Thank you. The next order of business is the consideration of the Calendar. I note that the bills just reported from committees with suspension of rules have been deemed to have had a first reading. The bills will be placed on our Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar for our next session of Council. There are no additional bills on the First Reading Calendar. Therefore, at this time, the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco for the 4/15/10 - STATED - 2ND READING purpose of calling up the bills on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar to be considered today.
Thank you, Madam President. Bill No. 090834 is being called up for Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar today. All other bills are being held. And, Madam President, I'd like to speak on the bill.
Thank you. The Chief Clerk will please read the title of Bill No. 090834.
An ordinance amending Title 4 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "The Philadelphia Building Construction and Occupancy Code," by amending Subcode "A," Chapter 5, by amending Subcode "PM," entitled "The Philadelphia Property Maintenance Code," by amending Chapter 1, entitled "Administration," and Chapter 2, entitled "Definitions," to require owners of certain properties to designate agents 4/15/10 - STATED - 2ND READING for service, managing agents, and property managers, all under certain terms and conditions.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco.
Thank you, Madam President. After many, many, many complaints about properties owned by absentee owners in my district and in other districts -- I do believe Councilwoman Krajewski and I share this same problem -- it was necessary to introduce this bill to require a local responsible party for these properties. To build consensus for this bill, my office worked with the L&I Department, the Law and Police Departments and the Homeowners Association, HAPCO, to amend this bill, and it was unanimously approved by the L&I Committee. This bill amends the City's Property Maintenance Code by requiring 4/15/10 - STATED - 2ND READING property owners that do not live in the City or a surrounding county and own a rooming house, a multi-family property with four or more units or more than three residential properties to designate a local property manager. Most of them do not have property managers, and when there are problems -- and we had Officer Morose testify about the numerous complaints that the Second District gets about these properties and they can't locate the owners of the properties. In addition, the bill allows L&I to compel owners to designate a property manager for a building if L&I determines that it is necessary to protect the public health, safety and welfare. And this bill also requires property owners to provide tenants with the contact information for the building's property manager or party responsible for building maintenance, which has been an ongoing problem. 4/15/10 - STATED - 2ND READING So it has taken us a while to come to consensus on what this bill would look like at the end of the day. So I know that my colleagues will be more than happy to support this bill. Thank you.
Thank you. 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 having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. That completes our Calendar for today. Are there speeches on the part of the minority? (No response.)
Are there speeches on the part of the majority? The Chair recognizes
Thank you, Madam President. I will be brief. In addition to menu labeling as one opportunity for us to think better in terms of our health, I'd now like to invite my colleagues to run or, like me, walk an 8K path this coming Saturday. I'm inviting my colleagues and others to join Students Run Philly Style. We will meet or convene in front of the Please Touch Museum and kick off our effort to get in shape. Thank you, Madam President.
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilman Kenney.
Thank you, Madam President. There's been an ongoing debate in this country for a long time now about the contribution or lack of contribution that immigrants make to our communities Whether they're documented or they're not documented, there's an ongoing discussion as to whether or not they're more users of resources and a drain or burden on the taxpayer or whether or not they're actually contributors. We've had a bit of a test case on that situation or that discussion in Riverside, New Jersey. Two years ago, they passed pretty strenuous punitive measures against people who accommodated, employed or housed immigrants, whether they were documented or undocumented. It was a very ugly debate. It was a very ugly situation. It was nationally broadcast. I think similar laws were passed in Hazelton, Pennsylvania. About a year later, they realized that they had made a big mistake, that what they had intended in these punitive measures against people based on race and ethnicity and country of origin really backfired on them, and year later, it's been reported that the population of Riverside, New Jersey went from 10,000 folks, some documented, some undocumented, down to 4,000 folks in the period of two years. There's not a viable business left in Riverside, New Jersey, not a restaurant that you can go eat in, not a store you can get your dry cleaning done, not a business that's viable in their main street. Their main street is now a ghost town. Now, we can have this ongoing discussion whether or not immigrants in fact contribute to our economy or not, but this is a perfect example of what I think is the case, and, that is, they do. So I would argue that anyone from Riverside, New Jersey that moved somewhere else or anyone in Hazelton who wants to come to Philadelphia to start a business, employ people and contribute to our economy, we would love to have you Riverside, New Jersey realizes they made a mistake. I think Hazelton will realize they've made a mistake. And I think we got to find a way to deal with our national immigration debate, figure out how to fix it, but in the meantime, embrace the contributions that these folks make to our country, similar to the contributions that have been made by the Irish and the Italians and the Poles and the Jews and everyone else that has come here. So I wanted to take the time to point that out. Thank you.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Madam President. Just last evening we met with the Mayor's Commission on African and Caribbean Immigrant Affairs, and certainly I could not agree more with So many rights and privileges we take for granted. Other people don't. And it's certainly very, very important that we realize our Constitution this country was founded, and what makes us different than other places is because we're supposed to be open and we are supposed to welcome all people here. So I commend him for his comments and certainly agree with all that he has said. Thank you.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Krajewski.
Thank you, Madam President. On a lighter note, I would just like to add that it seems like Thursday seems to be a lucky day for me. Just last Thursday I received a call from Bill Cosby, and I know you were all jealous of that. DiCICCO: We heard the conversation.
Now this week, I happened to be standing next to the famous Jim Gardner from Channel 6 News, and standing next to him is my favorite weatherman, Dave Roberts, whose son happens to be a Hollywood star, and I'm sure you all heard of him, Dave Boreanaz. He's the star of Bones on TV, and I'm sure that Mr. Roberts is quite proud of him. I would just like to share a little light on our -
Light joy. Thank you. Are there any other speeches on the part of the majority? (No response.)
By the way -- I'm sorry. Also, Vernon over there, I didn't want to forget him.
But always a gracious lady. Thank you. Thank you, Madam President.
The Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke for a motion to adjourn.
Madam President, I would like to defer to Councilwoman Tasco for one moment.
Thank you. We, members of City Council and friends, would like to wish you a happy birthday, and we have a cake to celebrate.
Thank you. I like to forget them at this point, Marian.
Thank you so much. I appreciate that. The Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke.
I move that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, April 22nd, 2010, 10:00 a.m. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, April 22nd at 10:00 a.m. All in favor will say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the motion carries. Thank you. (Stated Meeting adjourned at 11:30 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 April 15, 2010, 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.)