Thank you, Council President. I also extend my sincerest condolences to all of the families for all of the losses of some really great people in our city. And I'd also like to invite all of my colleagues to join me tomorrow for a Puerto Rican flag-raising ceremony that we'll be hosting on the north apron. Hispanic Heritage Month started September 15th, ends October 15th, and we're going to be honoring an individual, Lucas Stivera (ph), who is an artist and who has played a role in our city promoting the Puerto Rican culture and Stated Meeting 86 9/21/2023 Ricans in Philadelphia and throughout the Delaware Valley. And I'd also like to invite everyone to join me on Sunday for the Puerto Rican Day Parade. Lineup is at 17th and the Parkway at 11:30 a.m.
Thank you, Councilwoman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Squilla.
Thank you, Mr. President. I just wanted to let everyone know there was a controlled burn event at 1 o'clock today over at MSB. Because of construction, it has been rescheduled to next Friday, the 29th, University of Pennsylvania at 39th Street Walk at Locust Street. Over in the Third Councilmanic District, they'll be having one if anybody wants to see that event there for a controlled burn event. Thank you. Stated Meeting 87 9/21/2023
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Johnson.
Thank you, Council President. Just a few brief remarks. Yesterday -- I know all politics are local, but yesterday there was an announcement on the federal level by President Joe Biden to create the Office of Gun Violence Prevention. And that warmed my heart, because when you do this work day in and day out, you're talking to mothers and fathers who have lost their loved ones to gun violence, every now and then we get a little wince. And this body from opening the Office of Violence Prevention, which we've never had before, allowed us to begin focusing on the issue of gun violence in a general sense, but also on the federal level, this would allow us to really look at coordinating efforts from state to state, Stated Meeting 88 9/21/2023 city, block by block, house by house around what I believe is always the number one issue not only in the City of Philadelphia but across the nation. And so for the federal level, particularly by our President, to say we're going to specifically address the issue of gun violence and not just mass shootings but also urban gun violence, which has always been a prevalent issue, particularly in Black and brown neighborhoods, shows me that we're making some progress. Throughout this summer, I wasn't down at the shore. I kind of spent a lot of time in the communities and convening individuals who have been significantly impacted by gun violence, from working with our school superintendent, Dr. Wallington, and community advocates who want to be inside the schools working to address the issue of gun violence, to working and convening individuals from the healthcare industry, Stated Meeting 89 9/21/2023 hospitals, around how do we address this from a public health standpoint, but also convening and working with elected officials on the state level, which I believe hopefully they will follow the work of our President Joe Biden in creating a state Office of Gun Violence Prevention, because this issue particularly has an impact on all individuals but, most importantly, we have seen consistently day in and day out that it's a matter of social justice, because you see Black and brown communities are being devastated by gun violence based upon the lack of investment in these communities. And so, one, I commend my colleague Councilman Curtis Jones for hosting the Crime Summit on September the 30th and encourage as many people as possible to come out to get involved, but also this announcement from our federal government, particularly our President, to create this particular type of office Stated Meeting 90 9/21/2023 making progress, Council President, around this particular issue, and it hasn't always been this way. When I arrived in Council in 2011, the issue of gun violence particularly wasn't a high priority. That's why we introduced legislation with your support to create the Special Committee on Gun Violence, so we can singly like focus on this issue day in and day out. And so that was something that was on my heart that I wanted to acknowledge and make comments on based upon when you do this work, it sometimes takes a toll, because when we take two steps, three steps forward, we're all calling one another in the evening or exchanging text messages when we see a homicide taking place. I mean, one of my staff members had to leave a tour that we were having in PhilaPort yesterday because she Stated Meeting 91 9/21/2023 she grew up with not only get shot and murdered in broad daylight but also ran over, right? And so that's the trauma that our neighborhoods are feeling, are dealing with day in and day out. So when I saw this announcement, I said, well, at least we're making some progress at the highest level that our President thought it not robbery to say, you know what, I'm going to focus on this issue.
I know he's battling folks like the NRA, who don't even want us to talk about guns in any capacity. When Councilman Jones and yourself and I went to Oaks to see how easy it is to buy guns, we talked to agents from Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. They're talking about one of the key impediments and obstacles when it comes to advocating for effective policy around guns is the NRA. But as we go in 2024, this will Stated Meeting 92 9/21/2023 track records that I'll talk about, that our President stepped out and said, you know what, I'm going to focus on gun violence, this is going to be my priority, and that shouldn't go unnoticed. And so with that, Council President, I just want to say thank you for comments. , we will be hosting our Annual Gun Buyback. To some, they'll say, well, gun buybacks, they aren't effective and why are you doing those, right? And I'm speaking from lived experience, right? People sell guns on the street to get something to eat, right? People sell guns on the street to get high, right, talking about lived experience living in the neighborhood and kind of watching, at least how I grew up. I'd rather for you to bring Stated Meeting 93 9/21/2023 that $100 or $200 or $300 gift card, right, than to sell that gun to a young man on the corner so you can fix your habit or get something to eat. So when anyone says it's not effective, I know for a fact it's effective. And at the end of the day also, I encourage anyone to participate in one and come and see the type of guns that are actually being turned in. These aren't guns that are broken or guns that can't be used in a shooting in a homicide. They're actually some good artillery that individuals turn in that, God forbid, in the hand of a young person, right, or any person, they will go out and actually take the life or shoot or harm another individual. m. Thank you very much, Council President.
Stated Meeting 94 9/21/2023 you, Councilman. And thank members that over the last year or so have been participating in a gun buyback. Working with Bilal Qayyum, the Father's Day Rally, and the Philadelphia Police, we actually got more than a thousand guns have been turned in. So thank you all for your participation in a very significant -- and as you said, Councilman, some of those guns are not your grandmama's guns. They got some serious guns that they've been turning in. So thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Bass.
Well, thank you, Mr. President. I just wanted to really echo some of the sentiments of my colleagues around some of the recent losses that we've had, and as I was sitting here thinking, I just thought that one of the things about being a public servant, whether you're running the School Stated Meeting 95 9/21/2023 you're running Temple University, our public university here in the City, or you're working at DHS as a social worker, one of the things about public service that I think a lot of people who haven't been there don't necessarily get is that we make these jobs look easy, but they're anything but. And so when we see the loss of someone so young like David Krain or JoAnne Epps or even Dr. Constance Clayton, it's just really important that we recognize that these were public servants who really we're talking about them because they gave all. They gave all to the City of Philadelphia. They gave all to Temple University. They gave all to the students of the School District of Philadelphia. And though they may be gone, they certainly won't be forgotten. I can tell you that I've known David -- I can't even remember when I met Stated Meeting 96 9/21/2023 Krain, but I can tell you it's been at least a decade or two, but, you know, he was always out there advocating, advocating, advocating for someone else other than himself. I know that he recently had lost his father as well, but he was a trooper. He never missed a beat. He was always out here in the community and for us. And it just reminds us too, you know, like when you care about somebody, when you think highly of them, let them know, love up on them, because you just never know. So I just wanted to say that. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman. That concludes our speeches on behalf of the minority and the majority today. With that, the Chair recognizes Councilman Squilla for a motion to adjourn. Stated Meeting 97 9/21/2023
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, September 28, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It's been moved and properly seconded that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, September 28, 2023, 10:00 a.m. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
Thank you all very much. The motion carries. Thank you all very much. ) Stated Meeting 98 9/21/2023 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. org 38:17 touch 59:20 26:17 viewing 16:12 wants 86:23 43:24 wrongly 47:7 toughest 16:22 understand vigilante 50:24 warmed 87:14 willfully 46:3 tour 90:24 11:3 16:14 violate 46:3 watched 91:2 Williams 2:8, <Y> tours 19:22 19:20 20:19 violating 44:18 watching 92:24 15 Yeah 9:17 45:17, 21 72:16 violation 51:19 water 21:2, 4, Willow 61:4 24:3, 15 toxic 44:4 understanding violence 26:23 6, 7, 9, 10, 12 wince 87:18 year 14:24 track 92:2 21:23 28:14 38:5 44:7 Winston 61:3 27:11 94:3 trades 82:11 underway 51:8 71:19, 25 way 3:4, 21 wisdom 3:3 years 10:4, 24 traditional 82:12 79:3 87:13, 17, 20:25 23:7 wish 42:24 12:22 16:13 38:22 unelected 45:6 20, 22 88:9, 10, 42:25 57:3 withdraw 6:20 37:2 40:18 transcript unfortunate 19, 24 89:8, 16 58:7 82:21 withdrawn 65:11 78:19, 98:8, 21 14:15 17:12 90:7, 11 92:5 90:5 58:13 59:3 25 83:25 transition Unfortunately visitors 2:12, Wayne 58:6 Witness 35:22 yellow 35:7 30:24 45:12 83:5 14 ways 37:3 39:16 43:19 Yesterday transmitting Unified 25:17 vitro 41:21 weather 21:8 witnessed 17:9 87:9, 10 90:25 8:9, 17 69:23 volume 26:25 Week 12:20 wives 38:23 York 18:22 trash 20:6 unintelligible 35:4 16:3, 20 17:25 woke 27:21 young 91:2 trauma 91:5 51:24 volunteering 27:5 44:19 woman 12:8 93:4, 16 95:12 treat 79:23 union 21:21 84:2 47:16 65:9 62:18 78:24 youngest 14:8 treatment 84:6, 7, 8 vote 43:11 81:20 79:12 youth 21:17 41:18 unit 61:3, 4, 5, voted 6:19 weeks 27:20 women 38:12, 22:17 67:17 treatments 6, 7 vulnerable week's 19:15, 15, 19, 22 52:8 77:15, 16 50:15 United 54:16, 51:15 24 23:9, 17 83:4 yummy 80:6 treats 79:25 17 Welcome Women's 36:3, 80:7 University <W> 15:20 17:23 7, 14, 22 38:23 <Z> tribute 75:4 10:22 12:22 Wade 49:4 24:6 53:17 zeroed 26:15 78:10 65:11 73:11 wait 27:16 welcoming wondered Zoning 31:24 trick 79:22 86:19 95:3, 4, waited 27:13 12:16 63:19 44:23 32:5, 8, 9 33:2, trooper 96:9 19 waiting 27:23 64:4 work 10:23 3 44:21 45:5 troubled 21:17 unnoticed 92:7 wake 29:16 well 29:24 13:16 20:12 Zykee 12:20 truck 18:25 unprecedented 36:21 48:14 31:5 40:23 26:22 46:25 16:3, 4, 13 trucks 20:6 50:9 Walk 86:20 73:14 82:12 53:14 74:3 17:2, 5, 23 true 98:7 urban 88:10 wall 27:22 91:9 92:15 81:21 82:25 65:9 truly 77:24 urge 43:11 Wallington 94:17 96:8 83:4, 9 84:5 81:13 urgency 31:11 88:21 well-being 87:15 89:7 try 14:24 urging 54:16 Walnut 33:5 41:11 83:13 90:17 Tuesday 80:4 use 44:4, 10 57:2 went 21:3 worked 14:23 turn 93:15 45:2 46:2 Wamah 29:2 29:23 91:18 26:20 78:24 turned 93:11 uses 45:18 Wamah's 29:5, We're 2:4 worker 9:22 94:8 utility 73:25 12, 23 13:8, 17 20:8 10:2 84:4 turning 94:13 want 10:6 24:15 39:23 95:5 turns 35:3, 7, 9 <V> 13:19, 24 85:22 88:8, 13 workers 20:23 TV 16:12 Valley 86:4 15:15, 25 90:2, 19 91:10 82:18 83:13 two 18:15 various 19:22 17:22 20:7 95:16 workforce 29:8 50:8 82:16 30:5, 19 31:2 west 18:21 42:15 65:3 90:18 VAUGHN 1:1 35:15 53:10, 19:3 55:20 working 20:14 96:3 31:8 78:15, 16 13, 19 74:23 60:24, 25 41:4 88:20, 23, type 89:25 Vernon 75:18, 75:9, 16, 24 we've 28:15 24 89:4 94:4 93:10 22 77:8, 14 78:19 37:23 40:17 95:5 versus 36:21 79:4, 15 80:11, 44:8 74:12 works 19:21 <U> 49:4 25 82:25 81:22 87:20 37:20 unanimously veteran 26:9 88:22 91:15 94:22 workshop 73:5 81:16 vetoed 6:16 92:9 white 52:8 world 76:8, 12 undermines vicinity 18:20 wanted 9:19 73:12 75:6, 20, 78:5 38:23 24:25 25:5, 9 76:24 77:21 22 wounded 29:8 understaffed victim 25:20 78:10 86:15 wife 84:12 Wow 78:4 83:5 70:2 90:15 94:19 Wild 45:15, 18, Wrong 24:7 20, 23