The ayes have it and the resolution will be referred to the Committee on Public Safety. The Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke.
Thank you, Madam President. Two bills and one resolution.
Thank you. The Chief Clerk will please read the title of the first bill.
An ordinance granting permission to Surenvra Shah, owner and operator of the newsstand located on the southeast corner of 19th Street and Market Streets.
The bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And an ordinance approving the thirty-sixth amendment of the redevelopment proposal for the Model Cities Urban Renewal Area.
This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
And a resolution approving the redevelopment contract and disposition supplement of the Redevelopment Authority, the City of Philadelphia, for the redevelopment and urban renewal of a portion of the Model Cities Urban Renewal Area.
It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All in favor will say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. The Chair recognizes Councilman Kelly.
The Chair thanks the gentleman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Rizzo.
The Chief Clerk will please read the title of the bill.
An ordinance amending Chapter 20-600 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Standards of Conduct and Ethics," by amending provisions prohibiting City officers and employees from soliciting or accepting gifts from certain sources, under certain terms and conditions.
The bill will be referred to the appropriate committee. The next order of business is reports from committees, and the Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke for a report from the Committee on Rules.
Madam President, the Committee on Rules reports one bill with a favorable recommendation.
Thank you. The Chief Clerk will please read the report.
To the President and members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, the Committee on Rules, to which was referred Bill No. 070338, entitled "An ordinance continuing a neighborhood improvement district beyond the date of termination of such district known as the Port Richmond Industrial Development Enterprise Neighborhood Improvement District; continuing PRIDE, a Pennsylvania non-profit corporation, as the Neighborhood Improvement District Management Association for the District," respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bill to Council with a favorable recommendation.
Thank 10/4/07 - STATED - 2ND READING you. Bill No. 070338 will be placed on our First Reading Calendar for our next session of Council. The next order of business is the consideration of the Calendar. As there are no bills on the First Reading Calendar, the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell for the purpose of calling up the bills on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar to be considered today.
Thank you, Madam President. Today our Calendar begins on . The bill at the bottom, 040904-A, will be called up for another amendment. We will skip over to , where we will hear the bill at the bottom of the page, 070512, and, finally, the bill on , Bill No. 070670. All other bills are being held.
Thank you. I would ask the Chief Clerk to please read the title of Bill No. 10/4/07 - STATED - 2ND READING 040904-A.
An ordinance amending Title 9 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Regulation of Businesses, Trades and Professions," by adding a new Chapter requiring dentists to post and distribute certain information concerning the use of mercury in dental procedures, and requiring dentists to install systems that permit the recycling of mercury waste, all under certain terms and conditions.
Thank you, Madam President. Progress on this bill continues to be incremental, and for the information for my colleagues, they should know that the amendment does the following: Strikes the word "mercury amalgam," which is viewed as not factual, and instead places in "dental amalgam," which is a term used by dentists. So I move for the adoption, 10/4/07 - STATED - 2ND READING Madam President. (Duly seconded.)
And it's my understanding the amendments have been circulated to all members.
It has been moved and seconded that the amendment be adopted. All in favor will say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the motion carries. The Chief Clerk will please read the title of Bill No. 070512.
An ordinance approving the third amendment of the redevelopment proposal for the Independence Mall Urban Renewal Area, No. 3, for a change of the land use and 10/4/07 - STATED - 2ND READING related controls for the southeast corner of 5th and Market Streets from commercial to institutional uses.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. The Chief Clerk will please call the roll.
Aye. The ayes are 17; the nays are zero. A majority of all members of Council having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. The last bill to be called for consideration is Bill No. 070670.
An ordinance authorizing the creation of a loan or loans to provide funds for or toward various capital municipal purposes, and fixing a day for holding the election for obtaining such consent, and providing for the arrangements for holding such election.
This bill having been read on two different 10/4/07 - STATED - 2ND READING days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. The Chief Clerk will please call the roll.
Aye. The ayes are 17; the nays are zero. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, this bill passes. That concludes our Calendar for today. Are there any speeches on the part of the minority? (No response.)
Are there speeches on the part of the majority? The Chair recognizes Councilman Kenney.
Thank you, Madam President. Just very quickly, I would like to offer the opportunity, an invite, to all the members of Council, all who are assembled here today, and for those who are watching on television. As you know, for many years I have been attempting, along with a group of people, to erect a memorial statue to Octavius Catto on the grounds of the apron of City Hall. We've also had another opportunity to honor his memory. On October 10, 1871, Catto was assassinated in South Philadelphia on Election Day. He was buried in Lebanon Cemetery, which is also in South Philadelphia. In 1902, the three major African-American cemeteries in Philadelphia; Lebanon, Stephen Smith Home Cemetery and Olive Cemetery, were unbelievably taken by the City in an eminent domain claim for water and sewer projects, which I can't imagine happening today, thank God. Catto and others of the remains that were in the cemeteries were moved out to Eden Cemetery, which is out in Collingdale, Pennsylvania. When they reburied Catto, they did not provide a memorial marker for his grave, so his grave has gone unmarked since 1903. And some research and diligence to find his exact place of burial, and the Catto Memorial Fund has purchased an appropriate grave marker talking about some of the activities in his life and what he died for, and we are going to dedicate that marker on this Wednesday, October 10th, the anniversary of his assassination, at 10:00 a.m. at the Garden of Eden Cemetery, 1434 Springfield Road in Collingdale, Pennsylvania. Just one aside, we're going to also have a military ceremony for Marine actors of the Color Troops of Pennsylvania, TAPS, folding of the flag and some appropriate words to honor his memory. But I think it's worth noting how far we've come and how far we have to go. The first person buried in that cemetery out in Collingdale was a woman by the name of Selis Dean Cromwell (ph). That was in 1902. She was the wife of Cromwell, who was a member of the Board of Directors of the cemetery. Three old cemeteries got together and purchased this land out there, and he was a member of the Board of Trustees. Well, when they went to bury Ms. Cromwell in August of 1902, the residents of Collingdale protested her burial in their community and they had to return her body back to Philadelphia and wait a day and go out at night and bury her at night in the cemetery. So it is a very historic cemetery. There are multitudes of very famous African-American Philadelphians who are buried there. Anyone who would go out and visit would be astounded at the amount of talent and history that's buried in that cemetery. And we're just going to continue to extol the memory of O.V. Catto and hopefully culminating with the statue erection on the apron of City Hall. So I welcome everybody to come 10th and 10:00 a.m. Thank you.
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Madam President. I just decided that I would rise today to speak with regard to the Youth Study Center. I respond to the editorial articles and another article today in the paper criticizing me for, quote/unquote, blocking the relocation of the Youth Study Center to my district. Any reasonable person who looks at the history of West Philadelphia can understand why my position reflects that of my constituents. Some sections of my district have been extremely depressed and distressed for a very long time. In recent years, that's begun to change. Hundreds of new houses have been built and we have an improved quality of life, Philadelphia can again be a wonderful place for people to live, visit and places where they can raise families. We talked about a new community center that would bring positive activities to West Philly and a new West Philadelphia High School. The Daily News paints me as an obstructionist, some writers, not all, because of my belief that locating that center at 46th or 48th and Haverford, one block from Market Street, brings special concerns to my district. In one article it was asked that I visit the place. And many of you know that when the late Lucien Blackwell was alive, we talked about it. The Youth Study Center for some 30 years has needed to be replaced. We have always stood for, always supported bringing the Barnes Foundation here, and we still support that, but I would venture to say in all the meetings I've been engaged in with Study Center I haven't seen that person who wrote the editorial page article. I haven't seen them there, nor even when Queen Latifah and Charlie Mack were here when I was there, I haven't seen that person here. One of my former committeemen is principal of the school there. I've kept up with this. Unfortunately, as I really wanted to entitle my remarks, I think that it takes at least two to tango. I suggest that I'm very, very proud to represent my district. Many of you know I have HUP. I have CHOP. I have Penn, Drexel, University of Sciences, a branch of Community College, Mercy Hospital. I have an area that even some people when the Cira Centre came started calling it Center City West, because it is really, really moving ahead. We have Penn, who just about a year ago announced another billion and a investment, Sweeney for the Cira Centre nearly a billion dollars, Drexel alone $663 million. In addition to those institutional and private partners, we have PHA, who just last Thursday at our Board meeting, we okayed tearing down -we voted to tearing down Mantua Hall, which is one high rise across from another school, from McMichael School, in fact where years ago we talked about a youngster dying of meningitis, and we talked about tearing that down to build two groups of 50 houses. So that's another hundred homes. So we have been working hard. We thank God for our partners. Before in this Council I rose to say with hospitals and universities, we believe if once we solve the public school issue, West Philadelphia and Southwest Philadelphia would be a model for our city, state and nation. We still believe that. And that is why when it came to issues like Youth Study Center -- I have a file drawer filled with articles that talked about community access. We talked about a home ownership program for employees. We talked about a community advisory board where members in the community would have regular access to the building and regular access to recreational space. We talked about community jobs. We talked about parking. And, in fact, I was told when it came to some of those issues there was enough parking. Now, many people know that anybody who knows University City knows that parking has been an issue for -- I was married to Lucien Blackwell two months shy of 31 years.
It was an issue when I married him, and so it was an issue many, many years ago. But all of these issues with regard to community jobs, they said maybe six jobs after they open. When we talked about a community advisory board so people wouldn't be afraid to go in the building, all the sudden that became an issue. All of the issues we raised were not dealt with. When we talked about an impact study, people coming to the area, not only were those questions not answered, then the question became what about taking Family Court there as well. And so, you know, I say again that it takes at least two to tango. I'm not the obstructionist. I can show you -- we even asked that it be named the Thurgood Marshall Youth Study and that a prison, a youth facility inside, would be tangential to a whole big community center. That never happened. All I'm told is, Jannie, you can have a jail. The last meeting I had in fact downstairs with the Administration, I wasn't invited to and I was 15 minutes late, because nobody told me they wanted to talk to me. I live this. I've met with people now that -- it was in the paper and I read about all this in the paper. I read about this in the paper about it going to this EPPI Center in the Fourth District. I have not raised this issue in Council because I have not asked anybody else or suggested that any other district be involved with this. When they talked about taking it to 17th and Cambria in Councilman Clarke's area, they talked about spending about $12 million to refit a jail there, prison there where men are. All these other places, they talked about temporary monies for temporary relocation. I finally said to the Administration, I know you're stuck, we do love these children in spite of what some members of the press have said, and I said, Okay, well, then maybe I can have the opportunity to announce this along with a new West Philadelphia High School, a few million dollars there, a new community center next to Sulzberger where former CEO Vallas said they wanted to make it a high school and there's only a I said, Okay, well, help me to come up with community projects in my schools, West Philly, Lucien E. Blackwell Community Center. We would name it for Lou. There's no money coming to me. And we ask that these things happen so that if we had to talk to my community about this issue, we could say we want this tangential to a Thurgood Marshall Center. But all the sudden they couldn't get his family. We said that we wanted all of these things so we could announce positive community things so that we don't undermine some $3 billion investment of community and public partners and private partners. I love my district. I love the ability to serve, and I believe that I have to do that responsibly. I've been around too long to call a community center -- and people ask me what about impact studies, what about traffic, what about parking -- to tell them, I really know, because nobody has answered those questions, nobody will answer those questions. So it's been years. I read about it in the press as you do. Nobody talks to me. I believe in being a team player. I have tried. In Ephesians 4, Chapter 1 says that we should walk worthy of the vocation wherein we are called. I try to do this job, respect the people who put me here, but I can't move forward, I can't support projects where people won't answer questions, where I pick up the paper, I read what's happening as you, and then everybody frames a discussion that it's my fault and that the City Council should vote because I'm not being responsible for the Youth Study Center that has needed to be replaced for as long as most of us have been in politics. It isn't mine.
It's some people who have decided they don't want it in their neighborhoods, so they tell Center -- I've had meetings with people, saying what are you doing, Jannie? I'm like, I don't know anything about it. Nobody talks to me. I read it in the paper and cut it out in the paper, as do you. So I resent those people who have decided that I'm not to be responsible to my district. I'm just supposed to take, I guess, what somebody pushes at me. My district has to take whatever the Administration or those who want this project want because they have decided now is the time. Well, it won't happen. It won't happen. I respect my district. I respect being elected. I will do everything I can to ensure that my area is protected, that we continue to enhance the quality of life, we continue to work with our institutional, private and public partners and that we do all we can to move this city forward. I never close my door on discussions. But I will end my remarks as I of saying, you know, it takes at least two to tango. Nobody can work in a vacuum. You all have been around here a long time. You know that happens. That's what's happened in this regard, and so far as I'm concerned, I will continue as long as I'm here to do my job and to respect everybody in that process. Thank you, Madam President.
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke.
Thank you, Madam President. Madam President, I just wanted to say for the record, I'm not aware of any proposal to locate a facility, any jail, in my councilmanic district. I just wanted to clarify that for the record.
Madam President, I'm not surprised they don't know about it, because that's the way this whole project is evolving. Things happen around people. You hear things. Most of what I've learned, even the City's purchase of the lot -- and for those who want to know, it was two years before we even got legislation. I remember when you asked the former DHS, our Commissioner, was there money in the budget for a Youth Study Center. The Commissioner said, no, I believe there was no money there. talk all about it and we are not included in that, and yet I'm supposed to fall down and say, yes, whatever you want to do, take it. I don't think so.
Thank you. Would anybody else like to be recognized? (No response.)
Seeing no one, the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco for a motion to adjourn.
Madam President, I move that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, October 18th at 10:00 a.m.
It has been moved and properly seconded that Council -- we're still in session. A to adjourn this meeting until Thursday, October 18th at 10 o'clock. All in favor will say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and Council will stand in recess until Thursday, October the 18th at 10:00 a.m. Thank you. (Stated Meeting adjourned at 11:10 a.m.) 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 on October 4, 2007, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. ______________________________ MICHELE L. MURPHY RPR-Notary Public (The foregoing certification of this transcript does not apply to any reproduction of the same by any means, unless under the direct control and/or supervision of the certifying reporter.)