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.