COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC HEARING AND PUBLIC MEETING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE - - - Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Weds., 6/17/98, 9:55 a.m. - - - RESOLUTIONS APPOINTING CENTER CITY DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS: No. 980280 - D'Alessio No. 980281 - Gold, No. 980282 - Boone No. 980283 - Sullivan, No. 980284 - Young No. 980285 - Vasconcellos, No. 980286 - Pizzi RESOLUTIONS APPOINTING HOSPITAL & HIGHER ED. FACILITIES AUTHORITY OF PHILA. BOARD MEMBERS: No. 980471 - Burden No. 980472 - Clifford No. 980473 - Stamatakis No. 980474 - Turnbull No. 980475 - Bogle RESOLUTIONS APPOINTING PHILA. MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY BOARD MEMBERS: No. 980476 - Batoff No. 980477 - Montique No. 980478 - Dawkins No. 980479 - Street No. 980480 - Wachs RESOLUTIONS APPOINTING SOUTH STREET/HEAD HOUSE DISTRICT OF PHILADELPHIA BOARD MEMBERS: No. 980483 - Funk No. 980484 - Boyle No. 980485 - Finkelstein No. 980486 - Fiorelli No. 980487 - Hambrose No. 980488 - Hamel No. 980491 - Montone PRESENT: PRESIDENT JOHN F. STREET, Chairman COUNCILWOMAN JANNIE BLACKWELL COUNCILMAN DAVID COHEN COUNCILWOMAN ANNA C. VERNA COUNCILMAN MICHAEL A. NUTTER COUNCILWOMAN HAPPY FERNANDEZ COUNCILWOMAN MARIAN TASCO COUNCILMAN FRANK DICICCO COUNCILMAN FRANK RIZZO - - - VINCENT VARALLO ASSOCIATES, INC. Registered Professional Reporters Eleven Penn Center, Suite 600 Philadelphia, PA 19103 (215) 561-2220 2 COM. OF THE WHOLE - RESOLUTIONS ON BOARD APPOINTMENTS I N D E X Paul Levy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Center City District Board of Directors 7 8 9 3 PUBLIC HEARING - COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE P R O C E E D I N G S
We will have a quorum shortly. Councilman Rizzo is on the way down. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. This is a hearing of the Council Committee of the Whole. We now have a quorum present. Today we have a number of resolutions in front of us reappointing, for the most part, people to the Boards of Directors to the Center City District, to the Hospitals and Higher Education Facilities Authority of Philadelphia, and to the Philadelphia Municipal Authority, and to the SEPTA Board, and to the Board of Directors of the South Street/Head House District. What I would like to do now is to ask every Councilmember to get into his or her hands a notice of the public hearing. I want to make sure -- that's why I want you to have them. I want all Councilmembers to have in their hands the notice of the public hearing.
You'll have one shortly. 4 PUBLIC HEARING - COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE Councilman Cohen now has one.
The second resolution is Resolution No. 960856, a resolution 9 appointing Lewis Dawley to the Center City District. This resolution will not be considered by us because he is now in Washington D.C. doing other things -- someone said making a lot of money. I'd like you to also take look at the next resolution, 960858. This resolution also will not be considered by us. So that's Peterson and Dawley.
They will not be considered at any time, all right? All right, the first one also, which is Resolution No. 960855, appointing Michael Curran to the Center City District Board of Directors, will not be considered at this time, either. 5 PUBLIC HEARING - COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE So they will not be considered. We might say they're being withdrawn. I'm not sure what the proper designation is. And then we have Resolution No. 980280, appointing Walter D'Alessio, and the next one appointing Nancy Gold, and the next one appointing William Boone all to the Board of Directors of the Center City District. Are you following me? D'Alessio, Gold, and Boone are the next three in order. Those are reappointments to the Board of the Center City District. And the next three -- John Sullivan, Ahmeenah Young, and Edward Vasconcellos -- are all new appointees to the Board of the Center City District.
What about William Boone? Boone, Gold, and D'Alessio are being reappointed. Sullivan, Young, and Vasconcellos are new appointees to the Board of the Center City District. And Charlie Pizzi is also a reappointment, okay? You following this? Pizzi's at the top of the second page; he is a 6 PUBLIC HEARING - COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE reappointment. All of the members -- the next one, two, three, four, five, these are all appointees to the Hospitals and Higher Education Facilities Authority of Philadelphia. All of these are reappointments. And then the next one, two, three, four, five, these are the appointments to the Philadelphia Municipal Authority. These are all reappointments. They are people who have already been serving. And the last one on is appointing Richard Voith to the SEPTA Board. This is a proposed reappointment. And on the top of the next page, there's a resolution appointing Jettie Newkirk, this is also a reappointment. We will not consider those two today primarily because they were not notified -- I can't -- they were not notified of this hearing, according to the Mayor's office, and there are Councilmembers who wish to ask them questions. So on those two resolutions, 980481 and 980482 we will recess until 8:30 tomorrow morning for those people who wish -- listen to me -- for 7 PUBLIC HEARING - COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE those people who might wish to ask them questions. We will have a continuing quorum on those two resolutions tomorrow. And for those people who wish to ask them questions, please be here at 8:30 in the morning. Councilman Cohen.
Well, the question of their appointment or reappointment to the Board is a public matter. I do not wish to question either of the two current members of the Board seeking reappointment privately. I do not wish to question them privately.
I know, but I wish to question them at a time when all of us or a quorum will be present.
I'm just serving 8 PUBLIC HEARING - COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE notice.
It's not that I have a private question to any of them in connection with whether or not they should be reappointed.
I understand that, Councilman Cohen. As a matter of protocol and as a matter of a procedure of this committee, I'm not taking up those resolutions today because they haven't been notified and are not here. We will do it tomorrow morning at 8:30, and those members who have questions should be here. It is always a right of a member to ask them questions.
Councilman Cohen, I've never known you to be shy or bashful about asking for a quorum. Now, can I ask you to take a look at the last seven resolutions on the third page. They are all resolutions appointing people to the Board of Directors of the South Street/Head House District. All are appointees to the Board of Directors to the Head House District. 9 PUBLIC HEARING - COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE Now, what I would like to do is ask -- are John Sullivan, Ahmeenah Young, and Edwards Vasconcellos in the room? Are those people in the room? If so, would you please take the witness stand. I only see one person. All right, Mr. Levy, you want to come up? Maybe you can give us an explanation. (Paul Levy comes forward.)
So what we are about to do is convene a public hearing on Resolution 13 No.'s 980280, 980281, 980282, 980283, 980284, 980285, 980286, 980471, 980472, 980473, 980474, 980475, 980476, 980477, 980478, 980479 and 980480, and 980483, 980484, 980485, 980486, 980487, 980488, and 980491. The Chair recognizes Mr. Paul Levy.
Good morning, Council President Street. These, as you indicated, are --
Good morning. My name is Paul Levy. Four of these resolutions are Center 10 PUBLIC HEARING - COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE City District Board of Directors renewals of existing terms, and three of these represent new appointees to fill vacancies. One of our renewals was here.
Don't start all over again. Just pick up where you left off.
I was finished. There are four renewals and three new nominees to fill vacancies.
I understand. What about Sullivan and Vasconcellos, why aren't they here?
Both of them had appointments out of town and were unable to make this morning's hearing.
Is there any Member of Council wishes to defer consideration of these two people, Sullivan and Vasconcellos, under the circumstances? (No response.) 11 PUBLIC HEARING - COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE (Ahmeenah Young comes forward.)
Ms. Young, thank you for being here. Are there any questions for Ms. Young? The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Fernandez.
Yes. Mr. President, could Mr. Levy tell me how many people are on the Center City District Board of Directors?
Yes. The Center City Board of Directors consists of individuals. 14
How many of 15 those people that are currently on it are women? 16
Well, I did a calculation on 17 what the percentage would be if you approve these 18 resolutions this morning. Would that answer your 19 question? 20
If you approve the 23 resolutions this morning, there will be 5 women, which would constitute 22 percent of the board.
And of these 12 PUBLIC HEARING - COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE five women, are there any minorities of various types?
If you approve the resolutions, there will be African-Americans on 6 our board, which is 30 percent of our Board. 7
Well, I would like to suggest that as you consider these three numbers 855, 856, and 858, if those names are not going to be acted upon, that you consider continuing to increase representation on your board of women and minorities.
Yes, we will certainly set that as a goal. We share the goal you articulated. Each time, the percentages have been increasing in terms of both female and minority reputation.
Thank you. Good morning. Does your board also reflect other ethnic groups in the City, Asian groups or any 13 PUBLIC HEARING - COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE other groups doing business in the Center City area?
The Board of Directors first represents the major property owners who pay into the district, and about 66 percent of our revenue comes from major office buildings to diversify the board. At this moment, our board reflects simply Caucasian and African-Americans, but that is a goal that we would like to achieve. We need to draw from property owners or business interests or organizations involved in Center City by municipal law.
But there are Asian-Americans who own businesses in your district, right?
So I would like to see you broaden the board to reflect the business district as it is composed. 14 PUBLIC HEARING - COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. Levy, do any of the Board of Directors get compensation or expenses for their services?
No. All of our Board of Directors serve strictly as volunteers. So there is no compensation or any reimbursement of any kind.
Thank you very much. Does anyone have any questions of Ms. Young? (No questions.)
On Miss Young's behalf, I'd like to say that I've known her for a 15 PUBLIC HEARING - COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE number of years, and she can't play golf at all. (Laughter.)
But she says she can. And if I didn't have a bad right arm, if I didn't have arthritis in my wrist, I would show her.
Always, until I die. Excuses, excuses, excuses. But in all fairness, she has been involved at the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority in a responsible position for a long, long time. I happen to have had the pleasure of being around at the time she first was appointed, and she does a great job, and we welcome her to this board.
Does anyone have any questions of these witnesses? (No questions.)
Councilman DiCicco, were you involved in working with the South Street/Head House District in the selection of the members of this board?
Yes, Mr. President. And it was through my recommendation, working along with the Board of Directors of the South Street/Head House District, that we're now able to include people who are actually residents in addition to property or business openers. For a long time, it had been the desire of the community to have more community representation, and we're finally beginning to attain that goal by the inclusion of several members of the board nominees before us today.
Are you recommending these people to the Council Committee of the Whole?
Yes, wholeheartedly. And we've done criminal background checks, psychological background checks. And for whatever reason, they want to be on this Board.
Do they get 17 PUBLIC HEARING - COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE reimbursement, do they get paid?
Thank you very much. Does anyone else have any questions of Councilman DiCicco or of any of the people who have worked on the resolutions before us? (No questions.)
Now, there are a number of other resolutions appointing people to the various boards. Are there any questions of any of these people? Some are here, some are not. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Fernandez.
Mr. President, I'm concerned about the Hospitals and Higher Education Facilities Authority of Philadelphia Board. There are two minorities here, to my knowledge, but there are absolutely no women. Could someone state for the record how many people are on the Hospitals and Higher Education 18 PUBLIC HEARING - COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE Facilities Authority and what the --
Well, again, for the record, I would think there are some very well-qualified women who could make some of these decisions and qualify for an appointment.
If there's nothing else, this will end the public hearing at this time. - - -
And to begin our public meeting, the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Verna.
Thank you, Mr. President. Is it your wish that we withdraw the first three bills -- resolutions?
Yeah, they're 19 PUBLIC HEARING - COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE considered withdrawn. Just ignore them in the motion.
Thank you. Mr. Chairman, I move that the following resolutions be reported out of committee with a favorable recommendation: Resolutions 980280, 980281, 980282, 980283, 980284, 980285, 980286?
980471, 980472, 980473, 980474, 980475, 980476, 980477, 980478, 980479, 980480, 980473, 980484, 980485, 980486, 980487, 980488, and 980491.
All those in favor, let it be known by saying aye. Those opposed, say nay. The ayes have it. It is so ordered. Resolutions 980481 and 980482, will remain in front of this committee, which shall be in recess until tomorrow morning, at 8:30 a.m. Thank you very much for your attention. (Adjourned at 10:28 a.m.) - - - 20 C E R T I F I C A T E I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing proceedings of the Council of the City of Philadelphia of Wednesday, June 17, 1998, were reported and accurately by me, and that this is a correct transcript of same. RE: COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE RESOLUTION NO.'S 980280, 980281, 980282, 980283, 980284, 980285, 980286, 980471, 980472, 980473, 980474, 980475, 980476, 980477, 980478, 980479, 980480, 980483, 980484, 980485, 980486, 980487, 980488, 980491. __________________________________, JOSEPHINE CARDILLO, Registered Professional Reporter