. I can get that information for you.
Yes. What they're doing actually, they're processing the entire list for hire, meaning that they're going through the processing phase.
If my memory serves me, I think there were about 30 vacancies, and if you're exhausting a list of 16, that still leaves us with quite a few vacancies.
We have to -- what we do, we look at the number of approved vacancies submitted by the Budget Bureau, and the number of approved I think that we saw -- this was dated -- I didn't look at the numbers recently. There were about approved vacancies and we had a 11 list of 18, which is why we're 12 reannouncing. So we weren't that far 13 off. I don't know what the need has been 14 expressed, but the number of approved 15 vacancies, that's usually our trigger to 16 start doing the hiring process. 17
I have my Uniform 23 Hiring Manager here. I want to call him 24 up so he can answer that question.
Good 70 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. morning.
Good morning. Mark O'Connor, Hiring Services Manager. We're going to be reannouncing fire service paramedic in May for application.
We're going to be reannouncing fire service paramedic for application in May. We're going to be opening it up for application again.
And if you open it up in May, when do you anticipate you would have a new list?
Well, as you mentioned, there has been some difficulty recruiting for this position. So when that is the case, we tend to leave a position open for application somewhat longer than we normally would. So my anticipation is that we would do recruitment during about a six-week open period. So my anticipation is that we 71 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. would have a new list sometime in July.
Well, the issue is recruitment, you're correct. So we do need some time built in after we announce this to do outreach, to do advertising, to make sure that we get into the community, to make sure that we get some qualified individuals to take the test.
Do you wait until your list is exhausted before doing that?
No, we don't. The that the Personnel Director 17 mentioned, those 18 are with the Fire 18 Department at this moment. They haven't hired them yet. They are actually processing them as we speak. So those 18 -- it's going to take a while to do the interviews and the medicals and what-have-you. So until they hire those people, we still do have a list.
Walk 72 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. me through the process, if you will. A test is given.
The applicant passes the test. What happens then?
The applicant must take a medical, a medical evaluation. For fire service paramedic, there is also a background check that must be done. That piece of it is handled by the Fire Department. Okay? Once that happens, there's an interview. Fire personnel interviews the candidate, and then there is the period of time where the person that is hired goes to the Fire Academy for an abbreviated version of the fire training that firefighters would receive, and then they actually --
The actual training period, I am not sure what the 73 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. actual training period is that the Fire Department conducts. I know it is minimally four weeks. It may be longer than that in fact.
So in all likelihood, probably not all will 8 be able to pass all of the process? 9
Well, all 18 10 passed the test and are on the list. You 11 are correct. 12
They 13 passed the test, but they may not pass 14 the back end. They may not pass the 15 physical. 16
My anticipation is that most of those 18 and my experience has been that you'll only lose 74 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. one here, one there, so to speak. So my anticipation is that most of those 4 will get through the process and be 5 hired. At that point, it will be open 6 for application again. We'll be getting 7 new applicants and we will begin 8 processing those. 9
So as 10 I see it, we're just going to have a 11 chronic shortage. 12
In Philadelphia, 13 we require that our paramedics have what 14 is called a paramedic certification, 15 which is a higher level certification 16 than your EMS or emergency medical 17 technician staff. It's an expensive 18 process. The class work is very, very expensive, and I believe it's a full academic year, where something like EMTs go to school for 12 weeks or 16 weeks, something like that. It's tough to find qualified paramedics. And this is not just an issue for Philadelphia. It's an issue for many, many jurisdictions. 75 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC.
Do we go outside the City at all to try to recruit, with the understanding that these individuals would be given a waiver to move into the City within a year?
At one point in time there was a residency waiver that was used for paramedic. This is going back several years. Why it is no longer used, I really don't know all the details, but I know that the Fire Department did have some concerns, some problems with some of the paramedics that they were bringing to the City to hire, issues with them after the one year not having moved into the City, those kinds of problems. So the Fire Department decided not to continue with the residency waiver.
As I said, I just see us having a chronic vacancy list, and I don't know that it should be that way, because we're talking about public safety. 76 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. Councilman Greenlee, do you have anything that you would like to add?
It just doesn't make sense to me. Ms. Reed, do you know why we would not recruit outside the City if it appears that year after year we don't get as many recruitments as we would like?
I think it's probably the requirement that the City look within City limits first for candidates.
Well, apparently we've been doing that and we haven't been too successful.
It does seem that way. So I guess we'd just better get a waiver. That may have to become a standard operating procedure.
On that 77 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. same line, Ms. Reed or whomever, is there any kind of formula like if they're not able to fill positions, not just in this but anywhere, is there kind of a rule of thumb that like a red flag goes up and says, Look, we're not meeting these goals, we need to do the residency waiver or something else to try to fill this? You know what I'm saying?
Yes. We follow the lead of the department. The department approaches us if they feel that there's a difficult-to-fill class and we present that information from the department to the Civil Service Commission. It's usually initiated by the operating department.
So the department makes the recommendation, We need to look outside the City or we need to do better training or recruitment or something like that?
Okay. 78 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. Thank you, Madam President.
Thank you. The next department that we will hear from is? MR. McPHERSON: The Commission on Human Relations. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Nick Taliaferro is not here at the moment. He's been called. I think he's on his way over.
Well, since Community College is here, we will do Community College next. Oh, is that who we're waiting for? MR. McELHATTON: My apologies.
Good seeing you. MR. McELHATTON: Good to see you, Madam President. 79 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC.
Thank you. Whoever is going to testify, I would ask that they identify themselves and proceed with the testimony. MR. McELHATTON: Good morning. Daniel P. McElhatton, Chair of the Board of Trustees of Community College of Philadelphia. Good morning, Madam President and members of Council. I'm joined today by a number of Board members, including George Davis, Sallie Glickman, Johnny Butler, Rhonda Cohen, Stanley Cohen from the Foundation Board. I think I've identified those Board members and the Foundation Board members who are present. And I mention those members because obviously all of the Board members both for the Governing Board and the Foundation Board have commitments outside of the College, but they come today to show the importance of the College in the life of the City. Community College of 80 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. Philadelphia, we are not a college of prestige and power. We are a college of promise and potential. We are not a college with a great endowment. We are a college endowed with great people, staff, administration and students and endless possibilities. We are not a college rich with a history stretching back centuries. We are a college helping to create rich histories for thousands who are the first in their families to attend and graduate any institution of higher learning. We are not a college that can guarantee success. We are a college that has created a pathways to that success. We come today to Council to once again ask for your help with our college. And I say "our college" because CCP belongs to all of us. We as trustees have been asked to help with the care and feeding of our college, and some of us, the trustees, for example, have a more direct responsibility, but that responsibility and the responsibility for 81 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. Community College of Philadelphia is shared with all in this building, the Mayor and the Administration and our elected Council, City Council of Philadelphia. Our funding issues are critical to the service of our mission: to create a learning environment that incorporates our core values, and those core values are important to repeat at times, particularly like this. Integrity, academic excellence, diversity, communication and respect. Please, please help us fulfill the mission of Community College. In doing so, you will be smoothing out that path to possibilities, one that we have created for all of our students and for the City of Philadelphia. Thank you, Madam President.
Thank you. Thank 82 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. you, President Verna. My name is Stephen Curtis. I serve as President of Community College of Philadelphia, and I want to add my thanks with those of my Board Chair for the support that this Council has provided, last year being a very good example of that. And we are here asking for your support again today. You are considering the Mayor's proposed City budget for 2007-2008. That proposed budget contains a recommendation to reduce the City's support of Community College of Philadelphia by $1 million. I am here on behalf of the students, faculty, staff, our Board to request two things: One, that you restore that $1 million reduction and, two, that you approve our original request to the City, which was for an additional $2 million for the coming year. And I'd like to -- I'm not going to read the written testimony we provided, but I'd like to make four brief points today. The first, there is a 83 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. consistent challenge in front of all of us who live in Philadelphia, and, that is, the education gap that exists across the population of our City. We've seen that gap highlighted in a number of ways over the last year, since the last time I sat in this same chair. One has been the focus in the past year on the percent 10 of our residents who fall below the 11 poverty line and for whom education and 12 training are absolutely critical if they 13 are going to achieve family sustaining 14 wages. 15 There's been a focus in the 16 past year on high school dropouts, and we 17 know now that almost half of all of the 18 ninth graders or those who enter ninth 19 grade in our public schools do not 20 graduate and they become again part of a 21 larger issue with which all of us must 22 assist. 23 There's been a focus on the 24 education level of the workforce in the 25 last year, and the Greater Philadelphia 84 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. Economy League and others have pointed out that of the hundred largest cities in this country, Philadelphia ranks number 92, 92nd, in the percentage of our workforce that has a college degree. And, most recently, the Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board has published a study entitled "The Tale of Two Cities" in which it identifies the education gap that exists within the whole of Philadelphia as the critical difference in moving both the City and its residents toward prosperity. My second point, Community College of Philadelphia is a critical part of narrowing that education gap, and the investment in our college is an investment in the City's residents. During the course of the year, as I see you individually or as we talk at moments like these, I try to remind you of some of the ways in which the College addresses that larger education gap issue. This year, for example, our 85 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. new Gateway to College program is geared specifically for high school dropouts age to 20. Over the next several years, 5 we'll be bringing in several hundred 6 youth 16 to 20. They're taking a 7 combination of high school courses on our 8 campus, which will eventually lead them 9 to a high school diploma, and college 10 courses, which will give them a leg up on 11 the work that they need for an Associate 12 Degree. 13 Last June we saw the graduation 14 of our initial in-school youth activity 15 with the public schools. We now have a 16 class of high school juniors and seniors permanently on our campus. They rotate through. They are finishing the last two years of high school at our Spring Garden campus, again, taking high school courses taught by public school teachers and college courses taught by our college faculty. Last summer, as our first group graduated, they left with a high school 86 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. diploma from their home high school and more than a year of college already finished for free.
After the tragic events of 9/11, we began a program called Opportunity Now, which is still in place. We offer any resident of the City of Philadelphia who is laid off from full-time employment and can document that with a letter from their company, we offer that person a free first semester. We waive the tuition. You still have to buy your books and pay some fees, but there's no tuition charge for that semester. And I could go on. We are preparing students for active careers in nursing, radiography, respiratory technology and other allied health professions, as computer programmers and in a whole range of IT career fields. We're preparing students for the baccalaureate program and they enroll in our dual admissions programs with Temple University, Drexel, LaSalle 87 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. and others, and as they graduate from us, move through the baccalaureate, they become teachers, human services professionals, entrepreneurs, and they have achieved their baccalaureate at half the cost. So it's a reminder that the investment that the City provides supports Philadelphians who stay to live and work in Philadelphia. We are, in that way, a part of the brain gain. We are not part of the brain drain. We are educating Philadelphians. My third point, I want to share with you a picture of the dollar investment the City makes in the operating budget of our college. As recently as years ago, the City 20 provided 32 percent of the operating cost for Community College of Philadelphia. That was approximately the one-third of the original statutory requirement that was in place for all community colleges across the Commonwealth. Ten years ago, 88 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. the City provided percent of the operating cost of Community College of Philadelphia. And as we speak today, the City is providing percent of the 6 operating cost. It is the lowest 7 percentage in the history of the College. 8 If you connect that fact to the 9 costs that our students are bearing, 20 10 years ago when the City was supporting 32 11 percent of our operating budget, students 12 were supporting 30 percent, roughly a 13 third. Ten years ago as the City 14 declined to 25 percent of the operating 15 budget, students moved up to 36 percent 16 in terms of their tuition and fees. And 17 as we speak here today, as the City is 18 supporting 19 percent of our operating 19 budget, students are supporting 49 percent. Almost half of the cost of operating Community College of Philadelphia is now on the backs of those who can afford it the least. We take great pride in so many things about Community College of 89 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. Philadelphia, but we're not proud that we have the highest community college tuition in the state and that we are 50 percent higher than the national average for community college tuition across the 50 states. So my last point, last year at this same hearing I asked for regular, consistent increases in the City support so that we can ease the burden on our students. This Council responded with real action. We were very grateful then and we are equally grateful now. I am asking that you continue to help us build City support by taking action on the City budget again this year. If that one-third mandate that was in place at the founding of our college were being met today, it would require right now at least an additional $16 million from the City in order to fully support that one-third of our operation. Entering this budget cycle, we requested $2 million. We understand 90 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. the realities of building our way toward better City support. But to return where I began, we're asking first that you restore the $1 million that has been proposed to be reduced in next year's budget, and I'll remind you, that just brings us back to the status quo.
If that's all we did, that will mean the City will support us at less than percent next year, 12 because the state has already on the 13 table in front of the Legislature a 14 proposal to increase Community College 15 funding by three percent, and we will be 16 going to our Board of Trustees next month 17 to have the discussion about how much the 18 tuition increase should be. So both of 19 those categories will rise, and if the City's support does not, it will then equal less than 19 percent. And then, secondly, as I said earlier, if you would approve our original $2 million request, we could do at least three things. We could further 91 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. reduce the impact of rising tuition. Our tuition has risen 40 percent in the last three years. We could expand programs and services. We've had to contract some of those programs and services over the past three or four years particularly. And we could address deferred maintenance issues which are just sitting there unaddressed at the current time. So we're asking you today, please make this a second year of movement toward a funding level that our students, who are your constituents, deserve, and it is all in the name of also increasing the prosperity and vitality of the City. Thank you. MR. McELHATTON: Madam President, the President of our Foundation has arrived and he has some brief remarks, if the Chair will permit.
Good morning, President Verna and members of City Council. I am Al Piscopo, President of 92 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. the Community College of Philadelphia Foundation Board. The Foundation's mission is to raise funds from the private sector in support of the students at Community College of Philadelphia through scholarships and grants and other means of support for those who require it. Our second mission is to try and build awareness of the College among business leaders in Philadelphia to elicit large-scale support for projects that we have in mind now and for the future to improve the College curriculum and the facilities. I think that in the work that we do, it's typical for us to be questioned about how leadership responds, the College leadership, the Board leadership, the Foundation Board leadership, in being supportive of the College mission. So it's critical for us to be able to demonstrate that all of those people are contributors to the 93 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. College financially and through their time. I think that the leadership that comes from City Council and from the City of Philadelphia is obviously the most critical element. This is the Community College of Philadelphia. And I hope that you will have listened very carefully to Dr. Curtis' message and Mr. McElhatton's message and will be able to not only restore the budget funds but improve them. We think that that would be extraordinarily helpful, a very strong signal, and will enable us to do a better job of raising funds from the private sector, which will add improvements to the College over the long term. Thank you very much.
Thank you. Is there anyone else to testify? MR. McELHATTON: No, ma'am.
Did 94 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. the Administration explain to you their rationale as to why they cut your budget by a million dollars?
Did you have any conversation at all with the Administration?
You're reaching out now, but was there any conversation with them prior to the preparation of the budget?
We always talk to the Administration beforehand, but I thought your question was, was there a reason given as to why that million was cut beforehand, and I think the answer is no. We have obviously been meeting with them since as well.
And when you met with them originally, did 95 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. you request this additional funding from the Administration, and, if so, what was their response?
Again, I don't think we've had a direct response to that. We absolutely requested the additional funding and I think we copied members of City Council or, if not copied, gave you a copy of the letter so that Council would also understand. We've also engaged in some discussions about long-term capital funding for the College. The City is one of, I think, the few local sponsors that doesn't participate directly in capital funding with specific amounts targeted just for that, and we are hopeful that over time we could have that kind of discussion as well.
Dr. Curtis, in your testimony -- I believe it's the front page -- you indicated that the College was asking for a $2.5 million increase in your operating 96 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. budget, but I don't believe your testimony that you presented to us today indicated that. I believe it's the second paragraph, the last line of that second paragraph. MR. McELHATTON: We'll take whatever the higher amount is.
You know, I don't know the answer to that. It's not 2.5 that we had requested. It was definitely two.
But I don't know -- now I'm a little confused with what was your original request. Was it 2.5 million or was the original 97 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. request 2 million?
The original was definitely two. The question I think is about the twenty-five nine versus the twenty-two two, right? If you can give me one second. Now I understand the answer. Forgive me. In the request that we sent to the Administration, I had mentioned that there were two parts to it. One was a $2 million request. The second was the beginning of a capital request for five years of 500,000. That's what the 500,000 difference is. I think in this paragraph it's been merged into one number. But the operating request was for $2 million more and we had asked that we start a process by which a fairly small amount actually on the capital side, a half a million dollars, could be approved for the coming year, with a commitment to try to do that each year for five years. That's the difference of the 500,000. 98 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC.
Dr. Curtis, if you do not receive any additional funding from the City, what will you do and how will it impact student tuition rates?
Tuition will have to go up higher. I've already indicated that for the last three years it's risen 40 percent. It's the highest rate of increase in the history of the College. We have been committed to bringing those increases down for next year, but without any additional support, if that million dollar reduction were to stay in place, it would not only affect tuition, it would certainly affect our ability to provide the programs and services that we're expecting to do next year right now. We would absolutely have to make some cuts in the budget as well.
Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell. 99 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC.
Thank you, Madam President. I certainly wanted to support the Community College, the statements you've made. Obviously they do such a wonderful job for people who have and people who have not. And that's so important during these times, where they're even talking about gas going up to $4 a gallon just this morning. No 11 matter where we go, we find people who really, really -- and we know that the only way out of our problems is through education. That's not new. Our parents told us that. And certainly we want to support Community College. I'm sure I speak for all of us when we say we support you. We don't want the cut. And we appreciate and applaud the job you do to try to help our citizens and also the contacts you have with the universities you mentioned and others, like West Chester and many others, to try to help our young people get educated. Thank you 100 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. very much.
Thank you very much, Councilwoman. MR. McELHATTON: Thank you, Councilwoman.
Thank you, Madam President, and I would certainly agree with Councilwoman Blackwell's statements also. I've said earlier about the libraries. The programs they provide help in the fight we're doing with some of the violence and all in the City, and certainly the education that is provided by Community College I think is also together another tool we can use. So I would certainly agree with that. Dr. Curtis, you talked about the original statutory requirement. That was by whom? The City, state?
No. It was in the original state legislation that created 101 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. community colleges across the Commonwealth. It mandated one-third of the operating would be supported by the local sponsor, which for us is the City. There are different local sponsors across the state. One-third by the state and one-third would be a student responsibility through tuition, tuition and fees.
And I guess -- and I know you weren't here the whole time, but has that started falling back in percentage? I guess basically the answer was, Look, there isn't the money to do it?
I was 102 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. going to ask about that, too.
Because over time the local sponsors -- in general. It's not just a Philadelphia issue -- were not meeting that obligation, the statute was changed. So it's no longer statutory that the state and local sponsor must provide one-third. They left in the statute that we couldn't exceed one-third with the students, and you can see the position that that puts us as colleges in.
Remember what I said, that through tuition and fees -- we use fees as well -- they're providing essentially 50 percent of the support right now.
Much misaligned with the original intent of the founding legislation. 103 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC.
I guess being above that you're, in a sense -- and we're not going to report you here -- violating that agreement, right?
We try to do it by -- it's a technical point. It's the tuition that can't exceed the one-third, which is why more and more we've had to move to fees. It allows you to make that distinction.
And I know I don't always like to compare the counties, the surrounding counties, because obviously they have different issues out there, but percentage-wise, do you have any idea what Montgomery, Delaware --
I don't know all the percentages. I can tell you that there are counties across the Commonwealth that actually provide less 104 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. than percent, but there are some that provide more. Montgomery is one of them. Harrisburg, through its local sponsor mechanism, I believe is another one. And don't hold me to the number. I don't know that they always have a third, but I think it's much closer to the third than we are these days. So Montgomery is one that does, yes.
17 You're welcome. 18 Are there any other questions, 19 comments? (No response.)
Seeing no one, I thank you all very much for testifying.
And we will do the very best that we can. I don't know how much that's going to be, but I assure you we will definitely try. Thank you.
Thank you, President Verna. MR. McELHATTON: Thank you, Madam President. MR. McPHERSON: The next department is the Commission on Human Relations.
Good morning. Please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Good morning, Madam President. My name is Nick Taliaferro. I serve as the Executive Director for the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations and, in that capacity, also provide the same services for the Fair Housing Commission. With me seated at the table to my far left is the Deputy 106 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. Director for our Community Outreach or Community Relations Division, Mr. Ernest Greenwood, who is with us today representing that division, and also the immediate past interim Executive Director, who is our Director for Compliance, Ms. Rachel Lawton. It's a pleasure today to come before this assembly to represent this budget request for Fiscal Year '08, and we are glad to be able to do so in the spirit of the services provided by the Commission on Human Relations. I will not presume to read to you what you already have in your hands, but just by way of sharing the mission of this Commission, we are entrusted with the mandate to guard the civil rights of the individual citizens of the City of Philadelphia and also to enforce the codes specified within the ordinance that gives us our strength and our authority. The Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations has kept faith with the 107 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. City of Philadelphia for over the last half century, and the last 15-plus years we have also taken on the task of providing support staff and services for the Fair Housing Commission. In that capacity we also deal with the issues that concern tenant and landlord disputes, disagreements and cases that come before us. For Fiscal Year '08, the Commission is requesting a combined budget of $2,186,091, which is approximately $29,266 over our Fiscal Year '07 complement. It will allow us to maintain a staff of 34 positions, which is one short of our current complement on the Commission. With these funds and with this staffing, it is our intention to continue the fine services that we have provided. And you can see in the budget report all of those things that we do, but just for the sake of the record, I would like to share with you that among the activities 108 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. conducted by the Commission, our Compliance Division will open approximately in Fiscal Year '08 388 new cases, while closing approximately the same number. And those cases, of course, deal with issues of discrimination and disputes that may have been created on the job or in other situations within the City in areas of public commerce or access. Our Community Relations Division will also handle and address intergroup events to the number of approximately 150, and open cases concerning disputes between neighbors and communities of over 500, while also participating in educational activities and prevention activities of over 7,000. It is our intention to be able to maintain the fine services with the budget that we have requested, and we would be glad to take any questions that might be forthcoming from the Council. Thank you very much, Madam 109 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. President.
I believe while I was sitting you were saying that you would be able to live with the budget that the Administration gave you that allows you to meet your mandated responsibilities. Did I understand you to say that?
Madam President, that is a fitting question to ask. We have determined that we will live with whatever constrictions may be placed upon us so that we might provide the services that we are accustomed to providing. We are in dialogue to see if we might be able to garner the necessary funds to provide additional services. After 50 years, an agency can become somewhat high bound. We believe that there are areas -- for example, the burgeoning tide of violence suggests that there are services that our Commission might provide that we cannot provide properly now with our current complement 110 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. of staffing. So we are in the midst of dialogue, hoping that we might be able to push the borders of this budget in any way possible.
Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Councilman Greenlee.
Thank you, Madam President. Mr. Taliaferro, in conflict resolutions or conflicts that have come to your office to try to find resolutions to, have you seen increases in that? I mean, obviously with the violence out there, I'm wondering if that leads to more problems or people turn to you more. Have you seen any increase in that, I guess?
What I would offer would be somewhat anecdotal. I've been there for just a little over six months. So I will answer it in brief, 111 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. and then I would ask our Deputy Director for our Community Relations Division to perhaps answer it further. I know anecdotally I have received more calls and I've been addressed more to come out to talk to certain groups about creating a higher level of civility within our city for the purpose of dialing down on violence as a first option of negotiation. But Mr. Greenwood might be able to answer more directly your question.
Good morning. My name is Ernie Greenwood. I'm Deputy Director for the Community Services Division. We certainly have received more requests for services, and as a result, we are trying to not only be involved in the cases that present themselves to us but to be also involved on the proactive side in joining with other agencies in 112 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. dealing with conflict resolution and doing training in that area.
Have they been -- this is a real, I guess, kind of opinion kind of question, but have they become more difficult to deal with? In other words, have people been less or more resistant?
I wouldn't say they were more difficult. I just would say that they require a different approach than they may have required ten, years ago. Ten, 20 years ago people 15 were kind of geared differently in terms 16 of how they responded in groups. And 17 today people are just much more 18 individual in how they behave, and it 19 requires us to be able to deal with them 20 in that area.
Do you find more conflicts based on either race or ethnic background or is it more just people not getting along because they can't get along kind of thing? 113 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC.
Well, it seems to increase around holidays, on Sundays and Mondays and Tuesdays.
A little gap between 3 o'clock in the morning now and then? Okay. Thank you, sir. Thank you, Madam President.
Thank you. Are there any other questions? (No response.)
Thank you. MR. McPHERSON: The next agency is SEPTA.
Good morning. Please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your 114 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. testimony.
Good afternoon. I'm Faye Moore, General Manager of the Southeastern Transportation Authority, better known as SEPTA. Joining me today is Joe Casey from the Finance Division and Frances Jones from the Government Affairs. I do thank you for the opportunity to present information to you. I'm here to speak about the 61,551,000 allocation for SEPTA included in the City's Fiscal Year 2008 Operating Budget proposal and key authority initiatives and accomplishments from the past year. 2 billion operating budget both come at a very challenging time. Ridership on SEPTA is at an all-time high, yet we struggle to address a crushing operating shortfall and prepare a balanced budget without severely impacting our customers 115 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. and employees. As I've reported previously to Council, at the heart of the issue is the absence of state stable and predictable subsidy. There have been short-term fixes applied in the past years, including most recently the Governor's flex of highway transportation funds for transit, but even that measure only provided SEPTA with funding through December 2006. To help bridge the remaining gap and avoid fare increases or service cuts, the SEPTA Board authorized a transfer of capital funds in the amount of 37 million to balance this year's operating budget. The immediate result of these actions are clear. However, the future impact of deferring capital projects is not known, but those projects include fare collection, rehabilitation of some stations on the Broad Street Line. Recognizing that a long-term solution is the only way to break 116 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. transit's crisis, the Governor created the Pennsylvania Transportation Funding and Reform Commission. Their purpose was to look at performance and funding needs for transit operations across the state, including SEPTA. The findings of this very extensive examination confirmed that SEPTA operates efficiently and has taken the necessary steps to maintain fiscal discipline, but that the government's program and revenue streams for transit funding need to be completely revamped. During his Fiscal Year 2008 budget address, the Governor announced his transit funding proposal, a tax on the gross profits of all companies doing business in Pennsylvania. However, this or any alternative funding solution must be adopted by the state prior to July 1st, 2007 to avoid implementation of SEPTA fare increases and/or service cuts. At our recent operating budget hearings, SEPTA constituents had the opportunity to provide comment about two 117 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. deficit closure proposals. Both options assume a $129 million deficit. Option 1 includes a fare increase of roughly 11 percent, but would require $100 million of new subsidy. Option B assumes no 7 additional state subsidy, but it warrants a 31 percent fare increase, 20 percent service reductions, and that's across all modes, and that impact is about 1,000 SEPTA positions being eliminated. Both options did include a simplification plan, which would eliminate transfers and consolidate some rail zones. 3 percent gain last year. The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission's recent study of the region reported that vehicle traffic in Center City is declining for the first time in 50 years. Our standing-room-only conditions on certain SEPTA routes supports this finding and 118 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. suggests that the trend in favor of public transit is increasing. These ridership gains and congestion mitigation improvements will be negatively impacted if SEPTA is forced to implement the reductions outlined in Option B. This is not the option SEPTA prefers, but we would have no choice without a way to close the remaining $100 million gap by July 1st. Despite our ongoing fiscal concerns, SEPTA did manage to complete some very important system improvements. It includes the rehab of Suburban Station.
We continue progress on the elevated structure in West Philadelphia. We're about one-third of the track down. 56th Street was renovated. 60th Street is scheduled to open this summer, and we continue with the rehab of 46th and 52nd Street. I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank someone who has worked really hard with us over the 119 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. last two years especially, and that's Oliver Thornton from the Managing Director's Office. Without his support and assistance, we would not have been able to manage as much as we did on the El project. ADA accessibility is important to us, so as we rehab stations such as Church, Huntington, 8th Street, 13th Street and Juniper Stations, we've also created ADA accessibility. One item that I did want to mention is that after getting several complaints or several hundred complaints, the City and SEPTA are indeed moving towards one unified cleaner for the Concourse. The City has gotten complaints. We've gotten complaints. There's always confusion about who owns what. We are presenting it to the Board for their vote on Thursday, and hopefully we will be able to celebrate something shortly thereafter. Our SEPTA Transit Police 120 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. continue to be vigilant as they patrol our system. There have been some periodic spikes. Overall felonies declined 88 percent between 1989 and 2006. We remain partners with the School District of Philadelphia to address truancy and juvenile violence. We continue our dedication to our workforce, and we now are happy to celebrate the sixth year of the Keystone Transit Career Ladder Partnership. That's with TWU, or Transport Workers Union, our largest union. We also continue to have discounts at area colleges. If you look at our website, we've done a lot of enhancements in technology to get information to our customers, and I encourage you to just visit it, but one thing in particular, Plan My Trip. So you can actually go on the website now and it will map out your destination from Point A to Point B. And the second one is Pass Perks, which will 121 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. actually take your discount -- you get discounts at various establishments if you go in with a SEPTA pass, a weekly or a monthly. With that, I'll conclude my brief comments and answer any questions that you might have.
Thank you. Councilwoman Campbell definitely wanted to be here for your testimony this morning, but an emergency came up and we told her that we would make sure that she would certainly be informed of your testimony.
That's great. On of your testimony, you mention that the SEPTA Board transferred capital funds to the operating budget. I'm rather curious, how can you use capital funds for 122 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. operating purposes?
We have within our capital money the ability to use them for capital or operating, depending on what the nature of it is. In this case, we are using capital money which has been designated for capital, but we can use it for operating. So we are foregoing using it for capital and flexing it over to the operating budget. So we have that flexibility for some of our funds.
For the 37 million, they were federal -- no. They were state. No. These were state funds.
You mention that SEPTA has Option A and Option B for dealing with your budget crisis, and I know you did go through the two scenarios. The state must do what 123 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. when Option A would have to be, I guess, enforced, and if you do not hear from the state, then when do you implement Option B?
The ultimate decision is going to reside with our Board. The way it was rolled out for public comment, we would make the fare increases effective July 1 and probably would have to reduce service sometime during the summer or the fall when we roll out our fall schedules. But it would be immediate. I mean, it's not 15 months from now. It's not six months 16 from now. It's within 60 to 90 days 17 after the start of the budget. 18 We are presenting a budget proposal to the Board of Directors for their consideration at the May Board meeting, where we expect them to vote on some closure plan and implementation July 1st, in some variation but effective July 1st.
Thank 124 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Greenlee.
Thank you, Madam President. First of all, as I see Ms. Jones sitting there, I want to publicly say thank you for all the help you provided over the years when we bug you all the time. Thank you.
Ms. Moore, you talk about, following up with what the Council President said, about Option A and B, and I know it's good to see the ridership increase. Has there been -- and I know you can't do this exactly, but any estimate on if those options are -- if you have to do either of those options, what the ridership decrease would be? Is there any estimate on that?
Plan B is easier, 125 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. because that sort of resides in my brain very heavily, but we expect a percent 4 ridership drop if we have to implement 5 Option B. 6
In terms of people, 12 I guess that's about 100,000 people. 13
Yeah. 14 And the other thing, I know right now the 15 15 is the only trolley presently running; 16 is that right? 17
Is there any -- because I know at one time there was a real big push for the and at 5 least one other. I'm sure the cost 6 factors, that's probably a little bit on 7 the back burner, but has that been talked 8 about at all or is that still somewhere 9 there? 10
Well, I'll tell you 11 the position the SEPTA Board echoed when 12 the Route 15 was approved, and that was, 13 given the cost and some of the 14 operational dilemmas that we're facing, 15 we can't consider rolling out any future 16 trolleys until we address all those 17 issues. Right now we're running buses 18 very often on the Route 15, because we 19 have closures. 20
So we're still 22 struggling with some of those operational 23 issues. If we don't get those in check, I'm not optimistic.
I hear 127 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. you. And I know that was some of the concerns raised at first when the came 4 in. 5
As 7 somebody who used to take it many times 8 and remember getting stuck behind 9 something when I was going to high 10 school, I know what you're saying. But 11 has there been any -- I mean, has 12 ridership increased on the 15, and can 13 that be anywhere put towards the fact 14 that it's a trolley, or is it just 15 something that people thought was a nice idea? I'm going to get myself in trouble with the trolley advocates here. I know I'm going that way.
Well, we can give you some of the specifics. I'll give you more from just an anecdotal item. When it first came about, people are excited about getting it out. It's new. It's different.
But we see it drop every time there is a major obstacle. So the ridership is not stable. It goes up, it goes down based on --
It was a novelty sort of in a way and then now it's just another route.
That stops and delays me getting to work. So we're seeing a lot of that. We're getting a lot of those complaints.
If the wrong people listen to this, I know I'm going to get a call on this one, but I understand what you're saying. Thank you, Madam President.
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Madam President. Obviously we have real concerns about fare trying to go up. And I guess, 129 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. what, are we highest in the nation? I know we're --
We're not quite. We're up there. And so we have real concerns, because as we continue to say -- which is why we have questions on the ballot about the full tax valuation and PGW with the rate increase -- people can't afford to pay it. And I am afraid that we may have an increase in ridership now, but obviously it won't be sustained if we raise rates. People just can't do it. They said today on the news that they expect gas, as I said earlier, to go up to $4 a gallon. So you can't get the bus and you can't drive your car. I don't know what people do, but I know --
And I 130 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. don't know how to bicycle ride.
Yeah. That's right. Then they got to buy the bike. So that's the issue. And then we have this awful issue with those bike paths. But certainly we feel it is really unfair to expect the riding public to pay fares that they just can't afford. I want to make sure that our Market Street Elevated project is on schedule to finish next year. Are we right?
Substantial completion is still targeted for the end of 2008. We're still very optimistic.
There are many things that we will jointly need to conclude, and we're happy to work with 131 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. Frances on the lots and the transfer back and a design overall of the streets and the sidewalks, how all of that will be. We want to look forward to jointly working with you on all those plans on our commercial corridors, from the design aspect, how they look, what they become and to the transfer back of those lots. So we're happy to reach out to you. We've been working with City departments. So we're kind of in sync. I want at least the end of this to be a happy, peaceful medium where the final formal design is one that we can all be proud of. Thank you very much. And also I've been getting the flyers finally for the opening and closing. So we still have those issues, but we hope that at the end of this, things will be smooth.
Thank you. 132 4/23/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC.