COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA STATED MEETING Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Thursday, March 7, 2024 10:03 a.m. PRESENT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT KENYATTA JOHNSON COUNCILWOMAN NINA AHMAD COUNCILWOMAN CINDY BASS COUNCILMAN MICHAEL DRISCOLL COUNCILWOMAN JAMIE GAUTHIER COUNCILWOMAN KATHERINE GILMORE RICHARDSON COUNCILMAN JIM HARRITY COUNCILMAN CURTIS JONES, JR. COUNCILWOMAN RUE LANDAU COUNCILWOMAN QUETCY LOZADA COUNCILMAN BRIAN J. O'NEILL COUNCILMAN NICOLAS O'ROURKE COUNCILMAN ANTHONY PHILLIPS COUNCILMAN MARK SQUILLA COUNCILMAN ISAIAH THOMAS COUNCILMAN JEFFERY YOUNG, JR. ELIZABETH McCOLLUM NAZARIO INTERIM CHIEF CLERK
I note that the hour has come and that a quorum of this Council is present. Council will now come to order. Members will take their seats. Visitors will retire to the seats outside the rails. Before proceeding, I will ask all those present to please set your cell phones to silent or vibrate. To give our invocation this morning, the Chair recognizes Pastor Mark Novales of City Reach Church. He is here today as the guest of Councilmember Quetcy Lozada. I would ask all members and guests to please rise. (Councilmembers and guests rise.)
It's an honor to be in this room with you, and I just greet all Councilmembers in the name of our congregation, our communities that we represent, which is Tacony, Kensington, and Fairhill but, most importantly, I name above all names, the name of Jesus. I'm humbled, I'm honored to be in this place today. So let us pray. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we pray for wisdom. We pray for peace. We pray for hope and healing, especially over the families, Lord, who have endured so much pain due to the recent shootings, Lord, in our city. So we just pause here and we just present them before you. Heavenly Father, you would cover them, you would carry them, you would lead them during this difficult time. We pray for our schools, Lord. We pray for our public schools, for our parochial schools. We pray, Lord, for our charter schools. We pray for our children right now. We pause and we say, Lord, you would lead, you would lead this hall, these halls, or you would lead the men and women, Lord, who you've appointed and you, at the end of the day, represent you, Lord, that we would do that well. I pray, Lord, that the church of Philadelphia would rise up and take its place. I pray, Lord, that we would take your place according to your Word. Lord, we would take our place, Lord, as the Word shows, where kings and priests, Lord, united to see communities healed. So I pray for that. I pray for that in the name of Jesus. I pray and declare, God, your hope, Lord, where there's hopelessness. I declare, God, peace where there's chaos. I declare right now, God, hope and healing over the City of Philadelphia that we would rise up and take our place, Lord, in the nation, Lord, and in the world, God, a place where the brotherly love that was declared over this place. So we reiterate that right now, God. I pray, God, according to your word, Lord, thy kingdom come, thy will be here in Philadelphia as it is in heaven. And you will get the glory. The glory will be yours. We will never touch it. So I pray, God, authority in this place, God, and you will get the glory. So lead your men and women in this place, God, never to be the same again, in Jesus' name, the name that matters most. Amen, amen, and amen. (Amen.)
The Chair thanks the pastor. Council will now be at ease. (Council at ease.)
The next order of business is the approval of the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, February the 29th, 2024. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Cindy Bass.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the Journal Thursday, February 29th, 2024 be approved. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, February 29th, 2024 stand approved. All those in favor signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and the Journal is approved. The next order of business is request for leaves of absence, and the Chair recognizes Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson.
Thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of the majority, there are no requests for leave of absence today.
Thank you. The Chair now recognizes Councilmember Nicholas "Nick" O'Rourke
On behalf of the minority, we request a leave of absence for Councilwoman Kendra Brooks.
The Chair thanks the Councilmember, and leave is granted. The Chair now recognizes Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson for a motion concerning certain legislative matters that may arise during the course of today's session of Council and that were not listed on the Calendar circulated prior to today's session.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that any of the following matters, if considered today, may be added to the agenda for this session of Council and, as required by law, subsequently published on an after the consideration of those matters: resolutions authorizing hearings, amendments to bills on first reading, the reconsideration of a bill vetoed by or re-called from the Mayor, amendments to bills re-called from the Mayor, resolutions taking substantive action to be voted on in this session, a motion to withdraw a bill or resolution that is not on the Calendar, and a motion placing a bill or resolution on or returning a bill or resolution from the Suspension Calendar that is not listed on today's Calendar. The purpose of this motion is to provide the public with notice concerning possible actions by Council that arose too late to be included on the Calendar that was published prior to today's session. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the legislative matters stated by Richardson may be added to the agenda for today, should those matters arise during the course of this session of Council. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the motion carries. The Chair will dispense with the regular order of business to recognize the guests and visitors joining us in the Chamber this morning. On behalf of all members of City Council, I welcome you to our Council session. We appreciate you taking the time to join us as we attend to the legislative affairs of our great city. We certainly invite you to come again. At this time, the Chair recognizes Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, resolution honoring and recognizing the 18th Police District Tactical Squad for its valiant efforts to reduce gun violence and enhance public safety in West Philadelphia. Would Captain Daniel Ginion and those accompanying him please join the Councilmember at the podium. Also joining Councilmember for her presentation will be Councilmember Quetcy Lozada, Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson, Councilmember Driscoll, and Councilmember Jones. (Councilmembers and guests approached podium.)
Good morning, everyone. Today we are recognizing the 18th Police District Tactical Squad for their valiant efforts to reduce gun violence and enhance public safety in West Philadelphia: Police Officer Kevin Tilghman, Police Officer Kevin Semonelle, Police Officer Peter Sztenderowicz, Police Officer George Tsoflias, Police Officer Kevin Krowicki, Police Officer Joseph McCarthy, Police Officer Aaron Turner, Police Officer Eric Schroder, Police Officer Brandon Sweeney, Police Officer Zachary DePerro, Police Officer Jeffrey Bascomb, and Police Officer Jessie West. The Tactical Squad proactively targets specific community issues. For the past few years, they have prioritized getting guns and shooters off of our streets. This squad is on the front lines of our gun violence crisis, disrupting the cycle of violence, bringing justice and accountability to victims and their families, and keeping our neighborhoods safe. Record high gun violence did not stop the Tactical Squad from delivering for our neighborhoods. In 2022, though they only account for 10 percent of the 18th District's force, the Tactical Squad made almost 70 percent in part to this squad's hard work and valor, shootings in this police district have decreased by 16 percent. I will now invite my colleagues to name just a few examples of the Tactical Squad's bravery and effectiveness.
After being dragged for several blocks by a suspect attempting to flee in a vehicle, Officer Turner and his partner, Officer Schroder, arrested the operator without further harm to the community or themselves.
Officer Sweeney and Officer DePerro quickly responded to a report of a shooting at 5400 block of Market Street. We will call that 54 and Market. Their swift action allowed them to detain the suspect before they could do further harm. Upon further investigation, the officers determined the suspect was homicide that happened in the 19th Police District.
Officer McCarthy and Officer Krowicki initiated a vehicle stop, and the operators attempted to flee. The officers pursued, detaining the suspects without further incident. Further investigation revealed that one of the defendants was wanted for a homicide in the 16th Police District.
Officer Krowicki and Officer McCarthy were patrolling Cobbs Creek Parkway when they spotted and detained someone wanted for multiple shootings. A trusting and collaborative relationship between law enforcement and the community is paramount to ending gun violence. This bond is born when residents know that their police officers will swiftly respond to emergencies and track down and apprehend shooters. When our officers get shooters off the streets, we can close cases and to communities that have a history of being overlooked or written off by law enforcement, including ones served by the police officers standing up here. So thank you to the members of the 18th District Tactical Squad for serving West Philadelphia with excellence, and modeling the community and professional policing our neighborhoods deserve. As the Council representative for the 18th Police District and a member of Council's Public Safety Committee, I am pleased City Council has this opportunity to honor and to recognize your bravery, which often gets taken for granted. Let's give the Tactical Squad a round of applause. (Applause.)
I would Deputy Police Commissioner Cram up to the podium to say a few words. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER CRAM: Good morning, everyone. Thank you, Councilwoman. Greatly appreciate the support. Council President, thank you for having us, and to the Council, thank you. It always means a lot when we're recognized by you as the leaders of this city. This is a snapshot of what goes on every day, the story that's told on the streets that nobody sees. This small team is responsible for a two-year period for over 250 violent felony arrests and recovering another 250 guns off the street. That's one small team in one district, but once again, it's a snapshot -(Applause.) CRAM: Yes. They deserve it. So that's just a small snapshot of what's going on on our streets and the work that the men and women of this Police Department is doing every day. And I greatly appreciate all your support. We have a lot of friends here, and we hope to make a few more, but thank you for what you do for our city. Thank you. (Applause.)
In a moment we will hear from the commanding officer of the 18th Police District, Captain Daniel Ginion. But before we do, I want to thank Captain Ginion for his leadership. For the past few years, I have collaborated with Captain Ginion and his team on a variety of public safety initiatives. He is the kind of commanding officer our neighborhoods deserve, someone who upholds law enforcement while also working with Council and the community on a comprehensive, place-based safety strategy. The Tactical Squad's effectiveness is a testament of your effectiveness as a commander and guardian of our community. Thank you for everything you do for West Philadelphia. Captain, the floor is yours. CAPTAIN GINION: Thank you for those kind words. First, let me clarify that from this resolution here, I did none of that police work. In fact, it's the hard work and determination of the officers in the blue shirts behind me. Second, let me emphasize something. In my 17 years with the Philadelphia Police Department in several ranks in some seriously challenging assignments with many cops, many police officers, I have a lot of time here that City. Over that time, I can tell you that the officers behind me are some of the finest the PPD has to offer, and it has been an honor to stand alongside them as they give the service to the community that they deserve. Last, I'd like to thank Council President as well as other members of Council as well, especially Councilmember Gauthier. Her continued support as well as her staff and partnership has been immensely helpful for myself as well as the members of my district. Thank you very much.
Thank you so much, everybody, for listening. I to take a photo with our officers in front of the rostrum.
The next order of business is communications. The Chair requests that the Sergeant-of-Arms deliver the messages from the Mayor to the Chief Clerk. The Chief Clerk will read the messages from the Mayor and any other communications in her possession.
To the President and members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, I am transmitting for the consideration of your honorable body a resolution appointing Madison McCarron to the Board of Directors of the City Avenue Special Services District of Philadelphia and Lower Merion. To the President and members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, for your consideration of your honorable body an ordinance amending Title 14 ("Zoning and Planning") and Title 18 ("Commerce") of The Philadelphia Code to clarify responsibilities of the Department of Aviation, and eliminating provisions related to passenger charges, all under certain terms and conditions. To the President and members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, I am submitting herewith for your consideration of your honorable body an ordinance amending Chapter 16-700 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Philadelphia Land Bank," to allow interested parties to require open bidding when the Land Bank seeks to exercise special authority to acquire property at a sheriff sale and allow prior owners to redeem property when such special authority is exercised, all under certain terms and conditions. There are no other communications in my possession, Council President.
Thank you very much. The messages will be printed in the Journal. The next order of business is the introduction of bills and resolutions. The Chair recognizes Councilman Anthony Phillips.
Thank you, Council President. Just before we do the bills and resolutions, I was wondering if we could have a moment of silence for the victim at Imhotep Charter High School this week and also prayers for a speedy recovery for those in Northeast High School that happened this week.
Thank you, Council President. There is no bills or resolutions introduced by me this week.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson.
Thank you, Council President. Today I offer one privileged resolution, and on your behalf, one privileged resolution and one non-privileged resolution.
Will the Clerk please read the titles of the resolutions.
A resolution recognizing March 3rd through 9th, 2024, during Women's History Month, as Women in Construction (WIC) Week in the City of Philadelphia.
This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.
A resolution honoring Super Bowl champion Jason Kelce on the occasion of his retirement from the National Football League, and recognizing Jason's historic career with the Philadelphia Eagles and his generous philanthropic contributions to the City of Philadelphia made through the Make The World Better Foundation and his (Be) Philly Foundation.
This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.
And a non-privileged resolution urging the Middle States Commission on Higher Education to reverse its decision to place Cheyney University on probationary status and calling on the Commission to work collaboratively with the University's leadership to restore the historic HBCU's academic status.
This resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at our next session of Council. The Chair recognizes now Councilmember Katherine Gilmore -- I'm sorry; Councilmember Jamie Gauthier.
Will the Clerk please read the title of the resolution.
A privileged resolution honoring and recognizing Katalin Kariko, PhD and Drew Weissman, MD PhD for winning the 2023 Nobel Prize in Medicine.
This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Isaiah Thomas.
Good morning, Council President. Good morning, colleagues. I have one resolution.
Will the Clerk please read the title of the resolution.
A privileged resolution honoring and congratulating the Champion of the Week, Lucas Koo, a Masterman High School student who competed in short track speed skating at the Winter Youth Olympic Games.
This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Curtis Jones.
Thank you, Mr. President. Today I offer three non-privileged and one -- three privileged and one non-privileged resolution.
Will the Clerk please read the title of the resolutions.
A privileged resolution Honoring and Recognizing Tanya Hill-Holiday for her admiral career achievements during Women's History Month.
This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.
A privileged resolution honoring the life and legacy of Dr. George E. Allen, the longtime leader of the Arts and Music Program at Overbrook High School.
This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.
And a privileged resolution celebrating Meredith Foote's trailblazing leadership as Executive Director of the TGR Learning Lab at The Cobbs Creek Golf Course on the occasion of Women's History Month.
This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.
And a non-privileged resolution appointing Madison McCarron to the Board of Directors of the City Avenue Special Services District of Philadelphia and Lower Merion.
This resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at our next session of Council. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Rue Landau.
Good morning, Council President, colleagues, and the public. No bills or resolutions today.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Quetcy Lozada.
Good morning, Council President. Today I offer one non-privileged resolution.
Will the Clerk please read the title of the resolution.
A non-privileged resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority deeds conveying fee simple title to 2147 North 5th Street in the Seventh Councilmanic District of the City of Philadelphia.
This resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at our next session of Council. The Chair now recognizes Councilmember Jeffery J. Young.
Thank you, Mr. President. Today I offer two bills for introduction.
Will the Clerk please read the title of the bills.
An ordinance establishing parking regulations in the vicinity of: North 20th Street and Fairmount Avenue; Tioga Street and Old York Road; Westmoreland Street and North 13th Street.
This bill will referred to the appropriate committee.
And an ordinance establishing parking regulations in the vicinity of: North 30th Street and Master Street; North 29th Street and Master Street and Oxford Street; Oxford and North 30th Street and North 29th Street; North 15th Street and Parrish Street; Swain Street and North 17th Street.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Jim Harrity.
Council President, I have no bills or resolutions today.
Council President, we have no bills or resolutions today.
Mr. President, I have one ordinance introduced on your behalf, I have another ordinance introduced by Councilman Squilla and myself, and I have one privileged resolution.
Thank you. Will the Clerk please read the title of the bills and resolution.
An ordinance amending Chapter 12-900 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Parking Regulations and Penalties," by providing for parking prohibitions for motor vehicles with sun screening devices, and for penalties and enforcement, all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And an ordinance amending Title 14 ("Zoning and Planning") and Title 18 ("Commerce") of The Philadelphia Code to clarify responsibilities of the Department of Aviation, and eliminating provisions related to the Joint Airport Zoning Board and passenger charges, all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And a privileged resolution celebrating Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day in The City of Philadelphia.
This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Brian O'Neill.
Thank you, Mr. President. I have no bills or resolutions.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Mark Squilla.
Thank you, Mr. President. No bills or resolutions today.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Cindy Bass.
Thank you, Mr. President. I offer one bill and one resolution.
Will the Clerk please read the title of the bill and resolution.
An ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Sedgwick Street, Ardleigh Street, Upsal Street, Belfield Avenue, and Sprague Street.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And a privileged resolution recognizing March of 2024 as Philadelphia's month of Literacy and Reading.
This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Nina Ahmad.
Thank you, Council President. I have one privileged resolution to offer.
Will the Clerk please read the title of the resolution.
A privileged resolution authorizing the Committees on Environment and Global Opportunities and the Creative/Innovative Economy to hold joint hearings regarding the reliability and servicing of public accessible electric vehicle charging stations in the
This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. The next order of business is reports from committees. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Young for a report from the Committee on Streets and Services.
Thank you, Mr. President. The Committee on Streets and Services report out six bills with a favorable recommendation.
Thank you very much. The Chief Clerk will please read the report.
To the President and members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, the Committee on Streets and Services, to which was referred Bill No. 240016, entitled "An ordinance amending Chapter 11-708 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled 'Traffic Schools,' by authorizing the Department of Streets to additionally install traffic calming measures in the vicinity of recreation centers, playgrounds, parks, and libraries; all under certain terms and conditions," respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bill to Council with a favorable recommendation.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading on this day of the six bills that were just read into the record by the Clerk.
It has been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended so as this day of Bills No. 240008, 240009, 240011, 240014, 240016, and 240089. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and these bills will be placed on our First Reading Calendar for today.
I have to read the rest of the titles. Sorry. I didn't read the other few bills. To the President and members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, the Committee on Streets and Services, to which was referred Bill No. 240014, entitled "An ordinance amending Title 9 of The Philadelphia Code, by amending Section 9-203 relating to Street Vendors, by prohibiting street vending in the 54th Ward; all under certain terms and conditions," respectfully reports it has considered and amended the same and returns the attached bill to Council with a favorable recommendation. The Committee on Streets and Services, to which was referred Bill No. 240011 [sic], entitled "An ordinance establishing parking regulations in the vicinity of: Gross Street and Arch Street; Dewey Street and Market Street; Arch Street to North 57th Street; North 61st Street between Arch Street and Race Street; North 57th Street and Market Street," respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bill to Council with a favorable recommendation. The Committee on Streets and Services, to which was referred Bill No. 240009, entitled "An ordinance establishing parking regulations in the vicinity of: Gross Street and Arch Street; Dewey Street and Market Street; 57th Street; North 61st Street between Arch Street and Race Street; North 57th Street and Market Street," respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bill to Council with a favorable recommendation. The Committee on Streets and Services, to which was referred Bill No. 240008, entitled "An ordinance establishing parking regulations in the vicinity of: Ainslie Street and Vaux Street and Conrad Street; Calumet Street and Dobson Street," respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bill to Council with a favorable recommendation. And the Committee on Streets and Services, to which was referred Bill No. 240089, entitled "An ordinance amending Title 12 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled 'Traffic Code,' by providing for prohibitions relating to license plate flipping devices, and for enforcement, all under certain terms and conditions," respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bill to Council with a favorable recommendation. And that is the entire report.
Thank you. The Clerk now recognizes Councilmember Jeffery J. Young.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit the first reading on this day of the bills just read by the Clerk into the record. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading this day of Bills No. 240008, 240009, 240011, 240014, 240016, and 240089. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. 2ND READING (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and these bills will be placed on our First Reading Calendar for today. The next order of business is the consideration of the Calendar. I note for the record that the bills just reported from committee with a suspension of the rules have been deemed to have had a first reading. These bills will be placed on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar for the next session of Council. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson for the purpose of calling up bills and resolutions on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendars.
Thank you, Mr. President. The following bills and resolutions are being called up from the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendars today: Nos. 240125, 240130, 240143, 240144, 240145, 240020, 240064, 240065, 240010, and 240007.
Thank you. Before considering these resolutions, we will consider public comment as follows: Your public comment must concern matters on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendars for possible action at today's Council session. All speakers must sign up in order to testify. If you have not already signed up for today's session, please do so now by giving your name to Ms. Hasson at the table outside the rails to my left. Once you have signed up, you will be called in the order in which your name appears on the sign-up sheet. Under ideal circumstances, public commenters each will have three minutes to speak. However, this time limit may vary from session to session. Today, due to the volume, the time limit will be two minutes. In order to be fair to all those wishing to speak, I intend to hold faithfully to the two-minute limit. When you begin speaking, you will see a green light on the podium. When there are 30 seconds remaining to your time, the light will turn yellow, which is your reminder to conclude your remarks. Once two minutes have passed, the light will turn red and the Sergeant-At-Arms will disconnect the microphone. At that time, please yield the podium to the next speaker, if you have not already done so. I also reserve the right pursuant to our rules of Council to limit repetitious comments on the same matter. I will now ask the Chief Clerk to please read the name of our first speaker.
Quibila Devine in support of renaming Chestnut Street between 12th and 13th Street. (Witness approached podium.)
Thank you very much. Good morning. Greetings. My name is Quibila Devine, former Chief Program Officer at SELF, Incorporated. I retired in December 2023. I had the pleasure of meeting Michael Hinson when he interviewed me for my position in 2018. SELF had just relocated to 1211 Chestnut Street. And in addition to interviewing me, Mike and I also talked about issues that needed to be resolved and strategies that we would take to ensure that Philadelphia's most vulnerable adults, families, and youth were served equitably. If you knew Mike, you knew that Mike was unapologetic and very direct about the challenges faced by those we served and the lack of political will that he saw was needed to correct it. He was great at proposing solutions that could be led by grassroots organizers in Black and brown communities. Mike had a super vision and could see things from a perspective not only as the President and CEO but also as a grassroots, boots-on-the-ground advocate and warrior. Mike was a poor righteous teacher who imparted so much knowledge and wisdom that you had no other choice but to understand his lesson. As a result, Mike quickly transitioned from my supervisor to my brother from another mother. To sum it all up, Mike was awesome sauce, in his own words. He was authentic. He was caring. He was an unselfish leader. He was unafraid. He was fun, love, peace, and happiness. I wholeheartedly support the renaming of 1200 Chestnut Street to Michael Hinson Way. Thank you, Councilperson Squilla and your team, Council President Johnson, Chief Clerk's Office, and all City Councilpersons. I want you all to know that you are truly appreciated.
D'Angelo D'Ontace Keyes. Also Sappho Fulton, Rasoul Nicholson, Corrine Robinson, and David Fair, make your way to the podium. D'Angelo D'Ontace Keyes. (Witness approached podium.)
I am here. All right. It's an honor to stand before you. For the record, my name is D'Angelo D'Ontace Keyes. I'm a dedicated artist, scholar of the City of Philadelphia and also the former Commissioner of the Office of Human Relations and also an advocate for the HIV and AIDS community. Reflecting on my own journey, I am humbled by the realization that I would not be here without the direct mentorship of trailblazers like Michael Hinson, Jr. Michael's unwavering dedication and compassion resonated within these very halls of power, inspiring and influencing historic actions that we as a city graciously revel in today. As we gather here on this audacious ask, it's an imperative that we recognize the pivotal role of history-makers like Michael Hinson, Jr. From being the first LGBTQ liaison for the City of Philadelphia, spearheading organizations devoted to health equity for Black LGBTQ communities, like the Colours Organization and the Center for Black Equity in Washington, DC, Michael's legacy is a testament to the resilience and determination of our people. I am reminded of a powerful anecdote of my own experiences. When I lived in Philadelphia, I once lived adjacent to a male shelter of SELF, Inc., where I witnessed firsthand the courage of Black men seeking recovery and refuge as they sought to rebuild their lives. This is an important reminder of the importance of restoration and enduring spirit of resilience that Philadelphia so beautifully lives in today. As we embark on this collective ask to honor this remarkable man through this resolution, let us not only commemorate the past but also reaffirm to creating a future where every voice is heard and our legacies are honored. Together, I ask you to honor Michael Hinson's legacy. As we pave a future generation, 12th Street and 13th Street of Chestnut should be named Michael Hinson's Way. Thank you. (Applause.)
Sappho Fulton. Also Rasoul Nicholson, Corrine Robinson, David Fair, and Reverend Andrea Lamour-Harrington, make your way to the podium. (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning. My name is Sappho Fulton, CEO of Women Beyond Borders, formerly the Program Director of the Michael Hinson Resource Center. I'm here today on behalf to read something from my comrade who could not be present, Lee Carson. The testimony of Lee Carson, who could not be present today on behalf of speaking on Michael Hinson, Jr., was -- Michael Hinson was a seminal figure in the fabric of not only Philadelphia's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender plus community but in the City of Philadelphia at-large and beyond. Michael played a pivotal role in the early days of Philadelphia's response to HIV and AIDS epidemic after meeting his longtime mentors, Rashida Cavar (ph), David Fair, and Tyrone Smith, and of course Chris Bartlett. Michael provided visionary leadership around helping to develop the infrastructure of the -- in response that exists today. It's well known he helped to found the Colours Organization and several thousands -- will serve several thousands of people for direct service and indirectly through the Colors Magazine and other initiatives impacted by the lives of Black LGBTQ+ individuals in Philadelphia. As the first liaison to the LGBTQ communities in Mayor Street's Administration, Michael helped to support and develop a number of key initiatives that benefited the LGBTQ community at-large, including fighting for the removal of gender markers on SEPTA transit passes, support for the internationally attended Trans Health Conference put on by Mazzoni Center, helping to found the Black Gay Men's Leadership Council, BGMLC, and the Black and Latinx Community Control organization. Michael used his visionary leadership to work across systems and demographics to achieve progress. For example, he served the bridge between the local chapters of the NAACP and the BGMLC to create palm cards designed to be used as an advocacy educational tool for LGBTQ people of color who were experiencing inequitable treatment in the gayborhood by police. Michael's experience extended beyond Philadelphia. Yet by him living in Philadelphia, he helped others to see Philadelphia as a place where visionary thought and leadership existed. After his work in the Street Administration, he worked for the International Federation of Black Pride where he, along with others, helped various cities around the United States and a few in the African countries develop and sustain Black -- thank you. We thank you, Councilman Squilla, and we definitely support the street being named after Michael Hinson. Thank you.
Rasoul Nicholson. Corrine Robinson, David Fair, Reverend Andrea Lamour-Harrington, and George Matysik, also make your way to the podium. Rasoul Nicholson. (No response.)
Will the Chief Clerk please call the next speaker.
Will the Chief Clerk please call the next speaker.
It's an honor to be here this morning to recognize the incredible career of Michael Hinson and support adding his name to a city street sign as a permanent marker of his efforts to help others be effective as advocates the way he was in his short time with us. The first time I met Michael was all the way back when he was a teenager in 1986, and the first thing he did when we met was complain. He complained that not enough was being done to spread the word in the Black community, both gay and straight, about the AIDS epidemic and that people were dying as a result. He complained that people like me, who were seen as leaders in the fight against AIDS, were taking for granted that getting the word out in the outs gay community was enough, when in fact especially in the his own Black community most gay men avoided that exposure. He called for people like me to get out of our comfort zones, because that was the only way we were going to save lives. He was right, of course, and we did our best, but over time it became clear that another person who needed to heed Michael's call was Michael himself. From the age of 17, Michael proved himself the consummate organizer, finding and motivating people to speak out against injustice and keep doing so until they found justice, not just in the area of AIDS but also in his unparalleled leadership in confronting the homelessness crisis in Philadelphia later in life. So it's fitting that the street sign being announced today is named after Michael Hinson, because his name, his power, his energy are still with us, demanding we go forward, demanding progress. Thank you. (Applause.)
Reverend Andrea Lamour-Harrington. George Matysik, Dr. Carol Simmons, and Max Tuttleman, please make your way to the podium. Reverend Andrea Lamour. (No response.)
Dr. Carol Simmons and Max Tuttleman. (Witness approached podium.)
Good rising. My name is Amanda Ayawa (ph) and I am the Executive Administrative Assistant, and this is my partner, Master Farmer and Director of Education, Levi Joynes of the Black Farmers Co-Op. On behalf of the Black Farmers Cooperative, we thank City Council President Kenyatta Johnson and City Council for their invitation for us to support Resolution 240125 for a Philadelphia Task Force on Food Insecurity. Will the Black Farmers please stand. We are under the direction of Dr. Carol Simmons, Dr. Pastor Darien Thomas, Dr. Harvel Brown, Neville and Shirley Moore. We have over 65 members and counting. The Black Farmers Co-Op initiatives addresses all the points under the Task Force resolution. They include: We increase access to nutritious foods through our farmers' markets. We are increasing our food production through hydroponics, which is the sustainable gardening technique where plants are grown in water. We are increasing food production through community gardens done through our apprenticeship program to train community members on setting up farmers' markets and community gardens in Philadelphia. We have educational forums at schools so as to directly engage students and their families on hydroponics, aquaponics, food selection, and the importance of drinking sufficient amounts of water, preferably alkaline water. The Black Farmers Co-Op manufactures our own alkaline water that has an 8.0 pH. Also at our educational forums we have demonstrations on how to prepare healthy meals and have featured books in our giveaways such as Little Joey Starts a Farm written by our very own Joe Harrison. We would like to present to City Council with a hand-crafted hydroponics kit, and this poster we are presenting to City Council President Kenyatta Johnson to acknowledge his presence at our very first farmers' market May 14th, 2022. Thank you.
Will the Clerk please call the next person to speak.
George Matysik, Dr. Carol Simmons, Max Tuttleman, Loree D. Jones-Brown. (Witness approached podium.)
Hello. My name is Max Tuttleman. Council President, thank you very much. Esteemed members of City Council, thank you for having me here today. I am here to offer my support of Resolution 240125 creating a task force to alleviate food insecurity here in the City of Philadelphia. For these past ten years, a lot of work has been done with many great organizations that you see here sitting here today, but there hasn't been a lot of cohesion and collaboration from the City's part. So to see this task force being created that's going to bring all the necessary stakeholders to the table and get input from everybody to really see how we can start solving the problem of food insecurity here in Philadelphia, because it is possible. We have enough food. We can grow our food, and we can get those foods to people that need it. So thank you very much. (Applause.)
Thank you. Will the Clerk please call the next person to speak.
Loree D. Jones-Brown. Evan Ehlers, Jessica Borger, and Kate Perez, also make your way to the podium. (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning, City Councilmembers. Thank you, Council President Johnson, for inviting me to speak on the importance of creating a Philadelphia Task Force on Food Insecurity. I'm Loree Jones-Brown. I have the honor and privilege of serving as Chief Executive Officer of Philabundance, a hunger relief organization operating out of four locations across this great City of Philadelphia. As your resolution says, we strive to ensure that the one in four children in our city have access to food by serving more than 135,000 people a week. That's twice the size of the Linc. Through our partnerships, we have 220 pantries, including schools, including partners like Vito Baldini of Small Things are here today. We push ourselves to deliver culture diverse foods, high nutritional value, sourced increasingly from local and diverse growers and businesses. We do this operating the region's largest food rescue program. Last year we delivered more than 15 million pounds of high-quality rescued food to our neighbors. We do this for Community Kitchen, the Philabundance Community Kitchen, our workforce development program, preparing people for careers in business and the culinary field. These students were once eligible for SNAP, and I have two of them with me today, Brittany Hill Irving and Carmen Mundo. We do this through our innovative Food is Medicine partnerships. We're developing healthy meals provided by the Community Kitchen with partners with healthcare institutions across the region as well as a partnership led by Mark Chairman, Ken Frazier. We do this center and work around people, people who struggle to provide healthy food for their families. We do this by advocating at every level of government for supports that are effective and meaningful. That's why we welcomed the President to your district three times, calling on him too and supporting his efforts to put the money in the hands of the families to make their own choices about what to serve their children. That's why we enthusiastically support this measure. We're a member of Feeding America, a national network. Many of our network members have participated in similar task force and councils, and we can tap into that knowledge for this work. And just in -- I'd like to say in closing that it's critical to us that among the charges of this committee, we respectfully request that you consider equity as you develop your solutions. We welcome the opportunity to join you in an effort to transform the way we think about food insecurity to instead prioritize nutrition security, to go from transactional to transformational, to go from competition to collaboration, to go from one-size-fits-all approaches to effective programs that indeed provide relief to those who need it most. That means applying an equity lens to this work. Thank you very much.
Evan Ehlers. Jessica Borger, Kate Perez, and Monisha Ravi, also make your way to the podium. (Witness approached podium.)
Excuse me one second. Councilman Curtis Jones, recognize.
Thank you, Mr. President. You're going to hear from George Matysik, but I wanted to comment on Loree Jones and him. But for their services, we would not have made it through a pandemic in the Fourth District. (Applause.)
And just as a point of personal privilege, Mr. President, all I'm going to say to Ms. Jones is pound cake.
Good morning, Council President Johnson, City Councilmembers, and fellow Philadelphians. My name is Evan Ehlers and I'm the founder and Executive Director of Sharing Excess, the food rescue non-profit headquartered in Southwest Philadelphia --
-- that's delivered over 40 million pounds of fresh food to more than one million Philadelphians since our inception in 2018. I'm here today to affirm our stern support for Resolution 240125 to establish the Philadelphia Task Force on Food Insecurity. Not everyone may know this, but 40 percent of the food that we produce in the United States goes to waste in landfills, and in Philadelphia we waste up to one million pounds of food every single day, while hundreds of thousands of people still experience food insecurity. I started Sharing Excess as a student in college at Drexel University in 2018. At that time, I realized that I had 50 meal swipes left in my dining account that I knew I wouldn't be able to use before the end of the term. So I decided to swipe those meals out, put them in my car, drove around Center City and started giving them out, and that day changed my life forever and was the inspiration for Sharing Excess. Me and my friends and now my colleagues started working with supermarkets and wholesalers and retailers to rescue perfectly good food that they hadn't sold. We tapped our chapter network of college students to deliver surplus food to food banks and pantries all over the City, and realized that Sharing Excess can enhance the efforts of hunger relief organizations by solving the middle mile for them. We teamed up with the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market in 2021, setting up an in-house sorting operation that has rescued and redistributed over 18 million pounds of produce in two years, and we've been able to provide over $40 million in food cost savings for Philadelphians. One in four children live in food insecure households in our city. It's a problem that's so big that no one organization can tackle it alone, which is why we need to work together and why this task force is so important. It's an opportunity for all City leaders and organizations who want to solve this issue to work hand in hand and collaborate together. Thank you so much for putting this resolution together, and we will provide at least one million pounds of food annually to relief efforts organized by the task force to show our commitment to its inception. Thank you.
Jessica Borger. And Kate Perez, Monisha Ravi, Andreina Perez Hein, and Ryan Boyer also make their way to the podium. (Witness approached podium.)
Jessica Borger, The Food Trust. Thank you, Council President Johnson, for inviting The Food Trust to provide testimony today on this critical issue. Greetings to the members of this committee and the entire City Council. Our President and CEO, Mark Edwards, sends his regrets that he's unable to join us today due to travel. My name is Jessica Borger, Vice President of Programs and Development at The Food Trust, a non-profit working tirelessly in Philadelphia and across the country to ensure equitable access to nutritious food. Everything we do is guided by our mission for a more equitable society where nutritious food is abundant and communities can thrive. This vision requires a holistic, community-driven approach to nutrition security, emphasizing access, affordability, and education. Simply stated, our mission is to ensure delicious, nutritious food for all. To find a sustainable long-term solution that empowers communities to not just survive week to week but to thrive and grow, The Food Trust looks at what lies in between hunger and health, nutrition security. Through a combination of direct services, policy advocacy, and community engagement, The Food Trust aims to disrupt the barriers that hinder healthy eating. Our comprehensive approach not only supports retail venues like supermarkets, corner stores, and farmers' markets in underserved areas, but we also work to ensure these venues can accept SNAP benefits and other incentives, like Food Bucks, to stretch customers' purchasing power. We also prioritize nutrition education, especially for children. By connecting our youth to their local food systems and promoting healthy habits early on, we lay the foundation for lifelong wellness. We fully support the authorization of the Philadelphia Task Force on Food Insecurity. Philadelphia has a history of powerful collaboration, and we believe the time is right to bring together stakeholders from across the food ecosystem, from healthy food access and emergency food, to agriculture and economic development to ensure that nutrition security can become a reality for all of our neighbors. Thank you for this opportunity to testify, and open to any questions.
Thank you. (Applause.) (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning, Councilmembers and Councilmembers. This is -- Council President. I'm sorry. Running, trying to get around here, so I made it.
I'm speaking on behalf of the Mike Hinson Way, renaming the street, so docket 240145. So my name Rasoul Nicholson. I know Michael Hinson since 17, and in that time, he was already diligent in his work here throughout the City. So I definitely think that it would be a privilege and an honor to see his name among the street signs. And it's interesting that it's not avenue nor street but actually "way." So just so that we can remember how he paved the way for a lot of us Black African American gay individuals. So I'm 100 percent in support of it, and hopefully you are too. All right. Thank you.
Kate Perez. And also Monisha Ravi, Andreina Perez Hein, Ryan Boyer, and Monica Robinson make their way to the podium. (Witness approached podium.)
My name is Kate. First, I have to acknowledge that as of Sunday, the 3rd, the number of children in Palestine who died from dehydration and malnutrition rose to 15.
Ms. Perez, can you speak on the topic on the agenda, please.
I just wanted to mention it. They haven't gotten anything since January 23rd. Today is the 7th. On the topic of 240013, the Kensington curfew, I'd like to point out that in July 2022 when Philadelphia updated our youth curfew, we actually saw an increase in violence when compared to the same month the year before the curfew. We saw robberies up 72 percent -- robberies with a gun up 72 percent, robberies of other types 40 percent, and auto thefts up by 29. Curfew increases -- curfews increase police presence and can cripple families with their expensive $500 fines for violating curfews. We had 100 Shooting Review Committee release the report in 2022. They include strategies, evidence-based strategies, such as better street cleaning, trash pickup, repairing occupied homes. I think the City can take a much more proactive approach to preventing violence by investing back into the community before bringing in more police officers and enforcing a curfew. If you want to say you already tried to clean up the neighborhood, there's still an entire trash river we have to get to. We know more police create more dead citizens. We saw this with the recent murder of Alexander Spencer, who in the recently released security footage we saw him standing still with both arms in the air before the officer slammed him into the machines and choked him onto the ground. This kind of violence is shared between us and our sister city, Tel Aviv, a program where we exchange police captain with the Israeli occupation forces, and they teach them the best way to oppress Palestinians in their own country, and we trade strategies before they come back to the U.S. and bring their own genocidal lessons back to our team. In just five months, Israel has killed more than 40,000 human beings -
It's relevant. I want to say specifically shame to Stacy Garrity for approving $56 million in war bonds to continue. They've destroyed every school, every hospital -
Ms. Perez, can you stick to the topic of the resolution. Thank you.
Will the Clerk please call the next person for public comment, please.
Monisha Ravi. Andreina Perez Hein, Ryan Boyer, Monica Robinson, and Erin Dwyer. (Witness approached podium.)
Hi. So my name is Monisha Ravi. I gave like the full version to the stenographer. I don't think I can get through this in three minutes.
Ms. Ravi, can you speak into the microphone, please.
Sorry. My name is Monisha Ravi. I can't get through this whole thing in three minutes. I'm just going to say my stance and --
Okay. Well, yeah, this will be two seconds. I don't oppose Mayor Parker's vision to be tough on crime and the opioid epidemic, but just financially-wise, right, like the math behind the curfew bill, No. 240013, not the task force but specifically the curfew for the Kensington businesses sponsored by Councilmember Quetcy Lozada, just financially, right, it's not going to decrease costs. Like it's not viable to do it, I guess, economically, right, the numbers. I guess the person before me touched a bit on the ethical medical science reasons, the non-profit, addictions, psychiatrist and these actually, I guess, can't public comment for the medical, I guess, ethical science behind why this isn't going to be successful, but I think we should maybe reform the curfew bill to something that would. I don't know. But this is the case, the numbers are in that, right? Like it's not going to add up to more dollars for Philadelphia. So I oppose the Bill 240013, and I guess that's everything that I needed.
Thank you very much. Will the Clerk please call the next person for public comment. Thank you.
Andreina Perez Hein. Ryan Boyer, Monica Robinson, Erin Dwyer, and Michelle Paxton also make their way to the podium. (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning. My name is Andreina Perez Hein and I'm speaking today not only as the Executive Director of Everybody Builds, but also as a resident of the Second District of Philadelphia and the mother of two young daughters attending Philadelphia public schools. I strongly support the resolution recognizing March 3rd through the 9th as Women in Construction Week in the City of Philadelphia. It's widely known that women make up only a fraction of the workers in the construction industry in the United States, with the most recent figure being 10.9 percent. Unfortunately, Pennsylvania holds the eighth lowest ranking in the country with only 9.2 percent of construction workers being women. Yet, there's a high demand and need for workers in the industry and a stronger commitment now more than ever to diversify the workforce. Fortunately, there's opportunity and momentum. Organizations like NAWIC and WINC working in partnership with our City government, labor unions, and intentional initiatives like Everybody Builds play a critical role here in Philadelphia in supporting, increasing, and advancing women into construction careers that can provide high-paying wages with benefits and create generational wealth. I am one of those statistics. Seventeen years ago I stepped foot to work on a construction site as a second-generation Latina immigrant, having no experience or training. Through hard work and perseverance, I climbed the ranks to where I am today. The industry afforded me the opportunity to achieve my American dream and elevate not only my own but my parents' socioeconomic status. At Everybody Builds, our mission is to eliminate the existing disparities in Philadelphia's construction industry. By serving as the connective tissue for the industry, we are positioned to build and strengthen collaboration between the key stakeholders in our city and industry with our diverse communities and entrepreneurs. We're proud to have been founded in part by the Philadelphia Building Trades Council and GBCA, and I strongly support to increase and advance the participation of women in construction careers in the Philadelphia region. Thank you.
Ryan Boyer. Monica Robinson, Erin Dwyer, Michelle Paxton, and Lynn Landes also make their way to the podium. (Witness approached podium.)
My name is Ryan Boyer. I'm the Business Manager of Laborers District Council of Philadelphia and Vicinity as well as the Philadelphia Building Construction Trade Council, and on behalf of our over 30,000 members that work, live, and play in Philadelphia, I would like to thank City Council for making March the 3rd through the 8th Women in Construction Week. They need a month. Women in construction -- (Applause.)
Andreina talked about the numbers. I want to talk about the heart and soul of this movement in this area, and her name is Erin Hoffman. Erin -(Applause.)
Before this work was popular, Erin was going to bus stops getting people that were dropping their children off and working at service-sector jobs for low pay, because she said, I know they're willing to work hard and they should work hard and get paid a decent union wage. It happened to her, and she is an evangelist for giving it to everyone else. Women in construction, we've always had women in construction. I don't know what house you went to, but when you tried to fix something, there was always somebody there helping you that was a woman. And we want to make sure that every woman in this area that wants to be in the construction trades has an opportunity and they also have people that understand their problems. And we at Women in Construction, I listened to them. Part of our negotiations now is better bathrooms so that we can make women comfortable in construction sites. I wouldn't know that. Erin and her group of people told me. And it's great that she's accompanied by also women in labor. We have Monica here. We have Nicole Fuller. I just see everyone here. Because this is not your grandfather's building trades. It is diverse because that is our strength. If you want to work hard and you want to get paid right, the Philadelphia building trades is the place for you to be, and Erin Hoffman has made that place more hospitable for women and women in construction. Please come to the Philadelphia building trades. Thank you. (Applause.)
Monica Robinson. Erin Dwyer, Michelle Paxton, Lynn Landes, and Jeremy Blatstein can also make their way to the podium. (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning. My name is Monica Robinson and I am here to speak on behalf of the resolution recognizing Women in Construction Week (WIC) and honoring WINC, the Women in Nontraditional Careers initiative. I am a WINC Steering Committee member and I am the Director of Community Engagement at Philadelphia AFL-CIO. I want to thank Councilmember Gilmore Richardson and the other sponsors for recognizing and honoring WINC through this initiative. WINC appreciates this opportunity to bring more awareness and construction careers to women, who now make only 3.9 percent of those who work with tools in construction nationally and only 3.7 percent of active construction trade apprentices in Southeast Pennsylvania. (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning. Thank you. My name is Erin O'Brien Hoffman and I am the Director of Training for DC 21's Finishing Trades Institute, and I have the absolute pleasure of being the instructor for WINC, Women in Nontraditional Careers. For far too long, the construction industry has been perceived as a male-dominated field, with women often facing barriers and obstacles in pursuing careers within it. However, today we stand united in recognition of the invaluable contributions that women do make to the construction industry. This resolution is not just a piece of paper. It symbolizes a commitment to making a more equitable and inclusive environment within our city and our Philadelphia union building trades. To all the trailblazing women in this room whose names have been mentioned, who have shattered all of the glass ceilings, who have divided stereotypes, who possess grit and grace and forged their path in the construction industry, this resolution is for you. And WINC, Women in Nontraditional Careers' Trades Readiness Program creates women just like that. In a six-week cohort, women earn NABTU, NC3 certificate consisting of 40 hours of construction math, blueprint reading, Heritage of the American Worker, OSHA 10 and much, much more. They visit Philadelphia union building trades' training centers, SEPTA depots, and visit union job sites, and graduate with the ability to apply and thrive in the Philadelphia union building trades, jobs in transit or manufacturing and, quite frankly, they are rock stars. I just want to recommit ourselves to building a future where women in construction are not only accepted but celebrated for their talents, their skills, and their contributions. Thank you. (Applause.)
My name is Tanya Hebron. I'm a construction equipment engineer for SEPTA with 30-plus years of service. I am here to support the resolution that recognizes women in construction. I became a member of WINC in 2018 to be a voice of support in the pipeline of information to guide women in the direct path looking to learn a craft or make career changes. Several years later we partnered with DC 21 and created the TRP program, which mentors women with trade interests in different backgrounds. We are approaching our fourth year and are proud to be a part of history in the making. I didn't have anyone out there willing to take the time to teach and educate me in mentoring and -- I'm sorry; to teach me in the field that I chose for myself. I love mentoring, and I will continue that fight until women are recognized, appreciated, and given the same opportunities as our male counterparts. It is important for women to be in construction, because we do better decision-making, we're very creative and, most of all, better profitability. Please support the resolution that recognizes women in construction. We do a better job, and we look good doing it. Thank you. (Applause.) (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning, Council President and members of City Council. My name is Kimura Anderson and I am the Director of Human Resources for Clemens Construction Company and a member of the National Association of Women in Construction, Philadelphia Chapter 145 where I serve as Board Secretary. Today I have with me our Board President, Michelle Paxton, who is a Project Manager with All Trades Mechanical Engineering Company. We support the resolution recognizing March 3rd through the 9th, 2024, during Women's History Month, as Women in Construction Week, also known as WIC Week in the City of Philadelphia. It is our hope that WIC Week will bring more awareness to women working in the construction industry and women working in non-traditional careers as we work together to be a voice for recruiting and retaining women in these industries. We appreciate the Council President and the members of Philadelphia City Council for recognizing Women in Construction Week and the women working in non-traditional careers for the important work that we do. Thank you for your time. (Applause.)
Just real quick, just a matter of housekeeping, I just want to make sure that everyone who has signed up for public comment, please see Ms. Hasson to the left of me and make sure you sign up so we can stay on track in terms of our agenda for today. Will the Clerk please call the next speaker.
We have Michelle Paxton. Can also Lynn Landes, Jeremy Blatstein, Wick Savage, and Ogbonna Hagins make their way to the podium. (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning. Thank you, Council President. Thank you, Councilwoman Gilmore Richardson for supporting WIC Week again this year. My name is Michelle Paxton. I am an Assistant Project Manager with All Trades Mechanical. I am also the President of the National Association of Women in Construction, Philadelphia Chapter 145. I appreciate the time to speak today. I am in full support of this resolution, which recognizes this week, March 3rd through March 9th of 2024, as Women in Construction Week. Our chapter loves this city. We support this resolution and the recognition that allows us to continue our mission. Thank you.
Thank you. (Applause.) (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning, Council President and members of City Council. My name is Erin Dwyer Harvard and I'm the Director of Public Affairs for the General Building Contractors Association. GBCA represents 350 contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers in Philadelphia's union construction industry. Today I'm here to testify in support of Women in Construction Week in Philadelphia. GBCA, our member companies, and our partners in labor recognize the need to create an industry that is reflective of its residents of Philadelphia. In partnership in labor, we help found Everybody Builds, which my colleague Andreina Perez Hein gave a full in-depth look at what we are doing over there. This organization and ours work tirelessly to create new pathways for women and people of color to enter and succeed in the construction industry. At GBCA, we will continue to support programs and policies that elevate women in construction. Whether she is a contractor, a union member or a project manager, we will work to create a supportive and welcoming industry. Finally, I want to thank Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson. I know I'm here to support women in construction, but I want to thank you for continuing to support all women in every industry. You open doors and make space for us in every field, so thank you.
Lynn Landes. Jeremy Blatstein, Wick Savage, Ogbonna Hagins, and George Matysik also make their way to the podium. Thank you. (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning. My name is Lynn Landes of wildfoodies.org. I support the resolution authorizing the creation of the Philadelphia Task Force on Food Insecurity. I also request that the Task Force include the following in their deliberations: One, take into consideration wild food sources as well as cultivated crops and processed foods. Two, make use of our parks, cemeteries, and other open spaces for food sources. Three, create more urban farms and gardens. Four, encourage and develop more indoor food-growing resources. And, five, educate the public on how they can convert at least part of their property into cultivated and wild food sources. That said, in order to become more self-reliant in food production in a safe and healthy manner, we need to stop using chemical fertilizers and herbicides citywide. We already have the HOPS Act, or Healthy Outdoor Spaces Act, that was designed to stop the use of toxic chemicals on City-owned land, but it hasn't been enforced as yet. City Council should ensure that it is finally enforced, and in addition, City Council should pass a similar bill to be applied to private land as well as -- anyway, I lost my thing. In addition, City Council should also pass a similar bill for private land and have property owners stop using toxic chemicals on their property, because if your neighbor is using toxic chemicals and you're not, that isn't going to produce healthy food. We are living in an area that could and should be growing much of its own food, both wild and cultivated. Thank you very much.
Hello, City Council, Council President Johnson. Two weeks in a row. Wow. All right. I'm here talking against Bill 240143, 225 apartments on North Broad Street that were passed by the ZBA on October 13th, 2021, 225 apartments that you are now giving the authority of Councilmember Jeffery Young to sue, appeal, go against. How can anybody in this room be for affordable housing if you're using taxpayer dollars and resources to stop housing that was already approved? What precedent is that setting that if a ZBA rules, that two and a half years later you then can still go and try and fight that? That is what is happening right now, and this is what that bill was passed earlier in Council that gave Council the authority to go against a ZBA hearing ruling, right? And it is a very dangerous precedent that we are doing right now by allowing Council the authority to first go to the Law Department and then if the Law Department declines, to engage outside counsel to fight a ZBA hearing. You already are forcing developers to go to the ZBA to get housing built by your overlays. So then to say go to the ZBA, but if you don't like the ZBA hearing ruling, we will still engage outside counsel to sue. I am against this, and I challenge each and every one of you to think about this before you vote in support of this and utilize this -- I believe that it's a good tool in your toolbox to be able to have, but if we're going to do this every time you don't agree with a ZBA hearing, it's a slippery slope. Thank you. (Applause.)
Will the Clerk please call the next person for public comment.
Good morning, Council President and Council body. I'm here to say no against Bill 240010. I support the Council body in denying these games in these various community corner stores. Gambling is a vice that creates other problems in our city. My heart is weighing heavy of the young people that had to experience either violence, gun play, in some cases murder. My heart is very heavy, and I'm quite sure there's people in this room, their hearts are very heavy, along with these parents. In order for us to get our arms around this matter, we have to work with this Mayor and use every tool in our toolbox, from forensics to locking people up that wants to act out in our city. We should not have to live in this condition. There's only a few people that don't appreciate this beautiful city, and we have to let them know that the arm of this city will not tolerate this bad behavior. Thank you.
Will the Clerk please call the next person for public comment.
My name is Ogbonna Hagins, O-G-B-O-N-N-A, H-A-G-I-N-S. I'm here today to talk about something that is dear to me in terms of education in regards to the NIL bill. So if we were given -- and when I say "we," American Freedmen, Afro Americans. If we were given the proper education, we wouldn't have to depend on sports and getting an NIL deal, even though I get it. So the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Students for Fair Admissions versus Harvard, in his concurrence Justice Clarence Thomas cited that the term "Freedman" was a formally race-neutral category and decidedly under-inclusive proxy for race. He pointed to the 1866 Freedman Bill Act and how it authorized the borough to care for all loyal refugees and Freedmen. This means policy designed to benefit persons of emancipated history, the enslaved ones. In other words, let me tell you something, affirmative action is still in effect. What we don't understand is that affirmative action was used wrong for the past 60 years. It was not supposed to be for everyone. It was based on an executive order by President Kennedy to take affirmative action to go back to the Civil Right Act of 1866 and making American Freedmen, Afro Americans, equal. So I'm introducing a bill again. This bill is specifically for Afro Americans. This bill will help to compensate for historical injustices, reset the chessboard. This bill is a signal to all of you seated Councilmembers. You must embrace and pinpoint legislation to benefit specifically Afro Americans, American Freedmen. There is nothing in the City Charter specifically saying, Afro Americans, you are something. We are not mentioned in the City Charter at all. That is structurally racist, like the bill that I introduced three weeks ago that I hope that you've read. So, again, Councilmembers you're on the clock. You don't want to be responsible for Afro Americans not getting the proper education because the Constitution is being violated. All of my legislation can be found on my social media page. Thank you. (Applause.)
George Matysik on food insecurity, 240125. (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning, everybody. My name is George Matysik, the Executive Director of the Share Food Program. I want to first and foremost thank the Council President and all of you for creating this Food Insecurity Task Force, not just for creating it but for the timeliness and urgency behind it as one of your first initiatives, Council President. We all deeply appreciate it. This has been needed for a long time. Many of you got to really know Share Food Program and the hundreds of thousands of people that we serve, as Council President -- as Councilmember Jones mentioned earlier, around the pandemic and thousands and thousands of people that we began serving during the pandemic. The reality is, during the pandemic, as we saw a lot of federal resources coming in, federal resources that stopped. Basically as the health crisis began to come to a close, folks in Washington thought the economic crisis was coming to a close as well, but that, as you all know, is not the case. We at Share Food Program have seen a 98 percent increase since January of 2022 of the folks coming to our food pantries. And so what we need -- we've had many other people come up here and speak who I know have the ideas, have the organizations to be able to do this work. What we need is coordination and we need resources, and I'm looking forward to working with Council on making that happen. Thank you so much.
Thank you. Are there any other speakers on the public speaker -
Council President, there are no more persons signed up for public comment.
That -QUEEN ROBINSON: Excuse me. Excuse me. I did sign up.
Unfortunately, I don't have you on here, Ms. Queen Judith Robinson. You want to sign up? QUEEN ROBINSON: I called the Chief Clerk's office. You know I know proper protocol. Please.
What bill are you speaking on, Ms. Judith? QUEEN ROBINSON: 240143 is one of them, and the slot machine situation too. Please, I need to speak.
Ms. Queen Judith Robinson. (Witness approached podium.)
You have two minutes, ma'am. QUEEN ROBINSON: Yes. Always follow protocol. Good morning. Queen Judith Robinson. It's Women History Month. Let's stay on point. This bill is about 1451 North Broad Street, which was the Holy Olive -was Mount Olive Holy Church. I would like to add an amendment to this bill and add 2100 West Diamond Street, 2032 West Diamond Street, and 2033 North 22nd Street, which is a police station being proposed to be put on our historic corridor, Diamond Street. And this gives me the opportunity to give an uplift to women of Women History Month. There was a woman who was a member of that church, Mount Olive Holy Temple, Ms. Elmira Jeffries. I want to uplift her name. She said, and I quote, "Women should be at every table." And all of those women of that church were like over 70 years old, you all. Look her up, Ms. Elmira Jeffries. There was an apartment building, senior housing, at 15th and Jefferson Street. It's now Temple student housing. I'm just saying. Okay? So Clementine Robinson, my mother, who made me what I am, disciplined me as a Jewish child, and here I am today, Hebrew Israelite, rare history, Black women's history. Stephanie Miller Bey, I just want to say prayers and peace and blessings to she and Paula Peebles and all of the strong Black women who have kept this country what it is, all the sisters who went to ivy league universities and held down fort. I want to give a shout-out to sister Leslie Smallwood, developer extraordinaire. I'm going to say peace and blessings to her and all the best. But regarding those slot machines that are all over our communities, what a way to go in gentrification. Now you want to suck more of the blood out of poor Black communities. Get them out of those stores. I went in one store. It looks like a doggone casino in there. Gambling is a disease. It's a disease. It's an addiction. With that, I thank you very much, because I always stay on point. It's Women History Month, y'all. (Applause.)
Thank you, Queen Judith Robinson. There are no more comments on 3/7/24 - STATED - 2ND READING the public comment calendar for today. We will now consider the bills and resolutions on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendars. Will the Clerk please read the title of Resolution 240125.
A resolution authorizing the creation of the Philadelphia Task Force on Food Insecurity to study and develop proposals, strategies, and recommendations to alleviate hunger and increase access to high quality food in the City of Philadelphia.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson.
Thank you, Mr. President. I offer an amendment to Resolution No. 240125. A copy of the amendment has been circulated to all members of Council. I move that the amendment be approved. 3/7/24 - STATED - 2ND READING (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the amendment to Resolution No. 240125 be approved. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. The motion carries. The amendment to Resolution No. 240125 has been approved. The Chair again recognizes Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson for a motion regarding Resolution No. 240125, as amended.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended as to permit the consideration of Resolution No. 240125, as amended, at today's 3/7/24 - STATED - 2ND READING session of Council. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended to permit the consideration of Resolution No. 240125, as amended, at today's session of Council. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. The motion carries. The Resolution No. 240125, as amended, will be placed on today's Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar. The Chair again recognizes Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson for a motion regarding Resolution No. 240125, as amended.
Thank 3/7/24 - STATED - 2ND READING you, Council President. I move for the adoption of the resolution, as amended. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that No. 240125, as amended, be adopted. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the motion carries. The resolution is adopted. Will the Clerk please read the title of Bill No. 240010.
An ordinance amending Chapter 9-5900 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Prohibition on Certain Gambling Machines and Skills Games," to add additional prohibitions and provide for remedies, all under certain terms and conditions. 3/7/24 - STATED - 2ND READING
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Jones for a motion.
Thank you, Mr. President. I would like to offer a motion to amend Bill No. 240010. A copy of that amendment has been circulated to all members of Council, and I move for the adoption of the amendment. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the amendment to Bill No. 240010 be adopted. All those in favor will indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and the bill has been amended. This bill will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for our next 3/7/24 - STATED - 2ND READING session of Council. Will the Clerk please read the title of Bill No. 240020.
An ordinance amending Title 14 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Zoning and Planning," all under certain terms and conditions.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Cindy Bass for a motion.
Thank you, Mr. President. I would like to offer an amendment to Bill No. 240020. A copy of the amendment has been circulated to all members of Council, and I move for the adoption of the amendment. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the amendment to Bill No. 240020 be adopted. All in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.) 3/7/24 - STATED - 2ND READING
The ayes have it, and the bill has been amended. This bill will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for our next session of Council. Will the Clerk please read the title for...
Resolution 240130, a resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority deeds conveying fee simple title to 5307 Market Street and 723 North Shedwick Street in the Third Councilmanic District of the City of Philadelphia and further authorizing the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority to transfer to the Philadelphia Land Bank fee simple title to such properties pursuant to Section 16-405 of the Philadelphia Code. 3/7/24 - STATED - 2ND READING
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Jamie Gauthier for a motion on the resolution.
Thank you, Council President. I call for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and the motion has been adopted. Will the Clerk please read the title of Bill No. 240143.
A resolution authorizing and ratifying the designation of Councilmember Jeffery Young, Jr., as 3/7/24 - STATED - 2ND READING Council's representative in connection with an appeal of the decision of the Zoning Board of Adjustment with respect to 1451 North Broad Street and all litigation related thereto.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Jeffery J. Young for a motion on the resolution.
Thank you, Council President. I move for its adoption. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and the resolution is adopted. 3/7/24 - STATED - 2ND READING Will the Clerk please read the title of Resolution No. 240144.
A resolution also naming Federal Street, between 6th and 7th Streets, as "Bob Pantano Way".
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Mark Squilla for a motion on the resolution.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and the resolution has been adopted. 3/7/24 - STATED - 2ND READING Will the Clerk please read the title of Resolution 240145.
A resolution also naming Chestnut Street between 12th and 13th Streets in the "Gayborhood" as "Michael Hinson Way" to honor the life and legacy of Philadelphia's first appointed liaison with the City LGBTQ+ communities by Mayor John F. Street.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Mark Squilla for a motion on the resolution.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
Those opposed? 3/7/24 - STATED - 2ND READING (No response.)
The ayes have it, and the resolution is adopted. Will the Clerk please read the title of Bill No. 240020.
Will the Clerk please read the title of 240064.
An ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Salmon Street, Ontario Street, Richmond Street, and Westmoreland Street.
This bill having been read on two 3/7/24 - STATED - 2ND READING different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. Will the Chief Clerk please call the roll.
Aye. The ayes are 16; no nays. A majority of members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. Will the Clerk please read Bill No. 240065.
An ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Holme Avenue, Academy Road, and Willits Road.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. Will the Chief Clerk please call the roll.
Aye. The ayes are 16; the nays are 3/7/24 - STATED - 2ND READING zero. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. Will the Clerk please read the title of Bill No. 240007.
An ordinance amending The Philadelphia Code to add a new Chapter 21-3400, entitled "Youth Name, Image, and Likeness Protection," to establish provisions related to education and counseling for certain Philadelphia youth and their families who are considering licensing publicity rights, all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. Will the Chief Clerk please call the roll.
Mr. President, I just want to take a moment before my colleagues vote on this particular bill to thank our partners at 3/7/24 - STATED - 2ND READING Temple University for stepping up to the plate to be able to provide this service. I also just want to reiterate, because there's been some dialogue around the bill, that this particular piece of legislation would not cost the City any money. I know the previous Administration decided to pocket veto the bill because they were concerned with the financial obligations that the City would essentially have. I just want to be clear to my colleagues as well as to the Administration that based on this public-private partnership and the way the legislation is set up, it will not cost the City any money. So thank you, colleagues, and thank you to everybody who agreed to co-sponsor the legislation. And, of course, thank you, Council President, for the leeway.
Thank you for protecting our young people. 3/7/24 - STATED - 2ND READING This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. Will the Chief Clerk please call the roll.
Aye. The ayes are 16; the nays are zero. A majority of the members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. (Applause.)
Are there any other bills and resolutions on the Final Passage Calendar?
Yes, the consideration of privileged resolutions. That's it for what's on the Calendar, Council President. There are no more.
Will the Clerk please read the title of the resolution.
A privileged 3/7/24 - STATED - 2ND READING resolution recognizing March 3rd through the 9th, 2024, during Women's History Month, as Women in Construction Week in the City of Philadelphia.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson.
Thank you, Council President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and the resolution is adopted. Will the Clerk please read the next title of the resolution. 3/7/24 - STATED - 2ND READING
Honoring Super Bowl champion Jason Kelce on the occasion of his retirement from the National Football League, and recognizing Jason's historic career with the Philadelphia Eagles and his generous philanthropic contributions to the City of Philadelphia made through the Make The World Better Foundation and his (Be) Philly Foundation.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson.
Thank you, Council President. On your behalf and on behalf of all Philadelphians and Eagles fans everywhere, I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.) 3/7/24 - STATED - 2ND READING
The ayes have it, and the resolution is adopted. Will the Clerk please read the next title of the resolution.
A resolution honoring and recognizing Katalin Kariko, PhD and Drew Weissman, MD PhD for winning the 2023 Nobel Prize in Medicine.
Will the Clerk -- the Chair recognizes Councilmember Jamie Gauthier.
Thank you, Council President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution is adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. 3/7/24 - STATED - 2ND READING (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and the resolution is adopted. Will the Clerk please read the next title of the resolution.
A resolution honoring and congratulating Champion of the Week, Lucas Koo, a Masterman High School student who competed in short track speed skating at the Winter Youth Olympic Games.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Isaiah Thomas.
Thank you, Council President. Definitely want to make sure we're still continuing to spread good news about our young people. So with that being said, I enthusiastically move for the adoption of 3/7/24 - STATED - 2ND READING the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and the resolution is adopted.
A resolution Honoring and Recognizing Tanya Hill-Holiday for her admirable career achievements during Women's History Month, introduced by Councilman Curtis Jones, Jr.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Curtis Jones, Jr.
Eleven McDonald's later, I move for the 3/7/24 - STATED - 2ND READING resolution to be adopted. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and the resolution is adopted. Will the Clerk please read the next title of the resolution.
A resolution honoring the life and legacy of Dr. George E. Allen, the longtime leader of the Arts and Music Program at Overbrook High School, introduced by Councilman Curtis Jones, Jr.
The Chair recognizes Councilman Curtis Jones, Jr. 3/7/24 - STATED - 2ND READING
Thank you again, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and the resolution is adopted. Will the Clerk please read the next title of the resolution.
A resolution celebrating Meredith Foote's trailblazing leadership as Executive Director of the TGR Learning Lab at The Cobbs Creek Golf Course on the occasion of Women's History Month, introduced by Councilman Curtis 3/7/24 - STATED - 2ND READING Jones, Jr.
I heard by Tiger Woods himself. I move for the adoption. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded. All those in favor signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and the resolution is adopted. Will the Clerk please read the next title of the resolution.
A resolution celebrating Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day in The City of Philadelphia, introduced by Councilman Mike Driscoll. 3/7/24 - STATED - 2ND READING
The Chair recognizes Councilman Mike Driscoll.
Mr. President, I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the motion be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and the resolution is adopted. Will the Clerk please read the next title of the resolution.
A resolution recognizing March of 2024 as Philadelphia's month of Literacy and 3/7/24 - STATED - 2ND READING Reading, introduced by Councilmember Bass.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Cindy Bass.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and the resolution is adopted. Will the Clerk please read the next title of the resolution.
A resolution authorizing the Committees on Environment 3/7/24 - STATED - 2ND READING and Global Opportunities and the Creative/Innovative Economy to hold joint hearings regarding the reliability and servicing of publicly accessible electric vehicle charging stations in the City of Philadelphia, introduced by Councilmember Nina Ahmad.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Nina Ahmad.
Thank you, Council President. I move for the adoption of this resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The it, and the resolution is adopted. Will the Clerk please read the next title of the resolution.
There are no more resolutions on the Calendar for consideration, Mr. President.
Thank you. At this time, are there any speeches on the part of the minority? (No response.)
Are there -- yes, there are -- speeches on behalf of the majority? The Chair recognizes Councilmember Phillips.
Thank you. Thank you, Council President Johnson, Council colleagues, and to all the Philadelphians who have been deeply affected by the terrible tsunami of violence that has happened in our city. I am feeling powerless and of desperation. Our children, and most specifically teenage Black men, are at the crosshairs of a seemingly unending crisis of senseless gun violence. You all know the statistics by now. Yesterday 11 students, our children, our nieces, our nephews, our neighbors, have experienced an open season on their very lives. This is a crisis at every level. It reflects an abject failure to protect our most basic social rights - life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We have an essential crisis in the City of Philadelphia. We not only see it on the news, we see it in our very lives and communities. People have wearied of our -- people have become weary of our banter about thoughts and prayers. They want more. They deserve more and they deserve better, and that is what we must do to resolve their concerns. to clarify that this is not a SEPTA problem. It is a societal problem. It could and can happen anywhere. This is an American cultural problem coincidental to SEPTA. As our Mayor has alluded, everything in our toolbox has to be considered. Nothing can be off the table with respect to restoring the safety, security, decency to our streets, our transportation system, and our schools. This is a moment for us to set aside our north stars of ideologies and preference. The people of Philadelphia are no longer interested in idealogies. They want ideas and solutions. They want safe streets now. They want ideas that create stronger homes and families, that the family must be the foundation from which we begin starting today. We must use every device, policy, strategy, penny, bully pulpit to crush the lawlessness which allows our city to be derided as an unsafe city, and must be our partner and we must be theirs as we create a better Philadelphia. The family is the first and best building block of any civilization. We must underscore the responsibilities of families to raise their children, create high expectations, and reinforce those values day by day. We must be clear, government cannot and should not raise children. We are not built to do that. It is neither our responsibility nor our right. We can, though, be a help to families by making available every tool and educational extracurricular experience, but families must step up to fundamentally change our society. We are at a moment of crisis. Crisis demands action. It demands flexibility and speed. When children are under attack, whether it is West Oak Lane or Lawncrest as of yesterday, Lawncrest/Burholme, require a resolute heart and strong action. Our Police Commissioner, Kevin Bethel, and those under his command need our support, and whatever tools, whatever resources they require need to be deployed, and that should happen now. Several of us in Council, led by you, Council President Johnson, have already huddled and will soon will allow meaningful ways in which we can make a difference and stem the tide of this carnage. Keep the families of Lawncrest, West Oak Lane in our prayers. God bless.
I had a whole speech of the majority talking about Ramadan, you know, the press conference we had, but I'm inspired by Member Phillips to swivel on that. Wish Ramadan, but I have to push back gently on your comments. I got elected not to be helpless. We have a President of City Council, we have a Mayor of the City of Philadelphia, we have a Police Commissioner, we have 7,000 men in blue, many of whom were in here today. We have SEPTA. We have over 3,000 cameras. We have answers. We have a blueprint. We just need to read the recommendations and measure ourselves on how we're standing up to that, 140 recommendations. Next week, Mayor Parker will be in here presenting her budget. How does that measure up to what our expectations are on public safety for our kids. We have an obligation, a sworn oath, never to be helpless. We have a Governor. We have a legislature led by an African American from Philadelphia. Helpless? We are the help, and we need to measure up, man up, pony up to be that assistance to the people riding SEPTA. should be saying, I feel helpless. We have to double down, be determined to make our streets safer. Why I supported Mayor Cherelle Parker, she was willing to push back about how we approach the lawlessness in our communities, and she ain't afraid. She ain't hopeless. She ain't helpless, and we are going to help her. And I say that -- I wanted to talk about Ramadan, but I said in the press conference earlier that we must begin to sweep under our feet. If we sweep under our feet, the world will be a better place first before we can do anything else. Last week proved with all of those shootings, with all of that open-air violence that we got work to do right here in the City of Philadelphia, and we need to be about our business to do it. So I look forward to the 100-day plan offered by the Mayor. I presentation of budget. And I can guarantee you one thing, it's a lot better prioritized in this Administration about what we can do as a city to prevent gun violence and have a safer Philadelphia. So I have confidence, confidence that we are moving in the right direction, sometimes not fast enough. Thank you, Mr. President.
Two weeks in a row. You know I'm not big on the public comment stuff, but some things need to be said. First, I wanted to commend you for the task force around issues related bigger problem than what I think people realize, and listening to some of the testimony -- I really appreciate the public comment today. Listening to some of the testimony around the work that organizations have done during the pandemic and still doing is very important. I also wanted to take a moment to thank District Council 33. They had a lot of us in at their conference this past week, and I just wanted to publicly thank all of those City workers. In the midst of all of the issues and different problems that we try to address as City Councilmembers, I think it's important that we also reward folks. I'm so happy to see what Councilmember Gauthier did today, and that's the type of stuff that we have to continue to do despite some of the problems that we have across the City. So thank you, District Council 33. Thank you for being the backbone of the City of Philadelphia. And thank you to all of my colleagues who took the time to go out there and have dialogue and build with them. I do want to start by communicating my disappointment in the School Board in their vote of not giving Global an opportunity to open the high school. I want to be clear. We work a lot behind the scenes, and so a lot of people don't know what happened leading up to that point. I do want to say thank you to Councilmember Curtis Jones as well as Councilmember Anthony Phillips for offering their support for Global on the record, but it's not often that as elected officials that we go to School Board meetings to testify at all. I've never testified or advocated for any charter school to be open, but I thought this was a situation that we've never seen before. with me when I went to go testify in front of the School Board, and the reason I had him with me was because we had a basketball game right across the street at Ben Franklin High School right there when the School Board meeting started. And the reason that I bring my son up is because my son, who is in sixth grade right now, he's been in the same school with the same classmates and the same African-centered culture since he started school. The young people and the families who go to Math, Civics and Science, the situation that they're in is not their choice. It's also not their fault. So in the same spirit that Councilmember Jones just had as it relates to government stepping up to do the right thing, I felt we were obligated to open Global if for any reason to be able to give the families and the young people a soft landing. Think about my family, for nephew in ninth grade, I have my son in sixth grade, and I have a niece who is in second grade. They all commute to school together every day. That's our carpool. As working families, that's our way of coordinating to make sure that our young people are safe, but also we all believe in an African-centered education. So when the decision was made for the School District to -- for the School Board to essentially work with us, the Education Committee, behind the scenes and for us to have a certain level of understanding of what we would try to do and then for them to essentially switch their position, to me that's extremely frustrating, and as of March 7th, I don't know. What do we do about the families at Math, Civics and Science? What do we do to support those children? Do they now get displaced?
Someone might lose their job because three children now have to go to schools, and as government, we did not do those families justice. So I'm not sure of what the answer is. I'm not saying we're helpless, Councilmember Curtis Jones, but what I am saying is I don't appreciate how the School Board led us down the path to not finish the journey. I'm going to leave it at that, Council President. And the reason why that is important is because of the violence that we're seeing with young people listening. When we first -- when I first got into Council and my freshmen four colleagues, we would do a lot of advocacy stuff. One of the things that I talked about all the time is that this ain't the gun violence of the '90s, right? This ain't the early 2000s. When I was a kid in high school, the people who carried guns and sold drugs, they were poor. They were doing so to provide a living for their family, because they felt they This was all I know. This is all I have access to. Councilmember Phillips and Councilmember O'Neill, Councilmember Bass, the Councilmembers who represent these areas, they'll tell you this ain't about poverty. This ain't about territory or a certain corner, right? I'm not going to say what it is about, but what I am going to say is that the tactics that we've used in the past, that's not going to work for this generation. That's not going to work for this era. So I am concerned. I've talked to leadership at both Imhotep as well as at Northeast High School, and if you talk to the people who work in those schools, they'll tell you, listen, we had no idea this was going to happen. This is not an incident that started at lunch. No one stepped on someone's sneaker. This caught a lot of people off guard. And for me the most concerning -- a good friend of mine is the head coach at Northeast, and so you know naturally I'm going to reach out, and I asked him, you know, just basic stuff, how you guys doing, what can City Council and government can do to step up, and his exact response was, you know, this has created more questions than answers. Our young people are so desensitized to this stuff that they don't even see it as a big deal. Eleven kids shot this week and it's just a normal Thursday for them. So at the end of the day, while we continue to huddle and do the work that we do, because we're going to do the work, how do we change culture? How do we change mindset? You know, while some young people are saying that they're desensitized to this, other young people who never even met these kids was in tears. I had to break it to my kids that the shooting happened at Imhotep, and is supposed to play a basketball game on Friday at West Philadelphia High School. If you don't know, Imhotep is one of the best programs in the entire country. The CEO is contemplating not playing those games on Friday. So not only will there be one tragedy with the unfortunate death of a young man and other people shot, we're talking about another tragedy because now one of the best programs not just in the City of Philadelphia but in the entire country is saying we don't feel safe allowing our young people to play. We can't guarantee their safety. I say let the young people play. I say it's time for us to say we're going to step up and we're going to make sure that that game at West Philadelphia High School feels as safe as this Council Chambers do. When I walked in today, I thanked -- and I try to do it every time
I thank every guard, every sheriff, and every person who wakes up every single day to make sure we can come in this building and do our job in a safe way. Why can't our kids show up to their schools and feel as safe as I do when I walk in here? Why can't the young people at Imhotep participate in athletic competition on Friday and feel as safe as we do every single day? Look, I'm not going to act like this is the safest place in the world, right, but at the end of the day, how fearful our young people are is 100 percent unacceptable. So, Council President, that's my monologue for this Thursday, and colleagues, I appreciate each and every one of you, especially Councilmembers Bass, O'Neill, Phillips, and Gilmore Richardson who was on the scenes at these unfortunate incidents throughout the course of the week and doing everything support the families, the schools, and other stakeholders who have been negatively impacted. Thank you, Council President.
Thank you, Council President. And I just want to thank my colleague Councilmember Isaiah Thomas for his impassioned plea to all of us. And on that note, on a brighter future, I am going to speak about the resolution that I introduced today, which was about a hearing -- holding joint hearings regarding the reliability and servicing of publicly accessible electric vehicle charging stations in the City of Philadelphia. laying out that Philadelphia is poised to lead the nation's transition to a cleaner and greener transportation as part of the broader effort to reduce greenhouse emissions and mitigate the negative effects of climate change but also creating new categories of skilled family-sustaining jobs. We must have a brighter future. You know, the EV ownership is more affordable than before and prices have gone down 20 percent from one year ago. As of January 1st, Americans can get up to 7,500 off the sticker price of many of the new electric vehicles eligible for the Inflation Reduction Act, 30D, New Clean Vehicle Tax Credit and up to $4,000 for the price of a used EV and get vehicle tax credit as well. So as we can see the federal incentives supporting the Biden Administration's stated goals are 50 percent of nationwide auto sales being 2030. The adoption of clean vehicles only stands to accelerate. This transition depends and relies heavily on the widespread availability of reliable public EV charging infrastructure. Therein lies the challenge to make sure we are not putting the cart before the horse in this transition. I look forward to robust hearings about this from all sectors of our community to make sure that they are ready for this important transition. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. President. It's been a rough week. I just wanted to follow up on what my colleagues have discussed, which is what everyone is discussing, which has been the shootings that have occurred in the Northwest and Lawncrest and Ogontz, and I wanted to follow up on something that Councilman Phillips stated, which is that families really do have to step up. And I coined the phrase "what do you do when the shooter lives with you," because these guns were in people's houses. And so we call on parents, caregivers, family members, if you have someone in your house that you suspect is involved, could be involved, knows someone involved in any of this gun play, because back in the day there used to be such a thing called a fair one, right? You get into a fight, everybody could go home at the end of the day. It doesn't work like that anymore. And so what we need folks to do is to run that room. You have to go in that room, you have to flip the mattress, you have to go in the closets, you have to look in the drawers, you have to look behind everything, under everything. know, in my house and the way I was raised as well, there's no privacy in your mother's house. Okay? Old school. There's no privacy. So, you know -- and I understand that we want to give our young people autonomy and space and all of those great things that sound impressive and mature, but sometimes you have to intervene, and your intervention, the idea behind it is to keep your own child out of jail and someone's child out of a hospital or a casket. And so we have to be unapologetic as parents and caregivers about stepping up and stepping in and making sure what is my young person involved with. And the other thing about it as well -- listen, social media, when used wrong, is like the devil. Social media when gone wrong incites what we've seen this week, and we can't ignore it. We can't act like there was no role to play was a role in what has happened and what is continuing to happen. And so I just really want to encourage parents and caregivers again to be involved, because what do you do if that shooter lives with you is real. The guns used to kill 17-year-old Dayemen Taylor -- and we're going to say his name -- and to shoot four others near Imhotep High School and also the guns used to shoot nine people yesterday in Lawncrest, they were in someone's home the night before, the day before, that same day. These aren't people who have apartments, own homes. These are kids shooting other kids. And so we have to do more and say more and be much more vigil in terms of looking at what is happening in our community, particularly if you have a teenager in your household. So thank you, Mr. President. I just really wanted to remind everyone role to play. I'm the mother of a 14-year-old. I have a role to play. We all have a role to play. Thank you, Mr. President.
And thank you for saying that young man's name. Thank you for saying his name. Councilman Jim Harrity.
Good afternoon, Council President, colleagues. I really didn't have much going on today and I wasn't going to say anything, but after talking with my friend Anna Orso, I felt the need to speak up on some of this misinformation that is floating around. I, Councilman Jim Harrity, am not against harm reduction done right. Let me say that again. I, Councilman Jim Harrity, am not against harm reduction when it's done right. I am against harm reduction groups who are becoming more of a nuisance to the neighborhood that they're supposed to be protecting than actually protecting people. There's no doubt that wound care is desperately needed. There's no doubt that giving them clean needles so that we don't spread more disease is needed, but what we also have to take into consideration is the people that live around these facilities and what they have to see going on outside these facilities. It is our moral obligation as leaders of the City of Philadelphia to when we see something not working, to fix it, and that's all we are trying to do with the situation in Kensington, is to fix it. Now, I never claim to know all the answers, but I know a couple of which is that the 32,000 residents of Kensington deserve to be able to walk down the street. They deserve to be able to have the kids go outside and play without having to worry about what these groups are doing and what they are attracting. Now -- so I just wanted to make sure that I was on the record as saying that I am for harm reduction, but only if it's done right and only if it doesn't affect the residents of that neighborhood. Thank you, Council President.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Mark Squilla.
Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, colleagues. And I'm not going to reiterate everything everybody said that I strongly agree with, but I think the time is today and I our Mayor has given about one Philadelphia working together, Council and the Administration with the police, with the folks on the street, our non-profits, all the City of Philadelphia working together to address public safety as our number one priority. I think it is very sad what we're seeing right now, but I do think -I'm hearing optimism from people in the streets. I'm hearing hope from people in the streets, and people are saying that we believe changes are coming, right? And it's not going to change tomorrow and there will probably be some pushback when some of these changes go into place, and we have to understand that, but I think we need to do this. When that pushback happens, that people need to support those changes and they need to stand up and be behind those changes. And not saying that there's not going to be mistakes made by Council or the Administration, but knowing that we those things, doing nothing is no longer the answer, I think, and what we see out there day in and day out, the message becomes that we are a lawless city and we don't care about taking care of our own, and other people get to use that against us. But what you're going to see I think with the Administration's message and Council's message is that we are addressing these issues. We are taking them seriously. We're making changes to address them. And we also need support from the community to do that. So the people out there in the community, when you see these changes and there are pushback, you need to stand up too and say, this is what we want as a community, this is what we're looking for, and this is what the government is giving us. So aside from that, I do want to say we are having a briefing right across the hall. ATAHC, they are an organization that has received an RFP, job in my district with our PHA housing to eliminate bed bugs in all the housing in my district. They have done an amazing job. We never thought it was going to happen. They now have an RFP to do many of the PHA housing throughout the City of Philadelphia, and now they're also doing pest control. And, you know, when we talk about mental health and issues of people who always seem to be looked at differently or underserved, everybody deserves to live in a pest-free home, and we now have the ability to do that and we see that PHA is doing that. They're leading by example. And I want to thank PHA for their leadership and putting out an RFP and selecting somebody to do that work and then looking at the results and seeing that what it means to the folks who live in these facilities, how important it is to know that you're bed bug free and know that you have pest-free housing no matter how much you pay. much, and I will see you across the hall right after Council.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Rue Landau.
Thank you, Council President. First, just want to lend my voice to my colleagues on the wake of the horrific violence that once again has plagued our city in the past couple of weeks. I will absolutely do my part, alongside all of the other leaders in the City of Philadelphia, but I am going to take a second to call on Harrisburg and our legislators across the Commonwealth to pass gun laws so that we in Philadelphia can control the guns in our city, because without that, we are not going to fully have the tools that we need to make Philadelphia the safest place that we need to have. just take a moment on a couple of resolutions and bills today, but I wanted to start by thanking Councilmember Mark Squilla for putting forth the street renaming in honor of my friend and colleague Michael Hinson and to honor his bright legacy. Philadelphia lost a fierce advocate when Michael passed away, and we're honoring him today and commemorating the incredible advocacy to which he dedicated his life, as well as celebrating the lasting impact he has had on the LGBTQ+ community and the Philadelphia community. Michael was a pioneering figure in Philadelphia, actively working to combat the HIV/AIDS crisis and tackling homelessness head on as the head of SELF, Inc. He is dearly missed, but we continue to see the impact of his life's work every day, and I can't wait to see those signs on Chestnut Street. Second, I'd also like to invite Latinas in Tech event that will be held in the 6th Floor Law Library tomorrow at 3:30 that I am supporting with Councilmember Lozada. I'll be in attendance through my role as the Tech Committee Chair to celebrate the launch of the organization's new Philadelphia chapter. This non-profit organization is an important addition to Philadelphia's tech landscape, ensuring more representation and resources for these innovators and leaders throughout their industry. Hope to see you there. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. President. I want to thank Councilmember Squilla and colleagues today for passing the resolution honoring Mike Hinson. Mike was a good friend of mine. I met both Board members on the Union Benevolent Association's Board. He believed in the power of community, and he was very instrumental in my legal career once I left this body as a staffer. I also want to echo the sentiments of Councilmember Thomas and thank District Council 33 for inviting some of us down there to their Delegates Convention. As the Chair of the Streets and Services Committee and the Vice Chair of Transportation and Public Utilities, a lot of their work comes under our purview in those committees. I want to thank Loree Jones today for speaking. Loree has been a mentor of mine since I was 18 years old, and I just want to let folks know about Philabundance and their Community Kitchen, which is located in the Fifth Council District. They have a free 16-week program for those Philadelphians that are eligible for SNAP benefits. You be on SNAP but be eligible for the benefits, and you can get a free 16-week culinary arts program where they help place you in some of the best restaurants in the City. So if anyone is interested in that program, they should please check out Philabundance's website. Just for a point of clarity on the Zoning Board, right? So the City doesn't force developers to go to the ZBA to develop projects. I just want to get that out there. Property owners seek variances because they want to build, develop or use their property in a manner that the law does not allow them to. So we don't force them to go seek variances. And variances should only be granted -this is what our Code says. Variances should only be granted when the literal enforcement of the Code will result in an unnecessary hardship. So let's put that clarity out there for folks to know, that as a zoning lawyer, variances are something that you seek when you're trying to do something that the law does not allow you to do. And with that, Mr. President, when I ran to represent the Fifth District, the number one issue on my mind, the number one priority was the reduction of gun violence. From the first moment I stood in front of a microphone as a member of this body, the topic of discussion was gun violence. As we enter into this budget season, we must not forget that the number one issue facing our city is gun violence, particularly amongst our youth. With that, we must ensure that every dollar invested is truly used to achieve this outcome of reducing gun violence. We must have tough conversations and come to the reality that the same old programs and organizations tasked with this call are not working, to echo Councilmember Thomas. This is a new time now. We the reason our children are dying. There seems to be no guidance for our children. They are being influenced by peers who lack critical thinking, conflict resolution, and simple comprehension skills. But who is to blame? What I see missing is accountability. We as elected officials must take accountability during the budget process. Our educational institutions must take accountability, and our parents in the community must take accountability. No one can pass the buck. No one should play the blame game, but we all must look inward and ask ourselves, what are we doing collectively to reduce gun violence in the City, particularly gun violence amongst our youth. So thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you. confident, extremely confident, that members of this body and those of us who have been around for years, we have always kept our foot on the gas around this particular issue, and I have countless examples, but it takes a comprehensive approach of all of us working together, all levels of government, the Administration as well as this independent body of City Council, and I'm pretty confident that we will continue working just as hard. I mean, Councilman Jones, so they have 140 recommendations that we'll be examining. We talk about collaborating and partnering with our legislators in Harrisburg. We just recently got a short win where the Commonwealth ruled in our favor as relates to banning ghost gun parts, right, a resolution I introduced as a member of City Council, which the court in Harrisburg actually upheld. It shows that we're going in the right direction. or may not know, it may not feel like it, but homicides and shootings are down, and that's from the work that this body has done. We've never invested in the history of this city 100-plus million dollars strictly focusing on violence prevention. So we have to continue to keep rowing and rowing in the right direction, and I'm pretty confident that there will be a brighter day in the City of Philadelphia if we're all working together. So continue to keep up the good work. At this particular time, I want to acknowledge Councilmember Thomas for a motion to adjourn.
Thank you, Council President. I move that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, March 14th, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. (Duly seconded.)
It properly seconded that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, March the 14th, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. All those in favor signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and this Council session is adjourned. ) 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. m. S. org. 158:14 61:22 87:10,25 18 99:16 94:15 88:5,9,19, worry welcoming 104:21 Willits 23 89:4,17 167:7 93:19 148:20 123:17 90:2,6,8, 150:7 wound wellness 10,14,15 166:9 Stated Meeting 50 03/07/2024 Wow 34:9,11 zoning 96:22 35:13,14 31:4,9 written 39:11,12 32:19,20 57:8 78:14 97:4 114:7 99:9 117:4 wrong 116:25 120:14,15 101:21 117:9,10 123:13,14 163:22,23 122:25 175:11,25 123:2 Y 125:19,20 y'all 127:24 108:19 130:2,3 year 134:23 60:23 152:14,23 73:12 153:8 88:11 154:14 91:17 156:10,20, 160:14 22 157:11, 16,18 years 158:9,16 58:14 163:7,18 66:18 165:12 79:20 173:19,20 87:23 88:7 97:11 youth 101:21 25:9 43:19 107:8 69:25 174:19 73:10 178:5 126:9,13 134:15 yellow 176:16 42:12 177:22 yesterday 143:8 Z 145:25 164:14 ZBA 96:25 yield 97:10,17, 42:17 98:2,4, York 5,14 28:25 175:12 young zones 28:14,15 53:17