COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA STATED MEETING Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Thursday, May 16, 2024 10:00 a.m. PRESENT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT KENYATTA JOHNSON COUNCILMEMBER CINDY BASS COUNCILMEMBER KENDRA BROOKS COUNCILMEMBER MICHAEL DRISCOLL COUNCILMEMBER JAMIE GAUTHIER COUNCILMEMBER KATHERINE GILMORE RICHARDSON COUNCILMEMBER JIM HARRITY COUNCILMEMBER CURTIS JONES, JR. COUNCILMEMBER RUE LANDAU COUNCILMEMBER QUETCY LOZADA COUNCILMEMBER NICOLAS O'ROURKE COUNCILMEMBER ANTHONY PHILLIPS COUNCILMEMBER MARK SQUILLA COUNCILMEMBER ISAIAH THOMAS COUNCILMEMBER 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. This Council will now come to order. Members will please take your seats. Visitors will retire to the seats outside the rails. Any sidebar conversations, we ask that you take them outside the Chambers. Before proceeding, I would ask all those present to please set your cell phones to silent or vibrate. Thank you very much. To give our invocation this morning, the Chair recognizes Pastor Gregory Fleming of St. Joseph's Baptist Church. He is here today as the guest of Councilmember Brooks. I would ask all members and (Councilmembers and guests rise.)
Let us look to the Lord. Oh, Lord, our God, how excellent is thy name in all of the earth. Before the mountains were brought forth or even before the earth and the world was formed, thou art God. We come to thee, oh God, this morning to give thanks to you for giving us this glorious day. We first say thank you for our last night lying down, for it was then, God, that we chose what time to lay down and rest, but this morning, God, you chose what time to wake us up, and we pause to say thank you. We thank you for your grace and for your mercy. We thank you for life, health, and strength. We ask, God, that now your presence would be in this Chamber, that, God, that everything that will be done will be done first to give give you honor, and then, God, it will be done that the people may become a better people. We pray, Father, that you would guide and direct every decision; that, God, you would give a clear vision to everyone; that, God, we might come together as one, unifying ourselves as one; that, God, in all that we say and all that we do, God, we would come together with one mind, one heart, and one vision. We pray, Father, in the name of your son, Jesus the Christ, that you would move mightily in this place; that you would touch everyone under the sound of my voice; that, God, you would bless, strengthen, and keep and allow each of us, God, to know that all things are wrought by prayer. So, God, we turn every decision over to you this morning, asking, God, that your spirit would be present in every Councilperson, that, God, you would to know that it is in you that they have all of their movement and all of their beings. We say thank you, and we ask, God, in the name of Jesus that you would now have your way. We celebrate you. We give you glory and honor, in the name of your son, Jesus the Christ. We pray it all with thanksgiving. And all of the people of God say amen. (Amen.)
The Chair thanks the Pastor for his invocation. Council will be at ease. (Council at ease.)
The next order of business is the approval of the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, May the 9th, 2024. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Bass.
Thank you, that the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, May 9th, 2024 be approved. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, May the 9th, 2024 stand approved. All those in favor will indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and the Journal is approved. The next order of business is requests for leave of absence, and the Chair recognizes Councilmember Gilmore Richardson.
Thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of the majority, a leave of absence is Councilmember Ahmad.
The Chair thanks the Councilmember. Leave will be granted. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Brooks.
Thank you, Council President. On behalf of the minority, there are no requests for leaves of absence today.
The Chair thanks the Councilmember. The Chair now recognizes Councilmember 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, by law, subsequently published on an amended agenda 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 moved and properly seconded that the legislative matters stated by Councilmember Gilmore 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 Chambers this morning. On behalf of all members of City Council, we welcome you to our Council session. We appreciate your taking the time to join us as we attend to the legislative affairs of our city. We certainly invite you to come again. us joining us this morning is the second grade students from Logan Elementary School. (Applause.)
We're going to ask for them to stand. (Standing ovation.)
They are guests of Councilmember Kendra Brooks. We welcome our young people here as they get a chance to witness democracy in action. At this time, the Chair recognizes Councilmember Squilla, who will present a resolution honoring Dexter Resta for his acceptance to Yale University and recognizing Dexter's historic achievement as the first Prep Charter High School graduate in the Second Councilmanic District to earn a University. Would Dexter Resta and those accompanying him please join the Councilmember at the podium. (Applause.)
Also joining him will be Councilmember Driscoll, Councilmember Thomas, Councilmember Bass, Councilmember Brooks, Councilmember O'Rourke, and Councilmember Phillips. The Chair at this moment recognizes Councilmember Jones.
Thank you so much, Mr. President. One other student has joined us today, and in full disclosure, she is my granddaughter. This is Ziva W. Jones from String Theory. (Applause.)
You're welcome. We welcome you to City Council today. Thank you, Chairman Thomas, Chair of Education, for standing in for Councilmember Mark Squilla and presenting this resolution on my behalf. Thank you very much.
Thank you, Council President. Good morning, everybody. (Good morning.)
It's not every day that we get an opportunity to brag about the young people in the City of Philadelphia, especially when they historic in nature. When you talk about Philadelphia being a school of eds, meds, and beds, we take a lot of pride in our education system, and as the Chair of the Education Committee, it's always an honor when we can put ourself in a position to recognize a young person for accomplishing something that young people don't necessarily accomplish every single day. And so today we're here to celebrate Dexter. Dexter, who, as you have already heard, has been accepted to Yale University. In order to get accepted to a prestigious institution like that, your academics must be impeccable. So before we even start, can we all give Dexter a round of applause. (Applause.)
So honoring Dexter Resta for his acceptance to Yale University and recognizing Dexter's historic achievement as the first Prep Charter High School graduate to earn a full scholarship to Yale University. (Applause.)
And whereas, Dexter Resta moved to Philadelphia from California with his mother and four younger siblings during his 10th grade year. Dexter's loving, tight-knit family has provided him with the foundation for his academic achievement and his future success; and
Whereas, after moving to Philadelphia, Dexter's family settled in South Philadelphia -hear that, Council President -- and the young man enrolled at The Preparatory Charter School of Mathematics, Science, Careers, where he found a strong, supportive school community that was dedicated to fostering his intellectual curiosity; and
Whereas, during his time at Prep Charter, Dexter excelled academically, particularly in math and science classes, and Dexter's stellar academic credentials earned him scholarship offers to several prestigious colleges and universities. From among these offers, Dexter chose to accept a full scholarship to attend Yale University, where he intends to double major in mechanical engineering and economics. When Dexter arrives in New Haven in the fall of 2024, he will be the first Prep Charter graduate to receive a full scholarship to Yale; and (Applause.)
Whereas, Dexter intends to further develop his science while in college and plans to work at NASA after completing his studies. With his academic gifts and boundless energy, Dexter is sure to make a lasting impact on the field of space exploration in his future career; and
Whereas, Dexter Resta's acceptance to Yale University with a full scholarship is a momentous achievement for Dexter and the Resta family, the Prep Charter community, and the entire City of Philadelphia. The Council is pleased and proud to join in celebrating Dexter's accomplishments; now, therefore, be it.
Boola, Boola. Resolved, by the Council of the City of Philadelphia, that the Council hereby honors Dexter Resta for his acceptance to Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut and recognizes his historical achievement as the first Prep to earn a full scholarship to Yale. (Applause.)
Further resolved, that an engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Dexter Resta as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body. Again, let's give Dexter Resta a round of applause. (Applause.)
The Chair recognizes Dexter Resta and also CEO of Prep Charter School, David Wright. (Applause.)
I would like to thank God for always watching over me and guiding me throughout life, and also I would like to thank the Council of the City of Philadelphia for the recognition. It is an honor for me to stand before all of you here today. Also I would like to thank Prep Charter for providing me with a strong foundation and education and for the support and resources that assisted me throughout my high school career. I would like to thank my family, who is here today. First of all, Aunt LiLi for helping me and my family through tough challenges and also being a second mother to me. Lastly, I would like to thank my mom for always being my superhero, my best friend, and my mentor. (Applause.)
Thank you for raise me and my four siblings alone. Thank you for providing a roof over my head, food on the table, and being proud of me even when I had nothing to be proud of. Even with cancer, my mom worked very, very hard to provide me and my siblings. You know, I live with my mom and I still don't know how she does it. As much as this is an accomplishment for me, this is a huge achievement for her. I love you, mom. (Applause.)
If I had one piece of advice for the next generation, it would be not to let your situation define who you are. We can't change where we begin in this game of life, but we can change how we play it and how we end it. So if you have a goal, pursue it. Furthermore, as you see in my life, I did not achieve this on my own. who support you at your lowest. Those are the ones who deserve you at your highest. Thank you so much. (Applause.)
The Chair recognizes the CEO of Prep Charter School, David Wright.
Thank you very much. First of all, I want to thank the Council for this wonderful proclamation and honor. I'd also like to recognize members of our Board, Giangiordano, Sr. with a friend, Wick Savage with a friend, Michael Giangiordano, Jr. with the Prep Board, our Principal, Jo Ann Moore. Fred Musilli is our President. It really does take a village, right, working together, and we couldn't be more proud of Dexter. And when I talk to our staff and our students at Prep Charter about his accomplishment, I'd specific about it. There were 57,465 applicants to Yale for the 2028 graduating class. They only accepted 3.7 percent. That's the lowest percentage of acceptance in the history of Yale University, and Dexter was one. You probably all know Yale has produced five presidents, 19 Supreme Court justices, 31 living billionaires, 54 college founders and presidents, ten founders of this country. It's a pretty good school, and we are all excited that one of us at Prep Charter achieved this goal and is going forth. And he has a lot of support here in Philadelphia not only from his Prep Charter family but from the 3,500 Yale alumni who are here in this community. Thank you very much.
Thank you, Council President. I just want to say that, you know, as a Philadelphia citizen and not as an elected official, this is a really special moment, and it's great to see our young people strive to succeed. We always see the stories and the bad stories of some of what the young folks do, but never really get to celebrate the great achievements of so many of our young people here in our City of Philadelphia that are the majority of them, and to be able to achieve this goal to be accepted into Yale University, it makes us all proud and makes your family proud, I'm sure. And a lot of the -apples don't fall far from the tree. Thank you to the parents for what you have done and the opportunities you have given your children. So God bless you all and (Applause.)
Thank you. Council will be at ease. (Council at ease.)
I want to also take a moment to acknowledge State Representative Rick Krajewski who is joining us today. Rick, could you stand, please. (Applause.)
Thank you for joining us today, Rick. The next order of business is communications. The Chair requests that the Sergeant-At-Arms deliver the messages from the Mayor to the Chief Clerk. The Chief Clerk will read the messages from the Mayor and any other
To the President and members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, I am submitting herewith for the consideration of your honorable body the following proposed ordinance: An ordinance amending Chapter 19-3500 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Hospital Assessments," to revise provisions relating to hospital assessments; and authorizing the Department of Public Health to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the Commonwealth, Department of Human Services, relating to such hospital assessments; all under certain terms and conditions; and A resolution appointing Cari Feiler Bender to the Board of Directors for the Old City Special Services District. And to the President and members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, I am pleased to advise you that on May 15th, 2024, I signed the following bill, which was passed in Council at its session on May 2nd, 2024: Bill No. 240003. There are no other communications in my possession, Council President.
Thank you. The messages will be printed in the Journal. Now we have introduction of bills and resolutions. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Phillips.
Thank you, Council President. I have one bill for introduction today.
Will the Clerk please read the title of the bill.
An ordinance amending Chapter 9-600 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Service and Other Businesses," by adding a new section regulating the hours of operation of certain establishments and providing for penalties within an area bounded by Ogontz Avenue, between Haines Street and 66th Avenue, all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee. The Chair recognizes Majority Leader Gilmore Richardson.
Thank you, Mr. President. Today I offer one bill on your behalf and one non-privileged resolution on behalf of Councilmember Nina Ahmad.
Thank you very much. Will the Clerk please read the title of the bill and resolution.
An ordinance amending Chapter 19-3500 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Hospital Assessments," to revise provisions relating to hospital assessments; and authorizing the Department of Public Health to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the Commonwealth, Department of Human Services, relating to such hospital assessments; all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And a non-privileged resolution Honoring the Life of Christian Hall, Urging the Pennsylvania State Senate to Pass House Bill 1305, and recognizing both Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month.
This resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at our next session of Council. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Jamie Gauthier.
Good morning, Council President. Today I have two bills for introduction.
Thank you very much. Will the Clerk please read the title of the bills.
An ordinance granting permission to University City Eruv Corporation, in order to demarcate the boundaries of University City eruv district, to construct and maintain a clear nylon cord and/or plastic tubes and other ancillary facilities including a maximum of ten poles along, over, and in certain public rights-of-way and City streets, and/or to attach such demarcation facilities to existing facilities owned by other entities authorized by other City ordinances, subject to such owner's consent; all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee. Council will be at ease. Councilmember Jones, would you like to be recognized?
Yes, briefly. We have another second grader from Logan Charter School. Will you please stand. And the reason I'm recognizing her, other than her interest in civics, is she wrote a project about me. I haven't read it yet. Would you join me in welcoming her, Lalani. (Applause.)
You're welcome. Will you Chief Clerk please read the title of the next bill.
An ordinance amending Chapter 19-3200 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Keystone Opportunity Zone, Economic Development District, and Strategic Development Area," to provide for additional extensions of certain benefits, under certain terms and conditions.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Isaiah Thomas.
Good morning, Council President. Good morning, colleagues. I have one resolution, and I would ask that after the resolution is read, that we give our guest, another young person who is here, a round of applause for this amazing achievement.
And a privileged resolution recognizing and congratulating the Champion of the Week, Antoinette Ellis, a North Philadelphia native and student at Parkway Center City Middle College, on the occasion of being named as a Gates Scholar.
Council President, I don't know if she'll go to Yale like Councilmember Phillips and Dexter, but her education will be free for any institution she decides to go to. Antoinette, can you stand up so we can give you a round of applause. (Applause.)
Thank you, Council President. We will be recognizing her at a later date. Thank you.
You're welcome. This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Curtis Jones.
Thank you, Mr. President. Three bills, one on behalf of the Administration, three resolutions, two of them co-sponsored by every member of City Council.
Will the Clerk please read the title of the bills and resolutions.
An ordinance amending Title 4 of the Philadelphia Code ("The Philadelphia Building Construction and Occupancy Code"), by revising Subcode PM ("The Philadelphia Property Maintenance Code") to clarify provisions related to the Necessary Urgent Repair Program and make technical changes, all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And an ordinance authorizing encroachments in the nature of a sidewalk cafe in the vicinity of 3743 Midvale Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19129, under certain terms and conditions.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And an ordinance amending Chapter 10-2000 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Unlawful Manufacture of Firearms," to add restrictions relating to rate-of-fire acceleration devices, all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And a privileged resolution authorizing the City Council Committee on Licenses and Inspection to hold public hearings to examine the progress of implementing Section 906 of the Philadelphia Property Maintenance Code entitled "Necessary Urgent Repair Program," understand the impact it would have if fully funded, and further exploring partnerships and programs that could assist in successfully executing this initiative.
This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.
And a privileged resolution honoring, recognizing, and supporting the courage of the residents at Brith Sholom House located at 3939 Conshohocken Avenue in their pursuit of safe, fair, accessible, and affordable housing in the City of Philadelphia.
This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.
And a privileged resolution honoring Dr. Chad Womack and the United Negro College Fund for their work to advance STEM education in the City of Philadelphia.
This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Rue Landau.
Good morning, Council President and colleagues. No bills or resolutions today.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Quetcy Lozada.
Thank you, Council President. I have no bills and no resolutions today.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Jeffrey J. Young, Esquire.
Thank you, Mr. President. Today I offer two resolutions.
Will the Clerk please read the title of the resolutions.
A privileged resolution Honoring the Life and Legacy of Doris "Jean" Hackney, "The Grandmother of North Philadelphia."
This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.
And a privileged resolution authorizing the joint Committees on Public Safety and Streets and Services to hold hearings to investigate illegal street racing meetups in Philadelphia.
This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair recognizes Minority Leader Brooks.
Good morning, Council President. I have one privileged resolution and one resolution to introduce today.
Thank you. Will the Clerk please read the title of the resolutions.
A privileged resolution celebrating May 28 as Women Hygiene Day, recognizing the urgent need for the City to invest in addressing period poverty, and calling for an expanded period equity effort centered on educating and supplying communities across Philadelphia with women's hygiene resources.
This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair recognizes -
I'm sorry. The non-privileged resolution, celebrating the removal of cannabis from Schedule I of the Federal Controlled Substances Act and recognizing the urgent need for equitably distributed cannabis sales revenue that restores and repairs communities historically targeted by the war on drugs, and calling on the Legislature of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to legalize and equitably tax cannabis.
This resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at the next session of Council. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Jim Harrity.
Good morning, Council President. I have one non-privileged resolution I am co-introducing with the gentleman from North Philadelphia, Jeffrey Young.
Will the Clerk please read the title of the non-privileged resolution.
A non-privileged resolution renaming the 2700 block of Germantown Avenue "Leo Rosenblum Way" to honor Leo Rosenblum for his significant contributions to the community and his outstanding legacy in business.
This resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at our next session of Council. The Chair recognizes Councilmember O'Rourke.
Thank you, Council President. I have no bills or resolutions to introduce today.
Good morning, Mr. President. I have one bill for consideration today.
Thank you. Will the Clerk please read the title of the bill.
An ordinance amending Chapter 9-600 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Service and Other Businesses", by adding a new section regulating the hours of operation of certain establishments and providing for penalties within an area bounded by East Allegheny Avenue, Kensington Avenue, Torresdale Avenue, and Frankford Avenue, all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee. The Chair recognizes Councilmember O'Neill. (No response.)
Thank you, Mr. President. I offer one non-privileged resolution and one bill.
Thank you. Will the Chief Clerk please read the title of the bill and non-privileged resolution.
An ordinance amending Chapter 12-900 ("Parking Regulations and Penalties") and Chapter 12-2800 ("Administrative Adjudication of Parking Violations") of The Philadelphia Code to add prohibitions and penalties related to parking certain large vehicles, including boats, motor homes, house coaches, house trailers, truck campers, recreational cargo trailers, and recreational trailers, under certain terms and conditions.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And a non-privileged resolution appointing Cari Feiler Bender to the Board of Directors for the Old City Special Services District.
This resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at the next session of Council. The Chair recognizes Deputy Whip Councilmember Cindy Bass.
Thank you, Mr. President. I offer one bill on your behalf, one privileged resolution co-introduced with Councilwoman Quetcy Lozada, and one bill co-introduced with Councilman Anthony Phillips.
Will the Clerk please read the title of the bills and resolutions.
An ordinance amending Chapter 9-600 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Service and Other Businesses," by adding a new section regulating the hours of operation of certain establishments and providing for penalties within the vicinity of an area bounded by North Broad Street, North Park Avenue, between West Chew Avenue and West Tabor Avenue, and in the vicinity of Wagner Avenue, between North Broad Street and Old York Road, all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And an ordinance amending Section 14-303 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Public Hearings of the Zoning Board of Adjustment," to change the number of the board members required for a quorum or for action taken at a Zoning Board of Adjustment hearing, all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And a privileged resolution calling on the Committee of Health and Human Services to conduct a hearing regarding the efficacy and impact of recovery homes and transitional housing and gather input from all stakeholders, including members of affected communities, representatives from recovery homes and transitional housing, and from those in recovery, to better understand the challenges and concerns from all perspectives.
This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. The next order of business is Chair recognizes Councilmember Gilmore Richardson for a report from the Committee on Finance.
Thank you, Mr. President. The Committee on Finance reports out two bills with a favorable recommendation.
Thank you very much. Will the Chief Clerk please read the report.
To the President and members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, the Committee on Finance, to which was referred Bill No. 240059, entitled "Amending Title 19 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled 'Finances, Taxes and Collection,' by adding a new Chapter 19-4600, entitled 'Low-Income Tax Provisions,' by providing for the refund or forgiveness of real estate tax liability of certain low-income residents attributable to real estate tax increases assessed value of the taxpayer's homestead, under certain terms and conditions," respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bill to Council with a favorable recommendation.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Gilmore Richardson for a motion.
There's one more. The Committee on Finance, to which was referred Bill No. 240376, entitled "Authorizing an increase in the non-electoral indebtedness of the City within the Pennsylvania constitutional limit; authorizing the Bond Committee to sell bonds at public or private negotiated sale, to provide funds towards various capital municipal purposes; providing for appropriations to the Sinking Fund Commission for the payment of such bonds; and authorizing agreements to provide credit or payment or liquidity sources for the bonds in connection with bonds, and certain other actions; and rescinding the authorization set forth in Bill No. 230186-A (approved September 15, 2023)," respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bill to Council with a favorable recommendation.
The Chair now recognizes Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson for a motion.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended as to permit first reading this day of the bills that were just read into the record by the Chief Clerk. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit the consideration of the bills just read by the Chief Clerk at today's session of Council. of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. The motion carries. These bills will be placed on our First Reading Calendar for today. 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 reports out 16 bills with a favorable recommendation.
Thank you. Will the Chief Clerk please read the report.
To the President and members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, the Committee on Streets Services, to which was referred Bill No. 240119, entitled "An ordinance authorizing encroachments in the nature of two light poles and three existing light poles in the vicinity of the Southeast and Northwest corners of JFK Boulevard and North Broad Streets and the Northeast corner of John F. Kennedy Boulevard and North Juniper Street, 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 Bill No. 240183, entitled "An ordinance establishing parking regulations in the vicinity of: Hoffman Street between South 19th Street and South 20th Street; Pierce Street between South 17th Street and South 18th Street; Pierce Street between South 21st Street and South 20th Street; Sigel Street between South 22nd Street and South 23rd Street; McClellan Street between South 18th Street and South 17th Street; 19th Street and South 18th Street; McClellan Street between South 20th Street and South 19th Street; Jackson Street between South 15th Street and South 16th Street; Jackson Street between South 19th Street and South 20th Street; McKean Street between South 20th Street and South 21st Street," respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bill to Council with a favorable recommendation. And Bill No. 240184, entitled "An ordinance establishing parking regulations in the vicinity of: South 18th Street between Reed Street and Wharton Street; South 18th Street between Dickerson Street and Reed Street; South 18th Street between Tasker Street and Dickinson Street; Oakford Street between South 24th Street and South 25th Street; Oakford Street between South 22nd Street and South 23rd Street; South 19th Street between Dickinson Street and Tasker Street; South 21st Street between Tasker Street and Morris Street; Manton Street between South 20th Street and South 19th Street; Bancroft Street between Tasker Street and Morris Street; Alter Street between South 22nd Street and South 21st Street," respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bill with a favorable recommendation. And Bill No. 240191, entitled "An ordinance establishing parking regulations in the vicinity of Norris Street between Belgrade Street and Gaul Street; Ritter Street between Dauphin Street and Norris Street; York Street between Mercer Street and Thompson Street; Hagert Street between Cedar Street and Gaul Street; Wishart Street between Frankford Avenue and Emerald Street; Delancey Street between South 2nd Street and Front Street; Front Street between Spruce Street and Pine Street; Spruce Street between South 2nd Street 3rd Street," respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bill with a favorable recommendation. And Bill No. 240221, a bill entitled "An ordinance authorizing the Procurement Commissioner to enter into a contract for the construction of a sewer and appurtenant work required to provide public sewer service in the 600 and 700 blocks of Hendren Street, under certain terms and conditions," respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bill with a favorable recommendation. And Bill No. 240239, "An ordinance authorizing encroachments in the nature of a sidewalk cafe in the vicinity of 2201 Christian Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146, under certain terms and conditions," respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bill to Council with a favorable recommendation.
240240, "An ordinance amending Section 9-203 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled 'Sidewalk Sales,' to revise and clarify certain provisions related to City parks and recreation facilities and make related technical changes, 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 Bill No. 240243, "An ordinance authorizing an encroachment in the nature of a staircase in the vicinity of 1951 East Monmouth Street, Philadelphia, PA 19134, under certain terms and conditions," respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bill to Council with a favorable recommendation. And Bill No. 240250, "An ordinance authorizing the installation, ownership, and maintenance of various encroachments along the 700 Block of Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, under certain terms and conditions," respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bill to Council with a favorable recommendation. And Bill No. 240282, entitled "An ordinance granting permission to Germantown Jewish Centre to demarcate the boundaries of a Germantown eruv district, to construct and maintain a clear nylon cord and/or plastic tubes and other ancillary facilities including a maximum of ten poles along, over, and in certain public rights-of-way and City streets, and/or to attach such demarcation facilities to existing facilities owned by other entities authorized by other City ordinances, subject to owner's consent; 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. Bill No. 240301, "An ordinance nature of a sidewalk cafe in the vicinity of 6516 Castor Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19149, 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. And Bill No. 240302, "An ordinance establishing a no parking regulation on the south side of Wises Mill Road between Henry Avenue and Forbidden Drive," respectfully reports it has considered and amended the same and returns the attached bill to Council with a favorable recommendation. And Bill No. 240329, "An ordinance establishing a no parking regulation on the west side of North 34th Street between Indiana Avenue and Clearfield Street," respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bill to Council with a favorable recommendation. 240331, "An ordinance amending Section 9-215 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled 'Streeteries,' modifying requirements related to the City's revised standards and requirements associated with the use of portions of the Right-of-Way for outdoor dining," respectfully reports it has considered and amended the same and returns the attached bill to Council with a favorable recommendation. And Bill No. 240334, entitled "An ordinance amending Chapter 12-2700 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled 'Permit Parking Districts,' by changing certain boundaries and establishing new permit parking districts, 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 Bill No.
240335, "An ordinance amending Chapter 12-2700 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled 'Permit Districts,' by extending the authorized duration of temporary parking permits and setting new permit application fees, 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 Chair recognizes Councilmember Young for a motion.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit first reading on this day of the bills that were just read into the record by the Chief Clerk. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit the consideration of the bills just read by the Chief Clerk at today's session of Council. will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. The motion carries. These bills will be placed on our First Reading Calendar for today. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Squilla for a report from the Committee on Commerce and Economic Development.
Thank you, Mr. President. The Committee on Commerce and Economic Development reports one bill with a favorable recommendation.
To the President and members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, the Committee on Commerce and Economic Development, to which was referred Bill No. 240118, entitled "Amending Title 9 ('Regulation of Businesses, Trades and Professions') of The Philadelphia Code to add a new chapter concerning protections for consumers against unfair methods of competition and unfair deceptive acts or practices, and providing remedies, 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 Chair recognizes Councilmember Squilla for a motion.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move the rules of Council be suspended to permit the first reading this day of the bill that was just read into the record by the Chief Clerk. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended so as of the bill just read by the Chief Clerk at today's session of Council. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. The motion carries. This bill will be placed on our First Reading Calendar for today. The next order of business is the consideration of the Calendar. I note that the bills just reported from the committees with the suspension of 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. As there are no additional bills on the First Reading Calendar, the 2ND READING Chair recognizes Councilmember 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. 240444, 240445, 240446, 240450, 240012, 240247-A, 240281, and 240087-A. The following bills and resolutions on the Calendar are being held: No. 240220.
Thank you. Before considering these bills and 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 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's time limit will be two minutes based upon the volume of individuals commenting on public comments today. 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 point, 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 call the name of our first speaker.
State Representative Rick Krajewski. (Witness approached podium.) REPRESENTATIVE KRAJEWSKI: Good morning. (Good morning.) REPRESENTATIVE KRAJEWSKI: Good morning, Council President, esteemed colleagues in Council. I'd like to begin by thanking you for giving me the opportunity to provide public comment on Resolution 240450. I especially want to thank my neighbor and Councilmember-at-large, Nicholas O'Rourke, for his leadership in introducing this resolution honoring the vital labor of workers at Penn. As many of you know, my legislative district includes the University of Pennsylvania. I'm also a University of Pennsylvania alum. Attending Penn is what brought me to Philadelphia. And while my constituents may never let me live down my New York roots, it is here in our city that I became the person that I am today. I know, you can laugh. It's all right. I love my city, and every day I'm grateful that I get the opportunity to fight for my West and Southwest Philly neighbors in Harrisburg. And I will also take this opportunity to dispel the rumors once and for all in case you were still wondering, I am not related to Joan Krajewski.
We can see that. REPRESENTATIVE KRAJEWSKI: You can see that, can't you? I don't know. Maybe a little confused. So I would like to say that I'm here before you today filled with pride from my alma mater, but I would be lying to you, because today I am ashamed. I am ashamed of the University of Pennsylvania. I am ashamed that my university, our city's largest employer, larger private employer, with an endowment of over $20 billion, five times the size of the entire budget of the School District of Philadelphia, has continuously nickeled and dimed workers across campus, going so far as to tell bargaining units as small as dozens of workers that they are unable to pay them livable wages. I am ashamed that my university, which recently received royalties of almost $1 billion from vaccine patents, employed union-busting tactics such as election delays and exclusionary clauses against graduate student workers. This is especially egregious when you consider that the research done for those patents was supported by the work of graduate student researchers. And I am ashamed that my university called for the violent removal of peaceful student protesters, protesters who demonstrated tremendous courage in demanding our university hold itself accountable for investments complicit in the genocide in Gaza. ) REPRESENTATIVE KRAJEWSKI: I would like to be here before you filled with pride. I would like to say that Penn has shown up for its workers and its students, but I cannot. And as someone who also represents the workers and students of the University of Pennsylvania, it is my duty to defend their rights. And for us as public officials, it is our duty to show up for the people that make our institutions run. The reality is, without its workers, Penn would not be the world-class institution that it is. Without the library workers of DC47, students cannot study for their exams or work on their term papers. Without the residential advisors of OPEIU, campus dormitories are unable to run effectively. And without the janitorial workers and resident physicians of 1199C and CIR, respectively, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania ceases to function. All we are asking for is for a university that benefits immensely from its relationship to the City of Philadelphia, a city that pays zero, zero with a Z, Councilmember O'Rourke, zero dollars in property taxes. All we are asking for is for Penn to come to the table and value the labor of its workers. Do not engage in union-busting tactics. ) REPRESENTATIVE KRAJEWSKI: Do not spread misinformation propaganda. Do not stall and delay contracts while still asking people to show up to work. It is in Penn's interest to negotiate in good faith with the unions advocating for a unified contract, because unions not only make better workplaces, they make better workers, right? They make better workers. ) REPRESENTATIVE KRAJEWSKI: Penn can provide an example for other employers and I as an alum and those of you on Council, four alums as well, can hold our heads high and say that when the time came, Penn did the right thing. There's still time to do the right thing. The workers are waiting and they are watching. They could have grad workers made history as the biggest new union in this city in over 50 years, right? ) REPRESENTATIVE KRAJEWSKI: Over 50 years. And then you know who made history before them? The residential physicians at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
Thousands of workers who now have the power of a union are ready to throw down to get what they deserve, and we as elected officials must go to the mat for them as well, because unions belong at Penn and unions belong at every workplace in the City. )
Bill Hoffman. Can Frances Bourne, Paul Boni, and Paul Elia also make their way to the podium. We have Bill Hoffman, Frances Bourne, Paul Boni, and Paul Elia. (Witness approached podium.)
My name is Bill Hoffner, William Hoffner. I am a former President of the East Falls Community Council.
Can you speak into the mic or lift the microphone up. Kind of can't hear you, sir.
Thank you. My name is William Hoffner. I'm a former President of the East Falls Community Council. On behalf of the more than 150 neighbors who gathered on May 1st and of the 382 petitioners, I am opposing Bill 240012 in its current form. On April 8th, we appeared before the Rules Committee, and after hearing our testimony, the Committee Chair said our request for protections sounded very reasonable. A direct outcome of the April 8th session was that Councilman Jones undertook to incorporate neighborhood protections into Bill 240012. We thank him for his efforts to date. I'm here today with my neighbors because the bill does not yet provide sufficient protections. As I personally gathered dozens of signatures in the petitioning, I feel it was my responsibility to represent the questions I am regularly asked, questions for which I have no answers. If the new water treatment facility's construction will not start until the next decade, why is this zoning change being rushed through now? If there is a rush to passage that is part of a viable plan, where is the plan? How did the PWD get funding for this project without a plan? So I'm requesting the City Council grant more time for our RCO, Councilman Jones, and the PWD to arrive at a satisfactory, negotiated commitment that protects the residential community. I am presenting a petition signed by 382 East Falls residents. The petitioners are constituents of Councilmember Jones and the at-large Councilmembers. For District Councilmembers, the PWD's infrastructure plan contains 400 projects, possibly on your district. Please do not find yourself some day regretting that you didn't use the leverage you're about to give away. Thank you.
Frances Bourne, Paul Boni, and Paul Elia. And then Connor Emery also make their way to the podium. (Witness approached podium.)
Thank you. My name is Frances Bourne and I'm testifying in opposition to Bill 240012, and as I said in my testimony to the Rules Committee, I was told by a wise man, your urgency is not my emergency. That gentleman was East Falls' own Councilman, Curtis Jones. I don't understand why this change to the zoning for the Queen Lane water treatment plant is being treated as an emergency if the planning process will not even begin until 2030. I don't understand why Council is not concerned about the other as yet unknown impacts of a project of this scale and duration may have on all of the residential neighborhoods that border the plant, including Abbottsford, Ridge Avenue, Hunting Park, and Allegheny West. And I don't understand why City Council is not more interested in the Water Department's citywide plans for how it will be spending an estimated two and a half billion dollars over 30 years. I don't understand why you wouldn't want a master plan for this major undertaking. And I don't understand why the community protections that haven't been incorporated into this bill can't be written into an enforceable agreement. Trust us is not an agreement you would accept any more than we should. And I don't understand why the residents of East Falls have to work so hard to make their concerns known and why we are being shut out of further discussions. We deserve to be more than just a checklist on PWD's to-do list. Please explain it to me. (Applause.)
Paul Boni, Paul Elia, and Connor Emery. (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning. Can everyone hear me? My name is Paul Elia. I'm an architect and a member of the East Falls Zoning Committee. I oppose Bill No. 240012, which would provide a by-right zoning for the reconstruction of the Queen Lane treatment plant. However, I'd like to say we're in favor of that work. It's just not the way it's being mismanaged. In my 35 years of experience as a design professional, I've never seen a project of this scale not have to submit a master plan for approval, a fine example as to why a plan, a master plan, is needed. The Water Department is going to have large generators, emergency generators. We understand that. And they're going to need monthly testing. We understand that as well. We don't understand why, without a master plan and an agreement, we can't get a hospital-grade acoustical attenuation package included in the zoning. This requirement could be part of the binding contract with the Water Department. We don't understand why there is no requirement for producing a plan. We have the opportunity now, without delay, to impose this type of a requirement and as a condition of the rezoning. Please hold the bill until the Water Department commits in a binding agreement with a master plan. You can amend the building code to require it. We ask you to legislate like you live there. Thank you. (Applause.)
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Curtis Jones.
Thank you, Mr. President. I want to recognize my great constituents from East Falls. The reason why that's a great community is because of their work. And everybody has a right to speak. Everybody doesn't have a right to the truth. And when you say on public record that you haven't had input or there was no discussions, we've had several meetings with the Water Department going back over a year. So let me take you back a little bit so that everybody has context. You remember when we had that water emergency and we had to go buy bottled water? We had to buy bottled water because there was not a system that allowed the Water Department to switch from Belmont to City Avenue to be able to, in a seamless way, cut off contaminants that could have infiltrated our water. I love the fact that they used my quote, your urgency doesn't constitute my emergency. Like it, love it. However, the urgency is that we are at risk of losing millions, tens of millions, of dollars from the federal government if we do not demonstrate that we are moving this plan. They are right, it's ten years from now. So what we were able to do in the negotiations that we never had was to say, here are the things that you're concerned about, of which we produced about a dozen. All of them could not go into the amendment we are introducing today because the Law Department said we can't do that. So they got things like pathways and the width of it, where the lights can be, where the generators have to be, what type of insulation to keep sound from going into those homes that would devalue the real estate that they purchased. But to say that we haven't had negotiations, to say that there's no real need for moving this amendment, this amendment doesn't close the door. We can have double A amendments, Mr. President. So we can get more of their concerns into the actual legislation, because that's what it is. They don't want the promise made today to not be kept ten years from now, you know. It will be a different Water Department Commissioner. It will be a different situation, but they want their rights preserved in this bill. To the degree that we could, it's in these amendments, and those amendments have been circulated to all members of Council. And I always found out -- and I'm the second OG here in Council -- that when everybody is a little bit pissed off, it's probably a good piece of public policy. And that's what I have to say. Thank you, Mr. President.
You're welcome, Councilmember Jones. Will the Clerk please call the next person for public comment.
Connor Emery. Then Paul Birdsong and Regina Abrami also make their way up. (Witness approached podium.)
Hello, and thank you to the City Councilmembers who sponsored and supported the resolution for workers at Penn. My name is Connor and I have worked for Penn for the past two years as a residential advisor and organized unionization efforts for just over a full year. So our RAs filed for a union in early 2023 and were immediately told by Penn that we were not workers and that we did not deserve the right to a union. We litigated Penn and we eventually won our union with an overwhelming election vote in late 2023. We came to the bargaining table with Penn in December. At our first meeting, we agreed to six out of roughly 20 proposals, which was surprisingly a good first meeting with Penn. But it would not last. From January to roughly March, we agreed to none. RAs were required to file a ULP for surface bargaining and to take several actions ranging from speaking to the press to making online petitions to get Penn to even bargain in good faith. But what's more striking about Penn's union-busting campaign is what has happened just this past week. We held our last bargaining session with Penn on Monday in which we brought federal mediators to make sure Penn would bargain in good faith. They did not. Penn forced us into accepting a low-ball compensation offer in order to make sure RAs who started this movement could see the fruits of their labor. Upon doing so, Penn decided to go mute in the final hour, failing to sign off on a tentative agreement which we could bring to RAs to ratify on Tuesday. This was the last day when several RAs would be on campus and able to vote. Penn, having agreed to verbally to the last piece of our contract, lied in order to avoid paying RAs to express their democratic preference for a union and for fair compensation. We filed another ULP for regressive bargaining as a result. As the largest employer in the City of Philadelphia, Penn's actions should not just worry the Penn community, but it should worry the whole city. If Penn is willing to stall and lie just to avoid paying its own students fairly, how far is Penn willing to go to avoid paying other Philadelphians who work for the school? This resolution must be passed for the safety of all Philadelphia against a greedy institution which seeks to shelter its wealth from those who need it most. But I also want to remark that City Council's actions cannot stop here. I ask you, the City Council, to consider further action. Revoke Penn's tax exemption status for City taxes. Lobby the state to do the same for state taxes. These exemptions are meant for institutions which support the public good. Penn refuses to do so, and so these privileges are no longer appropriate for this institution. (Applause.)
Paul Birdsong, then Regina Abrami and Jessica Lubineski. (Witnesses approached podium.)
Pardon us for a moment. We brought the village with us again. So first I would like to acknowledge that I got a little passionate last time. So, you know, my bad. But when people come to me and complain to me, cry, bring pictures of their dead children to me and show them to me or asking me to come to their vigil, it makes me kind of mad, and so I had to convey the sentiment. So today I'm speaking on Bill 24018 -- first, we got a member of the community, OG Hasson right there. You see he has the walker. He makes his way here to come be part of this, because he's concerned. So I want to acknowledge him before I get to go on the speech that I wrote for y'all. Can y'all clap your hands for Mr. Hasson. (Applause.)
So now about 240185, I actually wrote a speech this time like everybody else. So penalties for operating after hours, I know this is in order to reduce the crime and the people hanging out in front of the stores and doing bad things. We support that. We also support cleaning up the communities, but we are concerned. We know that fentanyl, heroin, meth, and crack come from cartels, and we want to know if we're preparing for the increase in violent crimes sure to ensue due to clamping down on the open-air drug market there in Kensington. Are we going to give the police the Forensics Lab they need to solve the crimes? As we approach this, are we aware that the certainty of consequences curbs crime? So when people know they're going to get caught, they're less likely to do it, because they know for sure they're going to get caught. It's not that you say, oh, we're going to give you the death penalty, we're going to give you 100 years if we catch you with a certain amount of heroin. It's that we're going to catch you for sure. You ain't going to get away with it. That's what scares them. That's what cleans up our community. That's what protects our people. Are we aware that there are certainty of consequences contingent on the ability to acquire forensics proof to solve crimes? Now, instead of just running my mouth, I brought an example. In Michigan, they have a new forensics lab in the city called Dimondale, small town, huge forensics lab, the size of a community college. Detroit has reported the lowest rate of homicides in 50 years, because they're solving crimes from 1964 and '79 and people are getting locked up and they're plastering them all over the news. You shot this man back then, we caught you now, and we're going to catch you every time now. So now the people are safer. Now they're not as scared. Now they feel like their government actually represents them, but that's because they're able to actually solve the crimes. And so what I'm saying is, as you guys do this, as you guys prepare to do this, we support you and we look -I'm willing to have that conversation. The Panther Party looks for any way that we can to support cleaning up the community and keeping the community safe. However, we want to realize the gravity of the situation and what comes along with the things that you guys are proposing to do. There's going to be a blood bath when you clamp on that drug trade. When you say y'all can't be here, they're going to resort to prostitution and human trafficking and other things, and we got to get ready for that, and we're not ready for that right now. All power to the people. (All power to the people.)
The people of Philly. All power to the people. (All power to the people.) (Applause.)
Excuse me. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Isaiah Thomas.
Before they leave, I just want to say thank you to not just the testimony that we just heard but the number of people from the community who came out to be a part of that testimony. Last week it was told to a lot of Councilmembers that this space can be somewhat intimidating, so to see that they were able to organize this many people to come down to City Hall who care about this issue, I just want folks to know that we hear you, we see you, you did not waste your time. And I know myself and other Councilmembers are 100 percent in support of the Forensic Lab. We've allocated the money for it, and I personally have written a letter, along with other Councilmembers, to ask for that lab to be placed in the Third Councilmanic District in a facility that's already ready for it to be done as soon as possible. So, Council President, I just want the collective to know that came down here, this is a warm space, this is a welcoming space. We appreciate them taking the time for being here, and we take their advocacy serious. Thank you, Council President.
Regina Abrami. Can Jessica Lubineski and Sterling Johnson also make their way up. (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning, everyone, and thank you for this opportunity to present. Before I speak about my comments related to the Philadelphia Water Department treatment plant in East Falls, I would like as a faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania to acknowledge the great efforts of these individuals and tell you I see you and I appreciate you and I understand what you're doing. We support you. So my name again is Regina Abrami. I am a resident of East Falls. I'm a faculty member at UPenn. I'm a taxpayer, a voter, and a concerned citizen. I do feel like I need to take my notes and maybe not follow them, because I just learned that the person I voted for, Councilman Jones, makes his decisions based on how much it pisses somebody off, and apparently I just learned that if both sides are pissed, he thinks he's winning. So I would like instead to go a little off record and say instead that as someone who voted for Councilman Jones, I'm deeply disappointed by those comments, because we are essentially being asked to accept an agreement with the Philadelphia Water Department that amounts essentially to paying for a bill before we know what we're getting. That's just bad governance. It's not neighborly. It's not appropriate. And so to his comment that we did not or we have denied that we've had meetings, I am here today as a resident, I am not a member of the East Falls Community Council, I am someone who lives in that part of town, and I have gone to meetings and I have listened to the Philadelphia Water Department and I have consistently seen them essentially nod and handle, but tell us that we need to understand that these are issues that are bigger and beyond that. No, it's not. I have a Ph.D. I think I'm pretty smart. I think I understand big issues, and what I understand is that you don't pay for bills before you know what you're paying for, and we are essentially being asked to pay for the Philadelphia Water Department without knowing what we're getting. That's just bad business. Nobody does business like that. We know today that we look and try to figure out where some of the money went for Kensington, and we want to look into that, right? We're saying bad business. We want to know where the money goes. So all that we are asking for is for you to look at Bill 240012 and oppose it and oppose it until we know exactly what is going to be done. It just doesn't make sense. And if Councilman Jones is of the mindset that the problem is that the Law Department says we have a problem, then you know what to do. Most of you have law degrees here. Change the law. Because you should not be in a position where you're signing bills and you don't know what you're getting. And we certainly will continue to oppose it until we see a change. Thank you. (Applause.)
Jessica Lubineski. Sterling Johnson, Safiya Elliotte, and Keisha Wilkins also make their way up. (Witness approached podium.)
Hi. My name is Jessica Lubineski and I'm here to support Resolution 240450. I am a member of the Penn Museum Workers United Union and have worked at the Penn Museum at the University of Pennsylvania for about four and a half years now and pretty quickly became involved in organizing a union at that workplace. When I first started talking to my colleagues at the Penn Museum, many of whom have worked there for 20, 30, we even have some people who have worked there for 40 years, longer than I've been alive, the main takeaway I had from how people felt about working for the Museum and working at Penn was fear, fear that they would lose their jobs at a moment's notice with no -- for no reason, fear that they wouldn't be able to pay the bills, and especially fear that the Museum and the University would retaliate against them for organizing a union. And, you know, I'm standing up here as a person who put their face and name on pretty much every public account of union organizing at Penn when we first started, you know, and saying that I felt that fear too, but I knew that what I was doing was worth my time, worth my energy, and worth it for my co-workers, because no one should work at the largest employer in the City of Philadelphia, self-professed best employer in the City of Philadelphia, and be afraid every day that they might just not have a job or not be able to pay their bills. And so I'm really grateful for Councilmember O'Rourke for announcing this bill, and I just want to say Penn needs to listen to their people who work there and take the democratic process seriously. Thank you. (Applause.)
Sterling Johnson, Safiya Elliotte, and Keisha Wilkins. (Witness approached podium.)
Hello. My name is Sterling Johnson. I'm a housing and harm reduction advocate. We support anyone in the City being displaced. I oppose the zoning ordinance 240247. Without more eviction protections and focused targeting and saving public housing, this should not go forward. People who care about the City, we're for development, but not for displacement of current residents that live there. We know that present oriented development, focused development that leads to increased market pressures, that will increase legal and illegal evictions in the surrounding area. It will lead to more police calls that will often target for arrests Black, Latinx, and poor white people simply walking, talking, playing music or just being in public. We know that the jails are already being accused of being in contempt for the way that they manage their space. We know this because of the experience of the UC Townhomes that shows us that the City needs to step in and mitigate those displacement pressures before we get to a place where we can't go back. I can tell you I spent two years of my life fighting to save them. The City does not have $100 million to actually do that. We need development, we need economic security, but we need the City to actually step in and actually fund those things, and we're talking about in the budget rental assistance, money for repairs, the 14 million for the redevelopment of the townhome site, help out with Brith Sholom, Haverford Square in West Philly. Pressures also will cause more homelessness in North Philly. We can't just sweep people up like encampments that were done on Wednesday in Kensington without leading with services, coordinating with DBH and DHS. You lead with services, not with the police. Police came at 5:30. Outreach was there at 8:00. Where do you think people went? That is not the way that we actually solve this problem. PHA has more properties coming online. DHS has the 1115 waiver coming up to help with rent and housing search. We have to coordinate with Penn and Jefferson around treatment for people. I'm here as a person that cares about this that has been doing this for a long time. There are solutions that have to be put in place as we put a fire under the market. That is just the truth. Displacement pressure actually occurs and we have to mitigate the displacement that does happen to people. Thank you. (Applause.)
Safiya Elliotte, Keisha Wilkins, Ebony Staton, and Kate Perez. (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning. My name is Safiya Elliotte. I work in District 7 at the Linc High School. Thank you, Council President Johnson, Councilmember Lozada, Councilmember Thomas, and other members of the City Council for your continued support of schools. Today I'm here to testify on Resolution 240450, which celebrates the labor victory at University of Pennsylvania. Supporting graduate workers will continue Penn's tradition of academic excellence. I'm also here to ask the City Council to increase City investment in schools so that more students from Philadelphia can make it to universities like Penn. The School District needs $400 million this year to avoid any cuts, and this is why we are asking for the City Council to boost the share of property taxes going to the District to 60 percent, which will push our District in the right direction. I'd like to direct your attention to the document on the desk titled Stop Starving Our Schools. This document shows the framework the District uses for its budget. This is the status quo, and this means one teacher to every 30 students, one counselor to 649 students, three climate staff members for six hours to 449 students. Again, this is the status quo. As a climate manager and/or administrator, my job is to ensure the school -- that our school's environment is conducive for students to learn. This means no matter the lack of human capital and resources, we must do our best to provide the best educational programming possible for our students. The Linc High School's climate and coach statistics look much better than they did last year. School leadership attributes that to our Relationship First programming. We use restorative systems in our schools, like community building, welcome circles for new members to the community, restorative conversations, which includes students and climate staff members, harm and healing circles that emphasizes peaceful solutions, and circle of support and accountability. Providing such support to our students wouldn't be possible if we didn't receive additional funding to hire more climate staff members. Thank you again, President Johnson, Councilmember Lozada, Councilmember Thomas, and other members of City Council. (Applause.)
Keisha Wilkins, Ebony Staton, and then Kate Perez. (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning. Good morning to City Council and fellow citizens. My name is Ebony Staton and I live in Northwest Philadelphia in Councilmember Bass's district. I'm here to testify on Resolution 240450, which recognizes the labor victory of University of Pennsylvania. Supporting graduate workers will continue Penn's tradition of academic excellence. I'm also here to ask City Council to support access to academic excellence, especially for our youngest Philadelphians. I want to thank Councilmembers who have come out as champions of pre-K, especially my Councilmember, Councilmember Bass, Council President Johnson, Councilmember Phillips, Councilmember Gilmore Richardson, and Councilmember Harrity. Please consider championing pre-K in this year's budget by expanding Philadelphia pre-K by 250 seats. Pre-K is one way to make sure kids are on the right track academically. My son was in a childcare program in my neighborhood, and during his last year in the program, he focused expressly on school readiness. Because of that, he was prepared for kindergarten. My son learned concepts that helped with his social-emotional development. He learned how to socialize with other kids, and he learned routines. All of the structures that helped him succeed in kindergarten were in place in a safe and supportive environment well before he stepped into the kindergarten classroom. My son's father and I were not early childhood educators. We were not experts in child development. We only knew that these early years are important and that we didn't want our son to figure everything out on that first day walking in. Also we worked full-time jobs, paying our taxes here in Philadelphia. Not having a preschool program meant less peace of mind, more stress, and the constant worry that we weren't giving our best to Philadelphia. I want to direct City Council's attention to the paper in front of you entitled Now is the Time. Research and data backs my son's experience, and my son was more prepared for school because he was in a preschool program. However, the same cannot be said of kids across Philadelphia. Seventy-two percent of kids in District 8 and 68 percent of kids across the City are failing the 3rd grade PSSA. One way to bring this -- Council, I ask for 30 extra seconds -- bring this percentage down is to expand pre-K in the City so that kids can receive the same support that my son received. Councilmember Bass, Council President Johnson, Councilmember Phillips, and Gilmore Richardson and Councilmember Harrity, please continue being champions for PHL pre-K. I'm here today standing with all parents of Philadelphia. Expand PHL pre-K by 250 seats to give every family in Philadelphia a fighting chance to live and work in the City. Thank you.
Kate Perez. Can Madison Gray and Steven Kohalmi also make their way to the podium. (Witness approached podium.)