Sir, we're not going to have this debate back and forth. I'm going to give people an opportunity to speak, and we will be back this afternoon. All right? Because we have to talk about making sure that we have the appropriate votes for whatever issue that you are here for. And I told you when we started, we have regulations associated with the public comment. So we're going to proceed, and based on what I see on this sheet, the individuals in support of a particular measure appear to be in a position, and if you're supporting the School District votes, then fine, you should sign up, but what we have so far, there are only eight people listed in support of the U&O, related to U&O vote. So we're going to do eight for your subject matter, so we'll start calling names. Mr. Decker.
Tiffany Green, commenting on 120431. (Witness approached podium.)
I'm here today to comment on the amendments to the new Zoning Code. Regarding this new by-right policy, we feel as though it's exclusionary housing policy that will take away the rights of the people. The by-right policy is a liability. It brings unfairness in zoning. It benefits land developers and landowners and limits the residents' input. Exclusionary zoning will have an effect on many of the low-income communities. We want to -- I want to address also the RCO piece that's in the amendment. RCOs will take away the rights of the residents. It creates a handmade list for outside developers. RCOs and developers can make deals before the community meeting. City control -the City will gain control over City-funded agencies that will lead to forced support for different developments. RCOs can use this policy to market support letters to get funding for their organizations. RCOs will lead to exclusionary practices. Also, we want to comment on the conservation -- I'm putting this in there for a reason. The conservation, we do not support -- we want to keep in there about a community being able to define their boundaries under the neighborhood conservation piece so that we should be able to have meetings and define our own boundaries to be self-determined. And also, 20 percent that disqualifies you from the NCO, we don't think it's right, because Planning Commission should not be allowed to dictate where the conservation goes. Regarding the tax increase, we are against that. We feel as though you issued 50,000 ten-year tax abatements in this city. You have people living in condominiums, in townhouses that go for 300,000 to 3 million, 12 million and not paying taxes at all. They're all getting ten-year tax abatements. (Applause.)
You have over 100 buildings or condominiums in here who are getting ten-year tax abatements, and yet you want the City -- you want traditional Philadelphians to pay the cost because you're not reaping the benefits of this ten-year tax abatement. The ten-year tax abatement must go, and everybody -- if we have to pay taxes, then everybody should have to pay taxes. Thank you. (Applause.)
Thank you. Therefore, if you want to incorporate that, our schools will not be losing money. We will be able to buy new computers for every child and every child will be able to have Internet access and a new computer in school. (Applause.)
Finally, I just want to say that this new Zoning Code, it is not fair that you allow developers to build up to 48 feet in our community, build these mansions, without us having a say-so regarding the building height. We should be able to say what comes into our community and what kind of houses are built in our community. It is not fair that -- you take away our voice with this by-right policy. Believe me, this by-right policy -(Microphone cut off.) (Applause.)
Theresa McCormick, commenting on 120431. (Witness approached podium.) MS. McCORMICK: Good morning. My name is Theresa McCormick and I want to speak about the new Zoning Code and the RCOs and the by-right policy. The RCOs will take away residents' voice and vote. It gives certain organizations and agencies the power to get money from developers in return for support letters. They will put large organizations and agencies over the residents and including grassroots groups. The policy will lead to City control over communities and not communications. The new Zoning Code by-right policy opens the door for big money developments, which will cost $300,000 to $700,000 mansions and new homes, drastic increase in property taxes, rents and the Mayor's tax reassessment plan. Alan Greenberg (sic), he's a 36 architect who is the Deputy Mayor of Economic Development, Chairman of the Zoning Commission. He is the Chairman of City Planning. That's a lot of control and monopoly. It is because of the dictatorship and his word is final. He is pro-development. He has deep ties with the developers. His new development, he has told us in his meetings that he does not have to communicate with the community. When we looked at his resume, we see that he has no commitment to the communities at all. We ask City Council, don't support exclusionary zoning and other exclusionary housing policies within the City of Philadelphia. Thank you. (Applause.)
Shantaya Willis, commenting on 120166. (Witness approached podium.) MISS WILLIS: Hi. My name is Shantaya Willis and I'm a member of the Youth United for Change, and I go to accelerated schools. The reason why I'm here today, because I think that they shouldn't close down accelerated schools, because accelerated schools is a place where kids could go like to graduate and get a good opportunity. And my school is called El Centro. My school is like based on real-world learning. We get a chance to go out and experience the real world. We get to go out like, my school, three times a week and we get to go out like -- oh, my God. I'm nervous. (Applause.) MISS WILLIS: We'll be able to get back on track. From my experience, my school is based on real-world learning. It help kids to think about what they want to become in life. We get to go out to the work field to prepare us for the real world. Ever since I've been doing -ever since I've been to that school, I've been doing good in accelerated school, and plus -- I don't want to go no more. (Applause.) (Audience members yelling "Save our school.")
Dashanda Glover. CASSANDRA: How y'all doing? My name is Cassandra. I'm going for Dashanda today. She couldn't make it. I want everybody -- I want to keep my school open because my school did a lot for me. Being at that school was better than being at a regular school for me, because I feel as though they gave me more individualized attention. I could talk to my teachers like one on one. They would give me real feedback, help me with the real world. They didn't just teach me the regular curriculum, just things in the textbooks. They taught you things that are going to help you when you leave and how you going to further your development and everything. And I like going there because they were always supportive. They were always smiling, and for some people, that means a lot. Not everybody has somebody at home to smile and to say, All right, you got to get up, got to go to school. Some people do it on their own. So to have somebody always there with you. And I just feel like they went beyond the basic curriculum. They helped me with everything. They help me do little things like schedule doctors appointments, like simple things that you wouldn't think you would even get from your school. They helped me out with everything, and I just really appreciate my school and I just really think that everybody -- we should try to keep them open. Because for some people, it's like the last resort. It's the best options for them. And a lot of times the school is not only like a house of knowledge; it's a safe place for a lot of people to go. So why not keep it open and have a place to go. (Applause.) CASSANDRA: And I want to keep my school open just because I think a lot of people, they will do better. Just save our schools. Thank you. (Applause.)
Emily Moronta, commenting on 120166. (Witness approached podium.) MISS MORONTA: I'm so short, you know. Hi. My name is Emily Moronta. I'm going to be talking about the data service, so can somebody hand that out to the City Council. Hi. My name is Emily Moronta. I also want to accelerated school, but I actually graduated this year, and that helped me a lot. (Applause.) MISS MORONTA: As a member of Youth United for Change, I'm in the Push Out Chapter. For youth in the Push Out Chapter, last year we heard that the School District was closing accelerated schools. So what we did was go to City Hall and fight for the accelerated schools to stay open. The reason they didn't get closed down is because City Council voted to give $53 million to the School District, and City Council made the District promise to keep accelerated schools open. This year, this school year, Youth United for Change surveyed accelerated school students. The survey showed that students have improved since they started going to accelerated school. It also shows that students are receiving a better quality education at their current school. And some said that they are more motivated to learn at their current school than at their old schools. Accelerated schools also push students harder than their old schools. Youth United for Change would like to know if City Council would commit to making accelerated schools a priority with the School District. Thank you. (Applause.)
Ben Sears, commenting on 120284. (Witness approached podium.)
Mr. President, members of Council and distinguished guests, I'm speaking as a private citizen. I'm commenting on 120284, the military -- redirecting military spending. I'm a retired School District teacher, having worked three decades, more than three decades, in our city's public schools. I would like to personally, by the way, recognize the members of the 32BJ who are here. (Applause.)
They took good care of me during the time I worked. I'm also the parent of four grown offspring who attended our City schools and benefitted from the experience. Two of them, I should say, went on to serve in the armed forces. One of them did two tours in Iraq. And I -(Applause.)
During my years in the School District, we have all witnessed numerous debates driven by the issue, where is the money, where is the money, where is the money. (Applause.)
Can we afford to keep our libraries, our swimming pools open? Can we afford to run an excellent public school system? Well, passing 120284 for redirecting military spending to domestic uses, including public education, will put this body, will put this Council, our elected representatives here, on record. And I want to get this right. We want to let our elected officials in DC know that they must give serious attention to our issues, to our urgent needs and, yes, to our opinions about how we want our tax money spent. We know that this resolution is a beginning and that's all. This will not be a simple matter. President Eisenhower chose his words carefully when he used the term the "military industrial complex." But complexity can no longer deter us from confronting this overriding issue. We know that federal legislators have high-priced corporate lobbyists at their doors every day. We want them to know they will also be hearing from us. We want them to know that they will be hearing from our elected local representatives with a united voice. So we urge you in the strongest possible terms to pass 120284, which would urge the federal government, the Congress to redirect military spending to domestic issues, such as public education, such as libraries, such as healthcare. You will make us all proud. (Applause.)
Okay. Earlier when we talked about the limitations, there was some slight confusion with respect to the sign-up sheet. Some individuals -- well, bottom line is, people signed up for bills that were not relevant to the subject matter that they were interested to do. So to be fair, we're going to call those individuals so they can testify on behalf of a particular subject matter. It will take it over the eight, but the most important thing is, we want to be fair. So we're going to have -- I think it's five people are going to speak on the bill, which is the U&O bill, which was not the bill that they signed up for. So we're going to call those folks and let them come up, and I guess it will be four in count.
Good afternoon, Council President. Good afternoon, Council, and good afternoon, guests. I come here today with frustration, with anger, because we've been dealing with the School District for the last five months on bargaining. We have put millions and millions of dollars on the table. We have asked them to bargain in good faith with us, and in return we're asking them to take privatization and layoffs off of the table. After five months and between $20 and $60 million of concessions, the best the School District could do is not get back to us or even give us an answer on that. Total disrespect for the membership, for the workers that we have and to the children of Philadelphia. (Applause.)
The children of Philadelphia deserve more. We have a Governor who will not fund education here. We have an SRC who is inept to make a decision. This body has done everything that it possibly could in the past years to find funding for the School District, and even this year we come back to you with additional funding. We ask you to approve U&O. We ask you to approve any source of revenue that you possibly can to go to the School District, but, more importantly, to save 2,700 jobs that we are now in jeopardy of losing. As of July 15th, this membership will lose 575 members, who are in this room, and I ask all 32BJ to please stand. (Applause.)
I would also like to show that the children of Philadelphia deserve more. We have children in this body right now who are going to be adversely affected if we could not find the resources to go to the School District of Philadelphia. We've done everything in our power with the School District to try to find a resolution to this situation. Unfortunately, the School District will not even get back to us. Again, we've put millions and millions and millions of dollars. We gave back wage increases for five years on the table. No wage increases. We gave back health benefits, reduced the costs. We gave them back over $3 million in health and welfare funds. We gave them furlough days. We did work rule changes for them. And every time we try to get back to the School District, there was no response. Frustration on our part and I believe frustration on this body here also with the School District of Philadelphia. We're imploring you to find resources. Find a way to give our children the best education they possibly can and, importantly, to find a way to save 2,700 hard-working men and women's jobs. I want to close by saying, I was in a school today. Ninety-two degrees in that school today. Men and women working who cannot be here because they're dedicated to the School District. They care about children. They care about education. Our jobs are on the roof, in the boiler room, cleaning schools. Our transportation today had to go into their buses today to make sure that troop inspections are done, that they're being cleaned adequately and when September comes, that those children get to and from school safely. (Applause.)
And for that, our reward is lay them off and privatize them. I've been with the School District as a maintenance mechanic for 39 years, and my reward for 39 years is to tell me that you are no longer needed, that you are not important, that September 14th, your job is done with the School District, so go away. We're not going away. We're going to continue to fight. We're going to continue to ask you for assistance here, but, more importantly, we're asking you to fund education. Thank you. (Applause.)
Thank you. (Standing ovation.) (Audience members yelling "Save our schools.") (Pause.)
Tom McGraham, commenting on 120173-A. (Witness approached podium.) MR. McGRAHAM: Good morning, City Council President and City Council. My name is Tom McGraham. I was born and raised in the City of Philadelphia. I've worked for the School District of Philadelphia for 18 years. As of September 14th, if nothing changes, I will be unemployed. Twenty-seven members of my union will be following me shortly thereafter. We are hard-working individuals. We are not asking for a handout. We're asking for help. We understand the fiscal times are tough all around. We're asking that you support the U&O tax to fund the schools, as well as send a message to the SRC that they cannot bully us, intimidate us or get rid of us. (Applause.) MR. McGRAHAM: We work hard for what we earn. They are not giving away anything to us. We work for everything that we get. We are individuals who are dedicated to the School District, dedicated to the children, dedicated to our jobs. We are proud to do our jobs. We are proud members of this city. All we're asking for is a little bit of help and your support. And thank you for everything you've done for us so far.
Steve Petacco, commenting on 120173-A. (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning. My name is Steve Petacco and I also am an employee of the School District of Philadelphia. I've been an employee for 15 years now, and I do support the use and occupancy tax. Back in December, my wife was a member of PFT and she was laid off. Now my future is actually bleak right now. I have one son still in public schools and I have two grandchildren that are in public schools right now, and my concern not only for me getting laid off in September is the future of my grandchildren. Thank you very much.
Gabe Morgan, commenting on 120173-A. (Applause.) (Witness approached podium.)
I'm standing here proud to be the Director of SEIU 32BJ for the State of Pennsylvania with all of my brothers and sisters here. (Applause.)
I think that this Council knows that there's a crisis in this city and there's a crisis in the state, and I think as Council also knows and has said to us and can honestly say, this is not a crisis that's been created by the City Council of Philadelphia doing something wrong. In fact, I think we all know that the only bodies in this state that have been trying to wrestle with solving the education problem have unfortunately been our local elected officials, because the state government has essentially de-funded the system and handed you guys this problem. So I want to say that we're here in part because we realize that you are the only folks that will actually listen to us when we talk about this crisis. (Applause.)
But this is not just a crisis, as this Council knows, for local elected officials who are trying to figure out how to do the right thing, School District custodians, janitors, bus drivers, maintenance people. This is a crisis for children. This is a crisis for the entire city. And I'm sorry, but this is also a crisis for the business community of Philadelphia. There will be other times where you'll see this union come in and demand that you do not raise taxes on large office buildings where our members clean and work and are part of a vibrant private sector that is very important that we do everything we can do to support, but the fact is if there's 30,000 out of year workers, if 3,000 bus drivers and janitors are willing to sacrifice $60 million to try to keep schools open, asking the business community to contribute 20 million in use and occupancy is not too much to ask. (Applause.)
In a much better world, small business would not be asked to carry this burden. We would instead tax the largest multi-national corporations that pay no state taxes right now. (Applause.)
And we'd tax the world's largest natural gas and use it to fund education. But that's not the world that we live in. We live in a world where the state government has de-funded the education system by a billion dollars, there's a $300 million deficit in the City schools, and our members are saying we'll fund, we'll give up seven, eight thousand dollars a member out of a $30,000 worker to try and fund these schools. And this Council is debating whether or not to raise 20 million from business? We urge you to do everything that you can, not just the use and occupancy tax but any measure that you can take to keep these schools open. If these workers lose their jobs, you'll lose $40 million a year in spending power in the very communities that you are here to represent where we live. (Applause.)
We urge this Council to stand for schools, the workers and your students. Thank you very much.
Good morning, Council. Good morning, Mr. President. Good morning, everybody. I'd like to give honor to God, because I prayed this morning about this here. I prayed to God that he trust the hearts of everybody, as the minister said, so that we can look at this thing that we're going through, 32BJ. Twenty-seven hundred people are being affected, who can't sleep at night, and I'm one of them. I've done everything in my power to try to convince the media, City Council, the SRC, negotiating team for the SRC to do right by 2,700 people. It's wrong. It's wrong. So I'd like to say, 26 years I come to work every day. I'm the first one in; I'm the last one out. I taught my children to go to work, work hard, you'll be rewarded. Why are we being punished? Why are we being the scapegoats for mismanagement? It's very unfair. And I say to City Council, in all due respect to my Councilman, Curtis Jones, laying 2,700 people off and putting them on unemployment is a disservice to working families in our city. We support the use and occupancy tax. We need it. We need y'all. We fought a good fight and now we need some help. And I'm humble enough to say that to you, City Council, on behalf of my colleagues, who do the same thing day in and day out as I do. Thank you. (Applause.)
Sarah Jameson, commenting on 120173-A. (Witness approached podium.)
Praise God. I am a worship the Lord, and I just thank him for another day. And I too am a prayer warrior, and I've been praying right along with others in this place. And I just want to thank God that we all are colleagues. We're standing for each other. If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything. And I thank God we're all one and we stand together. (Applause.)
But I do want to say that we support school taxes, and all we're standing here and stating and asking and saying if it's not too much, please support us and help keep our schools and our jobs, please. That's all we're stating right here. (Applause.) (Audience members yelling "Save our schools.")
Good morning, distinguished members of Council. Let me start by making the point that this resolution is not about ideology; it's about survival. Since the 1950s, the U.S. government has spent lavishly on military and defense outlets, without even debating whether or not it's any way justified. We're at a point where this kind of spending is no longer sustainable. In 2013, military spending makes up 57 percent of the federal discretionary spending, defined as those programs where spending levels are set each year by the government. Education is set at 6.3. Many of those huge military spending contracts are locked into place. The war in Afghanistan isn't. According to costofwar.com, the tab for that war is now closing in on 600 billion. The U.S. has 88,000 troops there, and the proposed budget for 2013 is 83 billion. The most recent poll shows that 66 percent of the Americans believe that the war in Afghanistan is not worth fighting. Meanwhile, Philadelphia prepares to decimate its school system at every level for want of funding. The current 60 million shortfall cited in our resolution and the 269 million budget gap we come into next year are small sums compared to what the federal government spends in a month in Afghanistan. Yet they make all the difference in the quality of education to Philadelphia kids. This year's cuts, for instance, eliminate the jobs of 100 nurses. That means we go to approximately 185 nurses in 390 schools. One nurse for approximately 1,500 students. Ask any nurse what that means and they will tell you chaos. Consider the effect of laying off 2,700 school employees on the infrastructure of an already deteriorated system in the nation's biggest poorest city. Clearly, we have come to a place where the health and welfare of Americans' poor children are regarded with the same casual cynicism according to the populations of those countries unfortunate enough to find themselves in the middle of another American war. This resolution asks the Congress and the President immediately to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan. To those who say foreign policy issues are not the business of Philadelphia City Council, I reply when we're staring at the brutalizing effects of those policies, then in fact they are our business. (Applause.)
By passing this resolution, you will help create the political ground swell it will take for the woefully blind among the members of Congress to get the message. The federal government's military spending priorities are resulting in disaster for the U.S. cities, and we see it every day. Bring all troops home from Afghanistan and use that money to fund education, job creation and -(Applause.)
Ken Heard, commenting on 120284. (Witness approached podium.)
Greetings, Councilmembers. We're with the National Writers Union. I'm Treasurer here in Philadelphia. I have with us today the Chairman of Philadelphia, but he also sits on the national Board. We're with United Auto Workers of America. We are Local 1981, and we would like you to definitely, we beseech you to support this resolution on the floor presently. I will leave you with our executive Board member.
My name is Reverend Colton Jones. I am the Chair of the Philadelphia Chapter of the National Writers Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers, Local 1981 AFL-CIO. Years ago I attended a show. It was a show of weapons and strength. I watched as a million dollars worth of ammunition was exploded in a few minutes. To me it was a waste, for once a bomb is exploded, it cannot be replaced. In this profession of writing, it is in our interest to encourage education, to encourage reading, writing for the betterment and enrichment of our society. We do not need weapons. We need education. Not weapons, not tanks, not ships, not planes, not jets nor costly wars. Museums are more important than forts. Art is more substantial than a missile. Pencils are; bullets are not. Pens are; grenades are not. Rulers are; clay bars are not. Calculators are; land mines are not. Love is peace. Education is growth, development, culture, knowledge, art and science. Education is the future. Education is peace. War is not. Thank you. (Applause.)
Thank you. Begin your testimony, please. You may begin your testimony, ma'am.
Put the timer on. Thank you. I'm Nina Huizinga. I'm from the Granny Peace Brigade. We had a Council room filled with people in the audience who were here because they were concerned about Philadelphia public schools, and we are in a Philadelphia public school crisis at the moment. There are other human services in Philadelphia that are also in crisis across the board - recreation, care for the elderly, fixing the infrastructure. There's innumerable problems that our city budget has. There is reason why Philadelphia is in such a financial crisis. The state also is in a financial crisis. The state used to support Philadelphia much more than it does now. And both the state and Philadelphia are in crisis because the federal government used to support the City and the State much more than they do now. And the reason why the federal government is in crisis at the moment is because we have spent our money. In fact, we have spent money we didn't have to support the foreign wars that we have been waging these past ten years in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Somalia, in Yemen. And in addition, we have bases in more than 100 countries. Plus, we are spending a lot of money every year on the military budget. All of the discretionary money that we have available to us federally, almost 60 percent of it goes for military uses of one kind or another. So a very small percentage is available for essential services here at home. We need to decrease the military spending and spend it on our domestic needs here at home to have a strong country. Therefore, I want City Council to pass Resolution 120284. Thank you for your consideration.
Excuse me. He was called before. He wasn't in Chamber. Now he's here. His name was skipped. Can he speak now?
We'll entertain it. Please come up, state your name for the record. (Witness approached podium.)
My name is John Loftus. I'm an employee for the School District of Philadelphia, and I support the use and occupancy tax. I'm also a registered voter and I go to every election and I vote for you, and I'm asking you, City Councilmembers, to honor the pledge that you signed here in this room to support 32BJ members and to help us save our jobs. That's all I got.
Hello, Mr. President, members of Council, ladies and gentlemen. I'm Robert Taylor, citizen of South Philadelphia. I'm commenting on Ordinance 120175-A. I agree with Tom Cronin and many of the others that suggest that we should end these wars, bring those resources home to support our schools and other things that are needed and let's keep our schools public and accountable to the people. However, I'm opposed to the property tax increases. It appears that the temporary taxes of the past are going to be made permanent, just as predicted. According to Philly.com, quote, two other aspects of Nutter's plan promised to compound the impact of AVI. First, he planned to make permanent two years worth of property tax increases that were billed as temporary at the time Council approved them. Council's budget would cement this plan. Second, Nutter proposed raising an additional $94 million for schools on top of those temporary-turned-permanent tax increases, end quote. Councilman Green is certainly correct in his view that AVI is really an unadvertised tax hike. I support Councilman Squilla and other members of Council in resisting this dangerous plan. Naturally, I hope AVI is delayed for good. Property taxes place a heavy burden on our senior citizens, disabled, people on fixed incomes and is really just plain unfair. Property taxes can force homeowners to lose their homes to Sheriff sales or force individuals to choose between eating and heating their homes, needed medication or paying their property tax. Property assessments are based upon subjective evaluations. They contribute to the migration out of the City and state. Appeal hearings can be costly. They pit property owners against the School District and municipal government. Moreover, these increases may put parents on the street, even if their children continue to go to school. They may end up calling a shelter home. The School District needs to live within its two and a half billion dollar budget. This $40 million that will be raised today is a drop in the bucket by comparison. And it is important to have a job, it is important for businesses to stay in the City and it is important for citizens to keep a roof over their head. Thank you, and God bless America. (Applause.)
Reverend Micah Sims, commenting on 120601. (Witness approached podium.)
To Council President Darrell Clarke, my 4th District Councilman, Curtis Jones, resolution sponsor Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez and the other members of City Council, my name is Reverend Micah Sims and I come before you today in support of Resolution No. 120601 that helps us truly understand that this country is of the people, by the people and for the people. Today, this City Council in the birth place of this country is taking a stand to bring back one vote for one person. It is clear that the ruling to allow corporations to be considered as individuals is contributing to the dismantling and weakening of democracy in our country as we know it. It is my belief that in no way do our founding fathers ever intend that a corporation should have the same rights as individuals in the process of democracy. For over 20 years -- for over 200 years, the citizens of our country have participated in elections, which involve ideas and visions, but now since the ruling from the United States Supreme Court in the case of Citizens United, ideas can be extinguished by the need for corporations to increase their profits. If corporations want to do something with their money, their profits, how about improving the income of their current employees? How about creating more jobs? How about creating and supporting public education by supplying new computers and educational materials? How about providing college scholarships for our public school students? And how about paying your fair share of taxes that provide the needed income for our cities to provide the services to its residents? Here is a way to allow your profit dollars to impact the general welfare of our society. Yes, a constitutional amendment is needed. Eradicating big money out of politics is needed. Campaign finance reform is needed. Encouraging people that their vote matters and not just a statistic is needed. And bringing back democracy to the people is exactly what is needed, and this resolution helps to do that. As the Regional Director and national Board member of Occupy the Dream and the Empowerment Movement, with these organizations committed to bringing the faith community back to the forefront of social justice and equality, far too many of my ancestors lost their careers, homes and lives to provide me the right to cast my vote on November 6th, and I refuse to allow those lives to go disrespected in this United States of America by creating an atmosphere that money matters and my vote does not. So we encourage this City Council to move forward on their amendment, on their resolution to get one vote for one person. Council, I thank you for this time. (Applause.)
Hold it for a second. The Chair recognizes Councilman Kenney.
Mr. Chairman, with your approval, I need to leave the Chamber for personal reasons. If the Consent Agenda vote comes up, would you please record myself as voting aye on all bills under consent.
Matt Reuben, commenting on 120395. (Witness approached podium.)
Thank you, Mr. President, members of Council. My name is Matt Reuben. I'm President of Northern Liberties Neighbors Association. I'm commenting on something a little different. But first I just want to quickly say, I don't envy you, the incredibly difficult job that has been foisted upon you, and I think you've actually done a tremendous job trying to balance everything. And I also want to thank one of the Councilpeople representing my district in particular, Mark Squilla, for his leadership on the AVI issue. And, finally, Bill 395 and 396 which relate to an issue specific to my community regarding the Finnigan's Wake bar, and I just need to publicly put on the record my neighbors', residents', constituents' strong opposition to outdoor liquor service, balconies on Spring Garden Street that Finnigan's Wake is proposing, its strong and animus opposition. And I just need to put that on the record. And we're hopeful that some kind of a solution can be achieved to prevent the nuisance aspect of this establishment from expanding and to work out some kind of arrangement, and would respectfully suggest that the 396 bill be held until next week and/or amended to address this issue. Thank you very much for your time.
There are no other speakers on the public comment list, Mr. President.
You want to be a filler? Come on, please. Get the rest of our colleagues back.
As John Street used to say, I'll be brief, however long it takes.
There were a number of us who wanted to testify on 175-A. I'll just be brief. I echo what Matt just said. I'm Jeff Hornstein, President of Queen Village Neighbors, been here a bunch of times about this issue. I commend you for tackling this incredibly complex task of real estate property tax reform. It is an incredibly tough issue. We've heard a lot of eloquent testimony today. My former colleagues from 32BJ were amazing, the School District employees. There is a revenue crisis in the short term and the medium term and the long term. In the short term, I think it's clear what has to happen. As we've seen in this body over the past several months, the Administration has not provided the data necessary to put AVI into place. That's a shame. It really is. If we had the data, it would have been great to move ahead with this comprehensive tax reform or at least the property tax reform now. The data is not there. It is irresponsible, in my view, to go ahead with AVI without the data. But in the short term, we need to raise revenue. We need to fund the City. We need to fund the School District. You've heard the stories. You've heard the testimony from the School District employees. You've heard testimony from folks who are worried about property tax increases. I think the only sensible thing to do right now is once again to raise some property taxes in a flat way as is proposed in the current -- my understanding of the current compromise that was brokered by Council President Clarke and with the leadership of my Councilman, Mark Squilla, who we commend for all this. But we need to get creative about revenue sources. There's a whole list of them that I think this Council ought to entertain. I find it really hard to understand why some people are resisted to really pushing harder on collecting delinquent property taxes. Unless the Inquirer is totally lying, there's a lot of money out there. We need to figure out how to collect more of it. We need to get rid of the ten-year tax abatement. I think it has totally served its purpose. We really do need to figure out how to negotiate some pilot agreements with some of our very prosperous universities and hospitals here. There's other cities have done it. We should be following suit. We need to think about raising the gross receipts tax. I know the business community wouldn't be thrilled about that, but in exchange for lowering net profits, I think there's a comprehensive tax reform policy that really needs to be put into place once this short-term crisis is done. So I'll just repeat. Do AVI right, not recklessly. I'm glad to see we're moving in that direction. We need to protect the vulnerable. We need to shift the burden to commercial property. We need to figure that piece out. And I thank you again for your leadership on in this very, very complicated moment in the City's history. Thank you. (Applause.)
Thank you. We're going to consider the Calendar in about three minutes. (Pause.)
We'll now consider the Calendar. I will ask Mr. Decker to please read the title of all the resolutions on the Consent Agenda. After each title is read, any member may object to inclusion of the resolution on the Resolution Consent Agenda. Upon such an objection and without debate, the resolution will be immediately removed from the Resolution Consent Agenda and placed on today's regular Final Passage Calendar. The Chair will now read the titles of the resolutions on the Consent Agenda -- I'm sorry, the Clerk, Mr. Decker.
Resolution No. 120594, entitled "A resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, without consideration, deeds conveying conditional fee simple title to certain City-owned lots or pieces of ground with the buildings and improvements thereon, situate in the Fifty-First Ward of the City of Philadelphia"; and Resolution No. 120595, entitled "A resolution approving the redevelopment contract and disposition supplement of the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority for the redevelopment and urban renewal of a portion of the Model Cities Urban Renewal Area, identified by house number and street address as 749 North Uber Street"; and Resolution No. 120596, entitled "A resolution approving the redevelopment contract and disposition supplement of the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority redevelopment and urban renewal of a portion of the Model Cities Urban Renewal Area, identified by house number and street address as 1620 North Patton Street"; and Resolution No. 120597, entitled "A resolution approving the redevelopment contract of the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority for the redevelopment and urban renewal of a portion of the Southwest Temple Urban Renewal Area, designated as Parcel Nos. 26 and 27 and also sometimes identified by house numbers and street addresses for Parcel No. 26 as 1221 through 33 North Hutchinson Street and for Parcel No. 27 as 1224 through 38 Rear North Ninth Street"; and Resolution No. 120598, entitled "A resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, without consideration, deeds conveying simple title to certain City-owned lots or pieces of ground with the buildings and improvements thereon, situate in the Fifteenth and Forty-Seventh Wards of the City of Philadelphia"; and Resolution No. 120599, entitled "A resolution urging the Renewal of Collective Bargaining Agreements Between Labor and Management in Area Healthcare Institutions"; and Resolution No. 120600, entitled "A resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, without consideration, deeds conveying conditional fee simple title to certain City-owned lots or pieces of ground with the buildings and improvements thereon, situate in the Thirty-Sixth Ward of the City of Philadelphia"; and Resolution No. 120601, entitled "A resolution calling upon the United to defend democracy from the undue influence of corporations by passing and sending to the states for ratification a constitutional amendment which overturns the Supreme Court's ruling in Citizens versus Federal Election Commission and establishes that only human beings, not corporations, are endowed with constitutional rights"; and Resolution No. 120602, entitled "A resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, without consideration, deeds conveying conditional fee simple title to certain City-owned lots or pieces of ground with the buildings and improvements thereon, situate in the Thirty-First Ward of the City of Philadelphia"; and Resolution No. 120603, entitled "A resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Authority, without consideration, deeds conveying conditional fee simple title to certain City-owned lots or pieces of ground with the buildings and improvements thereon, situate in the Nineteenth Ward of the City of Philadelphia"; and Resolution No.
120604, entitled "A resolution approving the redevelopment contract and disposition supplement of the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority for the redevelopment and urban renewal of a portion of the Model Cities Urban Renewal Area, identified by house number and street address as 427 through 35 Master Street"; and Resolution No. 120606, entitled "A resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, without consideration, deeds conveying conditional fee simple title to certain City-owned lots or pieces of ground with and improvements thereon, situate in the Thirty-Eighth Ward of the City of Philadelphia"; and Resolution No. 120608, entitled "A resolution nominating 25 individuals for consideration by the Mayor as appointees to the Commission on Parks and Recreation"; and Resolution No. 120190, entitled "A resolution reappointing Pat Lavelle to the Board of Directors for the Old City Special Services District"; and Resolution No. 120191, entitled "A resolution reappointing Michael Mattioni to the Board of Directors for the Old City Special Services District"; and Resolution No. 120503, entitled "A resolution appointing Harold Epps to the Board of Directors of the Center City District"; and Resolution No. 120504, entitled "A resolution appointing Greg DeShields to the Board of Directors of the Center District"; and Resolution No. 120505, entitled "A resolution appointing David Marshall to the Board of Directors of the Center City District"; and Resolution No. 120538, entitled "A resolution approving the annual Program Statement and Budget for the expenditure of the Neighborhood Transformation Initiative Bond Proceeds for Fiscal Year 2013.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Jones for a motion to adopt each of the resolutions on the Resolution Consent Agenda.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move the adoption of each of the resolutions on the Resolution Consent Agenda. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and seconded that each of on the Resolution Consent Agenda be adopted. All in favor say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and each of the resolutions on the Resolution Consent Agenda have been adopted. (Applause.)
Thank you. We will now consider today's Bill Consent Agenda. I will ask Mr. Decker to please read the titles of all the bills on the Consent Agenda. After each title is read, any member may object to the inclusion of the bill on the Consent Agenda. Upon such an objection and without debate, the bill will be immediately removed from the Consent Agenda and placed on our regular Final Mr. Decker, will you now read the titles of the bills on the Consent Agenda.
Bill No. 120214-A, entitled "An ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by York Street, Front Street, Second Street and Berks Street"; and Bill No. 120415, entitled "An ordinance authorizing Temple University to construct, own and maintain encroachments within the right-of-way at 1837 through 55 North Broad Street"; and Bill No. 120420, entitled "An ordinance authorizing Caffe Italia to construct, own and maintain auxiliary seating at 1424 Snyder Avenue"; and Bill No. 120417, entitled "An ordinance amending Title 14 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled 'Zoning and Planning,' to expand the boundaries of Acquisition Corridor"; and Bill No. 120431, entitled "An ordinance amending Title 14 of the Philadelphia Code, entitled 'Zoning and Planning,' by revising and clarifying certain provisions and making technical changes"; and Bill No. 120480, entitled "An ordinance amending the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by 38th Street, Ludlow Street, Chestnut Street and 37th Street"; and Bill No. 120416, entitled "An ordinance amending Chapter 19-3200, entitled 'Keystone Opportunity Zone, Economic Development District, and Strategic Development Area,' by providing for additional properties to be added to certain zones"; and Bill No. 120489, entitled "An ordinance amending Chapter 12-2800 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled 'Administrative Adjudication of Parking Violations,' by providing for an additional fee to be added to the cost of each parking ticket"; and Bill No. 120389, entitled "An ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to enter into a long-term lease agreement with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, whereby the City will obtain use of a parking lot located approximately at the intersection of Dupont and High Streets"; and Bill No. 120413, entitled "An ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to convey to the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development a parcel of land generally situate at 1224 North Mascher Street"; and Bill No. 120414, entitled "An ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to convey to the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial parcel of land generally situate at 1849 Frankford Avenue"; and Bill No. 120421, entitled "An ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to convey to the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development a parcel of land generally situate at 3129 South 70th Street"; and Bill No. 120427, entitled "An ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to convey to the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development certain parcels of land situate at 3300 North Front Street and 130 West Westmoreland Street"; and Bill No. 120486, entitled "An ordinance authorizing a license agreement with a term of up to twenty years, and other related agreements, between the City and the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development for certain land and facilities located in the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park and Marian Anderson Recreation Center, to be used to establish, conduct, and operate the Philadelphia Phillies MLB Urban Youth Academy"; and Bill No. 120144, entitled "An ordinance authorizing and directing the installation of a traffic signal on Conshohocken Avenue at the easternmost entrance from Conshohocken Avenue to the parking lot on the property known as 4160 Monument Road"; and Bill No.
120331, entitled "An ordinance amending Section 9-213 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled 'Farmers' Markets,' by adding as permissible locations the southwest quadrant of Norris Square Park and the sidewalk of the south side of Lehigh Avenue between North Lawrence Street and 4th Street"; and Bill No. 120395, entitled "An ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 271 by striking from the City Plan and vacating Bodine Street from Street to Green Street"; and Bill No. 120396, entitled "An ordinance authorizing Northern Liberties Auction to construct, use and maintain various encroachments within the right-of-way on the north sidewalk of Spring Garden Street between North Third Street and Bodine Street"; and Bill No. 120436, entitled "An ordinance authorizing Dranoff Properties, 3180 Chestnut Street, to construct, own and maintain various encroachments within the City right-of-way on the east side of Broad Street between Rodman Street and South Street, the north side of South Street between Juniper Street and Broad Street and the south side of Rodman Street between Juniper Street and Broad Street"; and Bill No. 120490, entitled "An ordinance establishing a parking regulation on Carlisle Street, west side, Tioga Street to Ontario Street"; and 120519, entitled "An ordinance amending Section 9-213 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled 'Farmers' Markets,' by adding as a permissible location a portion of the sidewalks and curb lanes of both sides of the 3500 block of Ryan Avenue beginning at Frankford Avenue"; and Bill No. 120519, entitled "An ordinance authorizing 2303 Bainbridge Street to construct, own and maintain various encroachments within the City right-of-way on the north side of Bainbridge Street between South 24th Street and Grays Ferry Avenue and the west side of Grays Ferry Avenue north of Bainbridge Street"; and Bill No. 120520, entitled "An ordinance establishing a parking regulation on 6th Street, both sides, Carpenter Street to Washington Avenue"; and Bill No. 120521, entitled "An ordinance establishing a parking Tasker Street, both sides, 12th Street to 13th Street"; and Bill No. 120522, entitled "An ordinance establishing a parking regulation on Carpenter Street, both sides, 11th Street to 12th Street"; and Bill No. 120550, entitled "An ordinance authorizing Bill Murphy's Irish Saloon to construct, own and maintain an open air sidewalk cafe at 3333 through 35 Conrad Street"; and Bill No. B. Sweets and Treats, doing business as Sweets and Treats, to construct, own and maintain an open air sidewalk cafe at 3138 Richmond Street"; and Bill No. 120552, entitled "An ordinance authorizing Green Olives Cafe to construct, own and maintain an open air sidewalk cafe at 992 North 2nd Street"; and Bill No. , doing business as Cantina Dos Segundos to construct, own and maintain an open air sidewalk cafe at 931 through 33 North 2nd Street"; and Bill No. 120554, entitled "An ordinance authorizing Dock Street Brewery to construct, own and maintain an open air sidewalk cafe at 701 South 50th Street"; and Bill No. 120555, entitled "An ordinance establishing a no tractor trailer parking regulation on the 800 Block of South 53rd Street, from Broomall Street to Whitby Avenue, both sides"; and Bill No. 120145, entitled "An ordinance renaming and designating Old Line Park located at 8730 Old Line Road as 'Jack Horgan Memorial Field'"; and Bill No. 120274, entitled "An ordinance naming the playground currently designated as the 'Cobbs Creek Playground,' located at 63rd and Catharine Streets, and bounded by 63rd and Christian Streets as the 'Rufus O. Playground'"; and Bill No.
120433, entitled "An ordinance authorizing the Concession Agreement for Operation and Management of Bicycle Rental Stations In The Fairmount Park System, between the City of Philadelphia and Freetime, Inc. (doing business as 'Wheel Fun Rentals')"; and Bill No. 120435, entitled "An ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of the Department of Parks and Recreation to acquire certain easements for the purpose of constructing a public recreation trail to connect Junod Playground to Poquessing Creek Park and Benjamin Rush State Park"; and Bill No. 120482, entitled "An ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Parks and Recreation to execute a lease with the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development, obligating PAID to execute a sublease with the Zoological Society of Philadelphia, under which the Society would construct, manage, operate, maintain, and repair a multi-story parking garage and related streetscape improvements along West Girard Avenue"; and Bill No. "
Thank you, Mr. President. I'd just like to take the opportunity to commend Mr. Decker and compliment him on reaching the same speed as Pat Rafferty. He's terrific. (Applause.)
So moved. I got to tell you, you have stamina, sir. Thank you, Mr. Decker. These bills having been read on two different days, the question for each bill now is shall the bill pass finally. Mr. Decker, please call the roll, and upon being called, each member shall vote aye on each bill or nay on each bill or those bills for which the members is voting aye and those bills for which the member is voting nay. Mr. Decker, please call the roll.
Aye on bills, except for 120489, for which I vote nay.
Aye on all bills on the Consent Agenda, except for Bill No. 120417, on which I previously disclosed a conflict of interest and abstaining and recuse myself.
Aye on all bills. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative for each of the bills, with the exception of Councilwoman Blackwell, who voted nay on -- Councilwoman, what was that bill again?
489 6/21/12 - STATED - 2ND READING and Councilman Green who abstained on Bill No?
417. Thank you. Let the record reflect that. We will now consider the bills and resolutions on the regular Second Reading and Final Passage. Mr. Decker, please read the title of Bill No -- Mr. Decker, do you have any resolutions on the regular Calendar?
Resolution No. 120284, entitled "A resolution calling on the U.S. Congress and President Barack Obama to redirect military spending to fund education, public and private sector family-sustaining job creation, special protections for military sector workers, and environmental and infrastructure restoration, care for veterans and their families, and the human services that our cities and states so desperately need."
By? 6/21/12 - STATED - 2ND READING Who is the resolution?
Thank you, Council President. We're withdrawing this one. We've reintroduced it, and it will be come up in a final vote on the privileged Calendar. So I motion to withdraw this language on the bill. (Duly seconded.)
Moved and properly seconded. All in favor of withdrawing the language? (Aye.)
The ayes have it. It is withdrawn. Mr. Decker, do you have any 6/21/12 - STATED - 2ND READING other resolutions?
Bill No. 120428-A, entitled "An ordinance amending Chapter 9-3400 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled 'Energy Conservation,' to provide for the benchmarking and reporting of energy and water usage data for certain buildings."
This bill having been read on two separate days, the question is shall the bill pass finally. Mr. Decker, please call the roll.