A resolution supporting the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation and their planned development of the Eastern Tower Community Center.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption 9/26/13 - STATED - 2ND READING of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it. 130652 is adopted. Mr. Decker, please read the title of 130544.
A resolution proposing an amendment to The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter confirming Council's power to enact provisions Council considers necessary or appropriate to accomplish the purposes of a Minimum Wage and Benefits Ordinance.
Thank you. Because Resolution No. 130544 is a proposed amendment to The Home Rule Charter, it requires a two-thirds vote. 9/26/13 - STATED - 2ND READING Mr. Decker, would you please call the roll.
Aye. 9/26/13 - STATED - 2ND READING The ayes are -(Standing ovation.)
Thank you. The ayes are 17 to zero. The resolution is adopted. Mr. Decker, would you please read the title of 130532.
An ordinance providing for the submission to the qualified electors of the City of Philadelphia of the proposal set forth in a Resolution approved by Council proposing an amendment to The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter confirming Council's power to enact provisions Council considers necessary or appropriate to accomplish the purposes of a Minimum Wage and Benefits Ordinance.
This bill has been read on two separate days. The question is shall the bill pass finally. Mr. Decker, please call the roll. 9/26/13 - STATED - 2ND READING
Aye. The ayes are 17; the nays are zero. The majority of all members 9/26/13 - STATED - 2ND READING present voting in the affirmative, the bill passes. (Standing ovation.)
Thank you all so much. Councilmembers need love too. Thank you. Mr. Decker, do you have any additional resolutions.
A resolution recognizing the Church of the Gesu located at 18th and Stiles Street in North Philadelphia on the church's 125th Anniversary to be celebrated on Sunday, November 10, 2013, introduced by Councilman Kenney.
I move the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. Those in favor? (Aye.) 9/26/13 - STATED - 2ND READING
And a resolution authorizing the Committee on Labor and Civil Service to hold public hearings to review the decision of the Philadelphia Fire Department to demote nine Fire Lieutenants and five Fire Captains after their recent promotion this past May, introduced by Councilman Kenney.
I move the adoption of the resolution and request to be recognized for a moment. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you, Mr. President. On May 14th, 2013, Judge 9/26/13 - STATED - 2ND READING Leon Tucker ordered the City to fill the 14 budgeted promotional positions using then the current promotional list for the Fire Department for captains and lieutenant. On May 30th, 2013, Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers met with 14 individuals in his office and promoted five individuals to fire captain and nine individuals to fire lieutenant. In September 2013, the City of Philadelphia issued a new promotional list and none of these 14 individuals are on the list because they had already been promoted. The Fire Department issued a memorandum on September 23rd, 2013 stating that all of these promotions would be rescinded and all individuals would be demoted and reassigned to different positions. " At no point 9/26/13 - STATED - 2ND READING did any of the 14 individuals affirmatively accept their appointment with the understanding that the position was temporary. " These individuals were invited to attend a promotional ceremony on July 17th, 2013 with their families and honored as newly promoted fire captains and fire lieutenants by Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers. Yesterday Commissioner Ayers attended a hearing disputing the -dealing with the challenge to the Commonwealth Court's ruling that they could be demoted, and he said yesterday in court that he was forced to promote these people based on the court order. I have a number of pictures of the promotional ceremony at the Fire Academy which took place on July 17th. 9/26/13 - STATED - 2ND READING It is attended by Commissioner Ayers, command staff, the promoted individuals, the captain, and their families, and Commissioner Ayers is smiling in every one of these pictures. It doesn't seem to me that he was forced to actually do these promotions. And the reason why I raise it is because in 1967 and then again in 1975 when my father was promoted to captain and then battalion chief, I attended those ceremonies with my brothers and my mother. They are some of the most important memories that I have growing up. We were very proud of what my dad did for a living, because he put on a uniform every day and went out to save people's lives potentially. Every one of these family members that are in these pictures all went through the same feelings, and all of them are now going through the feelings of why their brave dad, captain or lieutenant, is being demoted by the City of Philadelphia that they serve and 9/26/13 - STATED - 2ND READING the Fire Department that they serve. I don't believe Commissioner Ayers wants to do this. I think if you look at his smiling countenance in these pictures, I think he was very proud of what went on that day, along with the spouses and children of these firefighters, who are also very proud of what went on that day. The day before yesterday, Everett Gillison said that, along with the City Solicitor and Deputy Commissioner Resnick -- Deputy Mayor Resnick, that they were exercising a management prerogative. So now on one hand, Fire Commissioner Ayers says he was forced to do something. On the other hand, Chief of Staff Gillison and others are saying they're exercising a management prerogative. Well, the definition of a management prerogative or the definition of prerogative is a right or a privilege exclusive to a particular individual or class. You can't have it both ways. 9/26/13 - STATED - 2ND READING If this is a management prerogative, then I would suggest that they do the right thing by these firefighters, these captains, these lieutenants, and their very proud families. There's many, many other openings. There's 39 openings, I believe, that are still available for captains and lieutenants to be promoted. Not to rescind these people, not to demote them, not to embarrass them, not to rip off their insignia, which is what they plan to do in some not-so-open ceremony soon, and just do the right thing. Change the dialogue.
Change the dialogue between the Fire Department and this Administration in a positive and compassionate way and move forward so we don't have to continue to have these hearings and these fights and these lawsuits and this wasted tax money that goes on and on and on and never seems to stop. All I'm asking them to do is do 9/26/13 - STATED - 2ND READING the right thing by these people and stop this nonsense. Thank you, Mr. President.
It has been moved and properly seconded. All those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted. (Applause.)
A resolution recognizing October as Philly Plays Scrabble Month, introduced by Councilwoman Blackwell.
The 9/26/13 - STATED - 2ND READING Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded. All those in favor? (Aye.)
And a resolution recognizing September 29, 2013 through October 5, 2013 as Prostate Cancer Awareness Week in Philadelphia, introduced by Councilman Greenlee for Council President Clarke.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move the adoption 9/26/13 - STATED - 2ND READING of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution honoring the Court Appointed Special Advocates of Philadelphia County, introduced by Councilman Henon.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. 9/26/13 - STATED - 2ND READING All those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution urging the Board of Revision of Taxes to provide for a deadline extension for the filing of real estate market value appeals, or otherwise make arrangements to accept late appeals, for property owners who have not received responses to their First Level Reviews by October 7, 2013, introduced by Councilman Johnson.
Thank you, Mr. President. I also would like to say a few remarks and be recognized.
Today, myself and Councilman Mark Squilla, supported by other Councilmembers, introduced a resolution urging the Board of Revision of Taxes to provide for a deadline extension for the filing of real estate market value appeals, or otherwise make arrangements to accept late appeals, for property owners who have not received responses to their First Level Reviews by October 7th, 2013. The Administration has received 49,000 First Level Reviews and will not finish its review process before the October 7th deadline for appeals. Property owners have just begun to find out that they will not receive a response before the appeal deadline less than two weeks away and they have been receiving additional mailings from the Administration encouraging them to appeal. And we have been receiving phone calls, or actually my staff that was working with constituents, who are pretty 9/26/13 - STATED - 2ND READING much confused about this whole process. I just talked to a gentleman yesterday. He is on disability. He's scared. He doesn't know what to do. He thinks that because he put in a First Level Review form, that that was the actual appeal process. They haven't responded to him, so he wants to know why do I have to also still put in an appeal for the October 7th deadline. And so we want to urge the Board of Revision of Taxes, if they can't extend the deadline, to also work with us in terms of making arrangements for individuals who may appeal their property taxes later than the October 7th deadline and really give people a chance to adjust to this process, because it's still moving pretty quickly. And I know for a fact -- and I'll state this for the record -- when people get their tax bills in 2014, we will revisit this issue on a whole different level. And so I want to ask for my 9/26/13 - STATED - 2ND READING Councilmembers' support for the resolution, and I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded. All those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution recognizing October as Parent and Family Appreciation Month, introduced by Councilwoman Reynolds Brown.
The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Reynolds Brown.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption. (Duly seconded.) 9/26/13 - STATED - 2ND READING
It's been moved and properly seconded. All those in favor? (Aye.)
And a resolution honoring and celebrating the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Philadelphia Chapter, for their dedication to the youth, through their advocacy for education, nonviolence and community service, introduced by Councilman Jones.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. 9/26/13 - STATED - 2ND READING All those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution celebrating and recognizing October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month to raise awareness about disability employment issues and celebrate the many and varied contributions of people with disabilities to the City of Philadelphia, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and United States of America, introduced by Councilman Jones.
Thank you again. I move for the adoption. (Duly seconded.)
It's 9/26/13 - STATED - 2ND READING been moved and properly seconded. All those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is also adopted.
And a resolution proclaiming Saturday, October 19, 2013 as Men Against Domestic Violence Day to raise public awareness of the specter of domestic violence and stand united in support of victims of domestic violence across the City of Philadelphia, introduced by Councilman Jones.
Again, Mr. President, for the record, that was introduced by Blackwell, Johnson, Brown, and Greenlee, but I move for the adoption. 9/26/13 - STATED - 2ND READING (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded. All those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution recognizing and honoring the d'Zert Club and African Genesis Institute on their 20th Anniversary, introduced by Councilwoman Bass.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All those in favor? 9/26/13 - STATED - 2ND READING (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution congratulating History Making Productions and commemorating the work of Founder and Executive Producer Sam Katz for his multi-format historical documentary television film and Internet project Philadelphia: The Great Experiment, introduced by Councilman Oh.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All those in favor? 9/26/13 - STATED - 2ND READING (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution recognizing September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in honor of childhood cancer patients, care givers, survivors and those children who have succumbed to the disease, introduced by Councilman Oh.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is also adopted.
There are no other resolutions on the Final Passage Calendar, Mr. President.
Thank you very much. That concludes our Calendar for today. Are there any speeches on the part of the minority? (No response.)
Any speeches on the part of the majority? The Chair recognizes Councilman Goode.
Thank you, Mr. President. I will be brief. Last week I called on the School Reform Commission to revisit its policy on abating tax revenue that would go to needy schools. I stated that not full abatement, but every school absolutely needs more money. The SRC at its meeting this week took testimony from a guidance counselor that's now responsible for thousands of students at multiple schools. Then the SRC voted four to one to abate some more money that could possibly go to needy schools, but to its credit -- and I believe in giving credit where it's due -- the SRC did revisit its policy. While they abated the taxes, they also required payments in lieu of taxes that would amount to almost $2 million over ten years. One SRC member voted no because there was no independent analysis that showed that the schools couldn't get a better deal. No kidding. When originally packaged for SRC approval, a full tax abatement was requested. Now all of the sudden the project owners can afford to pay least $2 million in lieu of taxes. That's the sham. clear: Stop taking money from public schools for private profit. We should ask ourselves, Where was that $2 million going to go before the new deal? Certainly not for the kids. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, Mr. President. Today I rise to talk about RCOs, or registered community organizations. During the times of then Mayor John F. Street, he was called the Neighborhood Mayor. Philadelphia was known as the City of Neighborhoods, as it is now, and our neighborhood groups took great pride in knowing that neighborhoods have a say and a right certainly to be included in decisions that affect the City. forward, we were doing zoning. We were satisfied with the red neon signs and that process, but we fast forward and the Zoning Commission decided that they want to upgrade the code, and they had meetings across the City. Well, I went to all the meetings in my district, and at no time did I hear anybody talk about creating registered community organizations and what that would include. All right. We've had that debate here. The only thing we did was introduce a resolution making the process easier. We didn't create them; just making it easier for groups to apply. As many of you and all of you will probably remember, the big argument was, Councilwoman Blackwell, give it a year, give it time, give it time. Now, ever since they came up with this process, we passed a bill to only make it inclusive, because they wanted the registered community organizations' minutes, bylaws, names of everybody on the Board and everything else they could think of, and we didn't know why they needed that. We also were concerned because now we also have Year 2035 Plan, and the community groups are already questioning whether or not they want to improve a plan or whether they want to gentrify and have developers only make the decisions on what happens in our city. So while they asked us to wait a year, they were interested in changing all of this RCO information. Now, the new bill that we have introduced today calls on RCOs to be yearly instead of three years. That's one of the changes they want. 5 miles, not 7 miles. Now, remember, all of these things, all of these requirements were issues they put in the bill, not us. Now they want to change it. They who argued and argued and argued that we shouldn't change RCOs, Zoning Code, give it a year. 5 square miles, not 7 miles. Then they talk about notice that registered community organizations as well as developers must give to one another. They're saying that they took out notification that the Councilperson and near neighborhoods get. And I'm always reminded -- and I say this all the time whenever it applies -- and, that is, the late and great Lucien Blackwell talked about his father going to vote, and his father said -- somebody asked him, Do you think you should have to read and write the Constitution in order to vote? And the neighbor said, Yes. And he said, Fool voting himself out of a vote. And I say that to say in the legislation, they suggest that the developers not even have to notify the remove that from the legislation. This is legislation they wrote where they want to take Councilpeople out of notification. They want to take near neighbors out of notification. They want to give those who apply, the developers, more rights than they give the community organizations. I believe that they created these issues, and if they want to be fair, they have to realize that we not only represent developers, institutions -- and I represent more of those than anybody and we deal with development, but we're also elected by these RCOs, by community organizations, and people across the City who elect us to represent all of them. We don't have the luxury like maybe those Zoning Code people or the City Planning Commission to decide that we're going to speak or we're going to deal with one side of the equation only. We can't just represent
We have to represent those people in our neighborhoods who send us here as well. I do also absolutely resent that they try to take Councilpeople out also in the Civic Design Review issue. They're saying there has to be one meeting only, no matter how many they are. They created this process. So if you have three or four RCOs, where before they could -- the developer could call for a few meetings, they're saying that it's up to the community organizations, who could be opposing groups, it's up to registered community organizations to find a way to get along so that the developers only have to call one meeting. They give them that authority, but they don't give the community organizations any. They also take out the right to have a rotating community organization on the Civic Design Review Committee, and they take out the right of the District committee. Remember, that's non-voting. It's just that they have decided that we as District Councilpeople don't have any right to have a say in this. And this 2035 Plan they have, I guess they might as well just figure they're going to just take us out of office. I resent people who try to undermine this Council, who try to undermine our right to represent people, institutions, and developers. And I call on those who call for all these Zoning Board changes in the first place, I appeal to them. You went to the community groups. You asked for all this. I call on them to go back, call those meetings again to the same community groups. If those community groups are pleased with these changes, then we can be pleased with the changes. But to have come up with this and then realize that they created the biggest mess and then call on us to undermine our groups, not developers, is the wrong thing to do. So I call on those who want the Zoning Code changes. You created this. You went to groups. You met across the City. You said they wanted this, not that I heard it in my meetings in my district. You said they wanted this. Then you should go back to those groups if you want them to change and certainly ask them those questions. So I challenge them to come forward, to call on meetings in these community groups, and we look forward to continuing dialogue and debate on this issue. Thank you, Mr. President.
Mr. President, I want to recognize a today from the Walter D. Palmer Leadership Learning Charter School, and I want to recognize them in context -- are they here? There they go. Give them a round of applause. (Applause.)
They're here to observe us in our natural habitat, if you would, dealing with public policy issues as they heard today. It reminds me, however, that we are still kicking the can down the road on full funding for our public schools. (Applause.)
We here have done our job in this body. We here have done what we could with the revenues we have, but we still await additional resources. We started in September. We don't know if we're going to be able to go on the current budget until June. I had a disturbing visit up to Harrisburg to observe a high school called SciTech High School. In that high school, they were dealing with robotics, an international competition, Mr. President. They were teaching robots and mechanically how to move back, forward, pick up things in an increasingly more competitive, complicated environment where warehouses now are occupied by robots, so they need to have those skills. I then came to my alma mater, Overbrook High School, to look at their robotics class, where I fought back tears, seeing a struggling teacher doing what she could for our students, dealing with a cardboard box and a plastic wire to simulate movement within the robotics class. This is absolutely unacceptable, and the education funding gap between what kids worldwide need to achieve and what we get in the City of Philadelphia must be filled. So as we deal with the school year and we open the school doors, we don't want them closed mid spring of funding. Our eyes are turned towards those who can help in Harrisburg. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, Mr. President. Very often we privately congratulate and salute our comrades when they have achieved a major legislative victory. I want to go on the record and publicly congratulate Councilman Goode on the Minimum Wage and Benefits Ordinance and the process that was engaged in by POWER. I found that their grace and diplomacy and strategic action to be very, very commendable, and it all yields a very, very positive outcome. So congratulations to Councilman Goode and POWER. Secondly, I want to say thank who were able to join us yesterday at the signing of the Women on Boards Bill. After 18 months of work, the first leg of this journey has been accomplished, and we feel very, very good about that when we continue to wrestle with disturbing facts that less than one percent of women of color serve on boards, and right here in the region, there are 41 percent of our boards have no women on the boards at all, and that's a lot startling when there's a growing body of global research that says that when you have the presence of women in leadership and corporate positions, the profitability spikes up. Additionally, there is increasing acknowledgment that a strong, positive -- and a strong, positive correlation between a number of board seats held by women and financial performance. Credible data supports the business case for having boards reflect a broader population and consumer base. then, lastly, when you factor in that women make up 80 percent of the consumer decisions, it behooves Philadelphia as a region to get with the program and do better with regards to women serving on boards. So I thank my colleagues, and know that there is subsequent additional legislation in the wings of this stage of trying to level the playing field for women. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, Mr. President. I want to acknowledge Councilwoman's concerns, Councilwoman Blackwell's, concerns with the RCO bill that was introduced today, and I want to let you know that not only do I respect your opinion and value your perspective, very much, both personally and professionally. And what I found out in the short period of time here on our first term is that we won't agree on everything here in this body, but we do agree to try to do what's best for our communities that we are elected to represent and the City of Philadelphia. But I can promise both Councilwoman and other members of this body that I am committed to working through any issues or concerns that anyone may have to the proposed changes so that we could produce the best possible public policy. So thank you all for your time.
There being no other speeches, at this time I would like to recognize Councilwoman Brown for a motion to adjourn.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, October 3rd, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, October 3rd, 2013, 10:00 a.m. All those in favor? (Aye.)
The ayes have it. Council is adjourned. Thank you all very much. ) CERTIFICATE I HEREBY CERTIFY that the proceedings, evidence and objections are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me upon the foregoing matter, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. MICHELE L. ) A Additionally advocates 31:15 analysis 99:18 59:4 abate 99:9 111:18 42:2 87:16 Andre 59:11,13 appreciated 10:4 abated 99:13 address 34:7,15 affect 100:24 and/or 115:22 appreciation 11:2 abatement 99:2 34:22 44:13 affectionately Angela 16:11 14:6 46:21 99:21 45:4 50:12 18:5 25:14 26:15 91:18 abating 98:24 addresses 31:17 affirmative 78:2 Anniversary approached Abdul 28:12 adhere 54:4 affirmatively 36:21 51:5 54:15 58:3 able 56:24 60:11 adjourn 113:25 81:3 78:14 95:16 59:17 63:2 108:21 111:2 adjourned 114:4 afford 55:13,20 announcement appropriate 26:6 absence 5:21 6:2 114:9,17,19 61:7 99:23 21:22 39:10 41:8,23 6:11 ADJOURNME...