COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA STATED MEETING - SPECIAL SESSION Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Thursday, December 19, 2007 10:30 a.m. PRESENT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT ANNA C. VERNA COUNCILWOMAN JANNIE BLACKWELL COUNCILWOMAN CAROL ANN CAMPBELL COUNCILMAN DARRELL L. CLARKE COUNCILMAN FRANK DiCICCO COUNCILMAN W. WILSON GOODE, JR. COUNCILMAN WILLIAM GREENLEE COUNCILMAN JACK KELLY COUNCILWOMAN JOAN L. KRAJEWSKI COUNCILWOMAN DONNA REED MILLER COUNCILMAN BRIAN J. O'NEILL COUNCILMAN JUAN RAMOS COUNCILWOMAN BLONDELL REYNOLDS BROWN COUNCILMAN FRANK RIZZO COUNCILMAN DANIEL SAVAGE PATRICIA RAFFERTY, CHIEF CLERK V A R A L L O Incorporated Litigation Support Services Eleven Penn Center 1835 Market Street, Suite 600 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103 215.561.2220 215.567.2670
Good morning, everyone. I note that the hour has come and that a quorum of this Council is present. Council will please come to order. Members will take their seats and visitors will retire to the seats outside the rails. To give our invocation this morning, the Chair recognizes Councilman Ramos. I would ask all members and guests to please rise. (All members and guests rise.)
Good morning. Of all the things that I've been privileged to do in this City Council for the people of Philadelphia, being the pinch hitter for ministers when they cannot come or we have a special session like today, that the President has been so kind to call me and ask me to exercise or put on my other hat as a Most of those times before you I have written the prayer myself. A couple of the times I've gone to my daily prayer book. So I'm going to read to you today what my daily prayer book was saying to me. It doesn't necessarily mean that this prayer goes out to you, but let us pray. The word of God will guide you in so many ways. There will be times when events around you will confuse you. Those in whom you have placed your trust will fail you. Others will abandon you. You will be misunderstood and criticized. In these times of distress, when your devotion and obedience are put to the greatest test, you must let scripture guide and comfort you. Never let the faithlessness of others determine what you do. Turn to the scriptures and allow them to reorient you to God and his activity. If you will immerse yourself daily in the word of God, you will not be guard when Christ comes. Your focus will already be on God, and he will safely guide you through your difficult moments. Amen. (Amen.)
The Chair thanks Councilman Ramos for that very beautiful prayer. The next order of business is the approval of the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, December 13, 2007, and the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Madam President. I move that the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, December 13, 2007 stand approved. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, December 13, 2007 stand approved. All in favor will indicate by (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, December 13, 2007 is approved. The next order of business is requests for leave of absence, and, again, the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Madam President. On behalf of the majority, a leave of absence is requested for Councilman Kenney and for Councilwoman Tasco.
The Chair thanks the Councilwoman. Leave will be granted. The Chair recognizes Councilman O'Neill.
Madam President, on behalf of the republicans, there are no requests for leave of absence.
The Chair thanks the gentleman. The next order of business is communications. The Chair requests that the Sergeant-At-Arms deliver the messages to the Chief Clerk. The Chief Clerk will please read the messages from the Mayor.
To the President and members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, I am pleased to advise you that I signed all of the bills that passed by Council at its session on December 6, 2007, except Bill Nos. 070950, 070951 and 070952, which are returned without my signature, and I have signed Bill No. 070942 that passed Council on December 13, 2007.
Thank you. The messages will be printed in the Journal. I would ask the Chief Clerk to please read any other communications in her possession.
Thank you. The next order of business is the introduction of bills and resolutions, and the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell for a motion.
Thank you, Madam President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended in order to permit the immediate consideration of resolutions at their time of introduction. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit immediate consideration of resolutions at the time of their introduction. All in favor will indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, the motion carries, and the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Madam President. Today I introduce one resolution on your behalf.
Thank you. The Chief Clerk will please read the title of the resolution.
A resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Redevelopment Authority deeds located in the 36th, 40th and 48th Wards of the City of Philadelphia.
The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell for a motion on the resolution.
Thank you, Madam President. I move that the resolution be adopted. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All in favor will indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. The Chair recognizes Councilman Greenlee.
Thank you, Madam President. I have no bills or resolutions today.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Krajewski.
Thank you, Madam President. I have no bills or resolutions.
The Chair thanks the Councilwoman. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Miller.
Thank you, Madam President. Today I have no bills or resolutions.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Savage.
Thank you, Madam President. I have no bills or resolutions today.
The Chair recognizes Councilman DiCicco. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Thank you, Madam President. I offer one resolution.
Thank you. The Chief Clerk will please read the title of the resolution.
A resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Redevelopment Authority deeds located in the 1st and 39th Wards of the City of Philadelphia.
The Chair recognizes Councilman DiCicco. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Thank you, Madam President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
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 Councilwoman Brown.
Thank you, Madam President. No bills or resolutions today.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Goode.
Thank you, Madam President. I have no bills or resolutions.
The Chair thanks the gentleman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Ramos.
Thank you, Madam President. I offer no bills or resolutions today.
Thank you, Madam President. I have no bills or resolutions.
Thank you. At this time, the Chair recognizes Councilman O'Neill.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke.
Thank you, Madam President. Madam President, I have one resolution, and my understanding is that there's one on its way from the Redevelopment Authority. So hopefully they'll get here before the session is over.
Thank you. The Chief Clerk will please read the title of the resolution.
A resolution honoring Dawn Staley for her achievements in civil service to the City of Philadelphia.
It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All in favor will indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. The Chair recognizes Councilman Kelly.
Madam 12/19/07 - STATED - 2ND READING President, I have no bills or resolutions today.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Rizzo.
Thank you. As there are no reports from committees, the next order of business will be the consideration of the Calendar. We have no bills on the First Reading Calendar. Therefore, the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell for the purpose of calling up bills on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar to be called for consideration.
Thank you, Madam President. Today on we will consider Bill No. 070994-A. All other bills are being held. 12/19/07 - STATED - 2ND READING
Thank you very much. I would ask the Chief Clerk to please read the title of Bill No. 070994-A.
An ordinance authorizing the Director of Finance, Commissioner of Public Property and other officials of the City to execute either directly or through the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development various agreements, instruments of conveyance and other transactional documents by and among the City, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority related to the development, construction, financing, operation and management of an expanded Pennsylvania Convention Center, all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. 12/19/07 - STATED - 2ND READING The Chief Clerk will please call the roll.
Aye. The ayes are 15; the nays are zero. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. At this time, I would like to John Street, who would like to address the body. We appreciate your coming in, Mr. Mayor, and all the work that you have been able to accomplish, and at this time, I would ask you to take the podium. (Standing ovation.)
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. I appreciate that so much, and, Madam President, for me, this is probably the last session of City Council in a 28-year period when I've had so many wonderful memories and opportunities to be a part of the government of this great city. Lately people have been asking me what am I going to do, and I have consistently said that I might be out of a job, but I won't be out of work, because there really is an awful lot of work to be done in the place we call home, the city that we love so much. a secret that I'll be teaching a couple of courses, a couple of sections of a course, in urban politics at Temple University. In fact, I'll be looking forward to some of you all coming up and joining me, because I'd like to make that class not so much a class in urban politics as a theoretical matter, but I'd like to talk a little bit about how things actually happen in this world. I say that for some people that have been teaching urban politics for the last 25 or 30 years, I was up there and I told them I've been living it for the last three decades. But I decided to stop in today primarily to say thank you. I've had such a wonderful experience in local government. It's hard for me to -- if anyone would have said to me about 30 years ago when I stood out at, I guess it was, 28th, 29th and Ridge Avenue and filed a nominating -- and declared that I was going to be a candidate for City -- at that time I had in mind running one term. I quickly found out that it took three four-year terms at that time to vest a pension and that I was really going to be around here for at least 12 years. And then the lure of the Council presidency was more than I could resist, and so here I am. But for me, this has been just a magnificent experience. I happen to have been a member of this Council when a ground-breaking decision was made to break the height limit so that we would have tall buildings in this city. And not everybody was for it, but it was this Council that stood up and said, We have to have tall buildings in this city. I remember some people said, Let them build them someplace else, let them build them in neighborhoods, and there were some members of this Council who stood up and said, We want the buildings, the big buildings built, and they have to be built now and they have to be built right Center City. And it changed the face and the skyline of our city, and to have been a part of all of that is just a wonderful opportunity. And there are so many things that have happened over the course of the last 28 years. And then I had an opportunity to serve as Mayor for eight years, and I think some significant things have happened. Good things have happened in this city, none of which would have happened without the cooperation of this Council. When I came here and said, We want to borrow $250 to $300 million to implement the NTI program in this city, this Council said yes. And I wouldn't care how much we wanted to do it, but if City Council hadn't voted the bills authorizing us to do it, it would never have happened. And as a consequence, we have neighborhoods now where property values are through the ceiling. Councilman Clarke and I for 19 years worried about the Fifth District practically the whole time the community was in a state of decline. One of the words that people used then that's almost not mentioned today, it's almost not mentioned, is "abandoned" property. No one talks about abandoned property anymore, and that's because every parcel of real estate in this city today has value and people are tripping over themselves to buy and to hold onto real estate in neighborhoods that prior to the last eight years weren't viewed as having any value at all.
And none of that would have happened had we not had the cooperation of this Council, for which I am grateful. Last night we had a ceremony in the Mayor's Reception Room, a ceremony attended by Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, and we gave out 91 grants to small arts and cultural organizations and some large ones that will have an enormous impact on the quality of life and opportunity, both cultural and recreational, in this city. One person came up to me and said, I have a program where we provide opportunities for disabled children, and but for this grant, we would be out of business. Organizations got roofs on their facilities, and we were able to put elevators -- fund elevators in others. And Councilwoman Blackwell and Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown sat through that entire process and worked on it in a very, very serious way, and so we are enormously pleased. Our schools are better today than they've been in my memory. There's huge progress. Test scores are up. In each one of the last five years, this Council has increased its contributions to the School District of Philadelphia over the last five years or so by somewhere on the order of magnitude of 36 percent. You have done a magnificent job funding public education in this city in the last eight years, and never let you anything differently, because you really have. When most of us came into our respective positions, the City wasn't known very much for its technology, and Wireless Philadelphia has put us not on the national scene but internationally people are looking at the City of Philadelphia, and but for EarthLink's problems, people would be a whole lot more optimistic. And I tell you, I've talked to the EarthLink people, and we are going to have a network second to none and probably the largest and best in any other city in the United States of America, and that's something that this Council supported, for which I am very grateful. There are numerous things that have happened over the course of the last eight years, and I didn't make a list and I didn't prepare any remarks, but I did want to come by and just say thank you, because often the Mayor gets credit for a things and Councilmembers get the criticism. And having been a District Councilperson for 19 years, I know exactly how it is. One time during the course of the last eight years I was invited out into a neighborhood and we were going to do a walk-through and a clean-up, and people started cleaning up the neighborhood because the Mayor was coming. And then when I got out there, people started wanting to take pictures, and I heard a District Councilperson say, You weren't asking me about taking any pictures when you asked the Mayor to come out here. Why are you taking pictures? Tell the Mayor what you told me that causes us to be out here today. And so I do understand how difficult it is. I understand the challenge associated with representing a group of people who look to you first and foremost, then look to everybody else in a secondary kind of way. for me, this is the end of a special period of time in my life, a period of time when I gave some of the best years of my life to this government. And I have no regrets. I have no complaints. It has just been a wonderful experience. I probably could have been a little bit more confident about all of this if I had known early on that there was going to be a DROP program. I didn't know anything about that then, and there were times when I worried about how I was going to be able to survive and live and take care of myself after local government, because you have a pretty decent pension, but this DROP thing actually is a pretty good thing.
And so when I walk out of here, I actually feel financially secure, because not only will I get my monthly pension, but I will also have an opportunity to get a DROP check, which, as most of us know, particularly the five or six of you who are going to up for the DROP program, it is a very interesting proposition. But there is work to do, and I know this Council, those of you who are coming back and the new Mayor and the new Council, are going to put your full attention to making sure that we continue to do the good things that we've been doing and that we look for the gaps in services and the gaps that exist and continue to make progress. Local government is not like the Super Bowl. You know, at the end of every football season, there are a couple teams that go to the Super Bowl and one person wins, one team wins, and then you get the ring and you say, We won the Super Bowl and now we're going to Disney World. Local government isn't quite like that. In local government, we just keep playing the game. We just keep fighting. We just keep running. We just keep on keeping on, trying to make sure that we stay ahead of the competition and make for the people that we serve. So at this special moment, I want to thank each and every one of you. A special thanks to Council President Verna for her leadership and for her hard work. Being the head of a legislative body is one of the most challenging things a person could ever do. I can remember saying, When you're the Mayor, all of the cabinet members and all of the commissioners, they all work for you. When you're the Council President, they don't all work for you. They're all independently elected. Each one has his own view, each one has his own opinion and, most importantly, each member has his own vote. So it's not quite a matter of calling a cabinet meeting. Calling a Council meeting means that you really do have to spend an awful lot of time working with a variety of different views, reconciling those views and coming up with the very best position that this legislative body can achieve. And so I to thank Council President Verna for her support, her leadership and her work in this Council during the time I've been Mayor. I thank her for her friendship over a 28-year period. And I look forward to continuing to be around and to work with the members of this Council and the new Administration to make sure that this city is the very best city that it can be. Thank you and God bless you. )
Thank you, Mr. Mayor. We certainly wish you every success in your future endeavors. Thank you so much. The Mayor was accompanied by the City Solicitor. He's here, and I would like to give him an opportunity to come up and say a few words. (Applause.)
Thank you, Council President. Once again, you've demonstrated what an incredibly gracious effective Council President. I very much appreciate the opportunity to say just a few words today. First of all, it's been an incredibly remarkable journey. I've been here five and a half years in Philadelphia. Never thought I would have this opportunity, and certainly not to stand before you today, but you folks made it possible. You have been unbelievably supportive and generous as clients, and I very much have appreciated the opportunity to work with you. Five and a half years ago I moved up here post 9/11 to make a life with my partner of 23 years, and it was the best decision I ever made, and I am very thankful for the opportunity to have taken a position with the City of Philadelphia and to have had the opportunity to serve as City Solicitor since 2005. Yesterday I sent to the Mayor and to the Council President my as City Solicitor effective January 7. I have had a terrific opportunity to work with incredibly talented and diverse people in the City Law Department throughout the City, with my colleagues in the cabinet, some of whom are here today. This is a great period at the end of your efforts in connection with the Convention Center. And I see Commerce Secretary Stephanie Naidoff and Buck Riley, the Chairman of the Convention Center Authority. What little piece of responsibility I've had in this is certainly reflective of a greater piece that others have had to make this possible. Thank you again. I will always be thankful for this opportunity and hope to work with you in the future. I will say finally that the one thing that I tell folks is that I probably have only one regret in my professional career, and that is that I didn't have the foresight to move to Philadelphia sooner. I tell people over and over and over again this is the greatest city in the country and they should move here sooner rather than later. Thank you very much.
Thank you. Thank you very much. (Standing ovation. )
Thank you, Madam President. Madam President, it has arrived.
Thank you. The Chief Clerk will please read the title of the resolution.
A resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public deliver to the Redevelopment Authority deeds located in the 18th Ward of the City of Philadelphia.
It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All in favor will indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. Are there speeches on the part of the minority? (No response.)
Are there speeches on the part of the majority? The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Madam President. I again would like to echo what was said last week about working with Councilman Ramos and Councilman Savage. They've done a fine job for the citizens of our city, and we were pleased to work with them. I would also like to thank all of those who contributed to our yearly, ninth year now, party for the homeless yesterday. Last year we entertained 4,000 people. Yesterday we had about as many, and as all of you know, food never runs out, nor do gifts. In fact, our office here always looks like the North Pole when we're wrapping. So we thank all who contributed and thank all of those who came. And, finally, as all of you know, this is another tradition. We're an hour early, but at 12 o'clock today we have our office party, and we'll be ready for you, as we always are, in front of my office. Thank you very much. God bless you all and have a great holiday.
Thank you. Are there any other speeches on the part of the majority? At this time, I think on behalf of all members of Council, I would like to thank our three outgoing Councilmembers. They have really contributed so much, not only to their districts but to the City as a whole. I think you will be sorely missed, and I want to certainly wish you every success in your future endeavors. At this time, I would also like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a healthy, happy New Year. Again, I would like to recognize Councilwoman Blackwell for a motion to adjourn.
Thank you, Madam President. I note that I didn't mention our colleague Councilwoman Campbell because in her role as head of the ward leaders and as a leader in our party, we work with her all the time anyway. I didn't see her as leaving. Thank you. I move, Madam President, that Council stand adjourned sine die. (Duly seconded.)
The ayes have it, and Council stands adjourned. Thank you very much. (Stated Meeting - Special Session adjourned at 11:00 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 December 19, 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.)