Good morning. To the Honorable Council President Kenyatta Johnson, City Councilmembers, Dr. Herman Douglas, Principal Lewis Cassidy Elementary School, and we would like to recognize the Honorable Mayor, Cherelle Parker and Dr. Tony B. Whitland, Sr. Special thanks to Councilman Curtis Jones, Councilmember Anthony Phillips and their staffs for inviting us, the Distinguished Young Gentlemen. My name is Gordon Stewart Harrison. To our Distinguished Gentlemen, I'm Mr. Gordon. I serve as one of the co-mentors with Mr. Dwayne Frazier, teacher. Also, I am a School District of Philadelphia registered volunteer. Mr. Frazier and the Distinguished Gentlemen were brought to my attention by my daughter, Principal Tangela McClam, four years ago when she was principal of Lewis Cassidy Academic Plus Elementary. This after school program was only a couple of weeks old at the time. Her description of these boys along with Mr. Frazier, all dressed in suits, ties, and dress shoes impressed me. She knew without a doubt the program would spark my interest. They met weekly on Thursdays, so I asked if I could visit and Mr. Frazier granted my request. When I walked in and saw the behavior of these stylish young men, immediately I knew I wanted to be a part of this program. Initially, our gentlemen experienced peer pressure because of the suit wearing. However, we worked hard to build confidence, and in no time, they grew past that. The classroom studies using one of our books, 50 Things Every Young Gentleman Should Know, which includes chapters like, Listening and Talking to Adults, Introducing your Friends to your Parents, Handshaking, Table Setting. And one of my favorites, When to Keep your Mouth Shut. Oh, yeah. Our mission is to cultivate confidence, character etiquette, and leadership skills. They have been and had opportunities to visit various of educational facilities, observe behind the scenes operations of various professions, and believe they do themselves have the opportunity to possess the same thing. I want to thank God my savior for allowing me to be a part of this organization. Thank Mr. Frazier for his diligence and his generosity, his good heart. And also thank my wife Sheila who's here, that encourages and prays for me.
Hello, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Khalif Wilder. I'm 13 years old and I'm in the 7th Grade. Today I'll be talking about why I joined the Gentlemen's Club and some things that I've learned from the Gentlemen's Club. Firstly, I joined the Gentlemen's Club because I wanted to carry myself in a professional way so people will see me as a professional person. Secondly, some things that I've learned from the Distinguished Gentlemen's Club is proper table etiquette, how to great someone, and how to look someone in the eye when you're talking to them. Also, I've learned proper manners, like obviously how to -how it's rude to ignore someone when you're talking to them and how you should always look someone in the eye.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Kendra Brooks.
Oh, thank you, Council President. I would like to be excused for a Council business and recorded as aye on all bills, resolutions, and amendments today.
Votes recorded. Go ahead young man. Say your name for the record and begin your speech.
Hello, my name is -- hello, my name is Simon Cobley. I am in the 5th Grade and I am 11. The things I'm going to be talking about is the reason why I joined the Distinguished Young Gentlemen's Club and the things I have learned. The reason I joined is because before I -- before I even joined the club, I was just overall disrespectful to my elders and my teachers. Some things I have learned is that table manners, proper etiquette, and how to respect -- how to respect elders. Overall, I just -- I learned how to be a gentleman because of Mr. Frazier, and without him I don't know how I would see myself.
Hello. My name is Colby Mortimore. And the -and I'm going to tell you-all the reason why I joined the Distinguished Young Gentlemen and what I learned from it. The reason why I joined the Distinguished Young Gentlemen's Club is to learn proper etiquette and to become a great man in life. And some things I learned was I learned about brotherhood and I learned -- and I learned table manners. I learned how to tie a neck tie, and I learned to respect people how I want to be treated.
Good morning, everyone. Good morning, everyone. City Council President.
Can we give our youth another round of applause first. We know it is not -- it is not easy speaking in front of a room full of people, and most importantly, a room full of people most of them they do not know. And so applaud and encourage them to continue down this path. Go ahead, sir. The floor is yours.
Okay. Thank you. Good morning, everyone, City Council President and Council people. My name is Tim Walker. I'm a former educator. I'm part of the Distinguished Young Gentlemen Club. I want to speak briefly on Dwayne Frazier. Dwayne Keep It Plain Frazier. Couple years ago when I retired, he had wanted to talk to me. He referred to me as Uncle Tim. I don't know why he does it. I'm just four years older than him, but he got on the phone, look, I need to talk to you about this program, Distinguished Young Gentlemen. Came over to the house, told me what the program was about. Basically young black men dressing up, but also learning proper etiquette. And I said, man, if that's what you want to do, I'm a 100 percent behind you. At first it was a little rocky, the previous schools he was at he didn't really get favor, but then all of a sudden God gave him favor. Thank God for that. But before I talk about that, I want to talk about him, the man. He's a servant leader, he served in the military. He's a devoted husband. Beautiful family. Okay. Which I like about, he's a former, I think basketball coach, correct? Yeah. Which -- so he's a servant person and he's associate pastor at our church, Christian Stronghold Baptist Church. I just personally want to thank him for his leadership, and allow me to be a part of this because without -- you know, he's doing -- he's doing a fantastic job. But there are other folks I want to talk about, okay. Or other unsung heroes that got this program started because you have to remember, without them, it couldn't happen. And the other unsung heroes I want to talk about is, let me see. Special thanks to Tangela McClam, former principal of Lewis Cassidy Elementary School, which allowed him to do this. Also, Dr. Herman Douglas. Okay. Who's currently the principal. Okay. And then of course, Gordon Harrison Stewart, who works alongside him to make this program, what it is today. And then also, which sparked a blessing for Mr. Frazier was Dr. Solomon Clark, his former camp counselor who he kind of -- was his mentor and he -- Mr. Frazier told him about it. And he was so impressed that he informed Lady B of 107.9. I'd like to thank her for allowing us to come to her station to expose people to the program, the great things at Cassidy Elementary. Other unsung heroes are -- that I'd like to mention is Mr. Joseph Brown, Gary Bryant, Cory Blakely. Okay. And Mr. Brown, 2nd Grade teacher at Cassidy Elementary. These are the individuals, okay, that make the program, other than myself, great. And I really like that. So remember we're a village. Last but not least, I'd like to thank the parents because without the parents, this program couldn't happen. There's other activities that go in the Cassidy Elementary School, but they chose this type of program because they want their child to be the best they can be. Last but not least, remember there's a African proverb that says, “It takes a village to raise a child.” And all of us who play a role in these young men dedicated to making sure their lives will be a success.” Thank you.
Good morning. My name is Dwayne Frazier. I grew up at 11th and Diamond Norris Projects, and I had a lot of people who poured into my life. First and foremost, my mother and my father. I'd like to thank some people real quick. My wife Lori, who has been my “Right hand man.” She supports me and she helps me out with this. I'd like to thank my former -- yes, my wife, let's give her a hand. Thank you. Yes. I'd like to thank my former principal Tangela McClam, who allowed me to do this program, because when I was teaching at other schools, principals -- one principal in particular told me, “You can't do anything in my school.” So that kind of shocked me, but she gave me the green light. My current principal, Dr. Herman Douglas allowed me to do this. And I just want to thank God for sending Mr. Gordon Harrison, Timothy Walker, Gary Bryan, Joe Brown, and Mr. Sam Staten Jr, Miss Lady, B. AKA Wendy Clark, Club Vineyards. I also want to read out these people who have helped me, the people that I named. I had a chance to take the boys to Morehouse College from October 13th -- October 9th to October 13th. And Mr. Sam Staten Jr. and his local donated several funds for us to get there. So I also want to thank him for that personally. Yes. Real quick. Real quick. I like to thank -- I'd like to thank Dr. Sulayman Clark, who was my camp counselor in 1975. I was 10 years old, okay. And they took us around Temple and they taught us a lot. And then I started this particular program. And we have -- we have what we call the five Rs. It's respect, we strive to respect ourselves and others. Responsibility, we hold ourselves accountable for our own thoughts, words, and deeds. Reading, we're well read and reflect on the meaning and relevance of uplifting literature. Resilience, we are strong, confident, and determined to overcome any setbacks, disappointment, or obstacles to come our way. And the last five point is refinement. We are young gentlemen of refinement as reflected in our parents, our comportment, and our daily etiquette and the way we extend the courtesies that we extend to teach others. My goal is when I retire in June to make this a full time after-school program from Monday through Friday from 3:30 to 5:00. So please pray that I get the funding that I need to put this program in other schools in all parts of the city. Thank you, City Council. Thank you.
Colleagues, we go to a lot of places where our young men are. Some of them in dark institutions that we have to go in and try to rescue them. But I -- what I saw today -what I saw today helped me to lower my blood pressure and be more optimistic about our future. And let me say that yes they have on suits, but the suits don't wear them. They are wearing the suits in the sense that they -it's not like new clothing, when you put it on you can't stop looking at it. Because they felt comfortable and in control of their environment. That is priceless. So I want to thank all of those individuals associated with the program. May we be blessed to put it in every Councilmanic District in the city of Philadelphia. And may your dreams come true, and that in your retirement you are reborn like the Phoenix to carry out that mission. Thank you all. Thank you.
May we have Kate Perez, Jeremy Blatstein, Sydney Polinchock, Melanie Harris and John Bynum come to the podium. Kate Perez, Jeremy Blatstein, Sydney Polinchock, Melanie Harris, and John Bynum.
Kate Perez. On the creation of Philadelphia Retirement Savings Board. Last night the Israeli occupation bombed Al-Mawasi wiping out entire families in their tents and injuring hundreds more. There are no fully functioning hospitals left as the occupation targeted every single hospital in Palestine and the death toll is rising every minute with no access to medical care. The savings board will be establishing their own investment policies. And I'm here to encourage us to ensure that our investments reflect our conscious. Let's be preventative now and ensure that no bonds can be invested into weapons corporations like Elbit Systems or Dan Zimmerman, companies that facilitate and enable violations of international law and human rights. Just like our pension board divested funds from Russia, we must also have a moral core and prevent investments to any state that would imprison children in military courts or have factories in illegal settlements or operate under an apartheid system. Our co-op celebration -wait. Our co-op celebration here reminds us there's value in reinvesting into your own community. We already know that Google and Amazon's Project Nimbus tell the IOF exactly who they're murdering and their exact locations. Drones striking a father and his two children in a tent was not random. For these reasons, we can't invest in companies that build tech for apartheid like HP or Amazon. Yesterday occupation forces paved roads through destroyed homes in the North Shams refugee camp using Caterpillar machinery in an effort to alter the camp's geographical features, separate families, destroy morale and escalate their land grab. For these reasons, we can't invest into companies like Caterpillar that aid and abet crimes against humanity. We're heartbroken but not surprised that they would continue their ethnic cleansing campaign because we understand that the goal is colonization. Philadelphians are coming back from the West Bank this week, and at the same time we're hearing news that the occupation army has imposed a full siege on the city of Qalqiliya and Kfar Saba neighborhood since last night, amid raids, abuse of residents and mass arrests showing us videos of people being beaten on the streets by armed soldiers that are still allowed to cross train with the PPD. Investments shouldn't be made in companies that knowingly and directly facilitate and enable state violence, war, and occupation. We have groups in Philly, like American Friends Service Committee who have specialists creating ethnic investment policy -- ethical investment policy guidelines. I encourage you to employ -- appoint investors and advisors with this kind of experience. Occupation and apartheid can only survive as long as they have the money. We have to make sure that our money doesn't help this occupation last for even a second longer. And more importantly, we have to stop weapons from leaving our ports knowing that they're going to be used against unarmed civilians. Free Palestine.
You have two minutes. State your name for the record, please.
Hello, my name's Jeremy Blatstein. First, I'd like to acknowledge and congratulate my uncle, world renowned urologist, Lee Blatstein for his retirement after 35 years of caring for the people of the Philadelphia region. I am here today to speak against Bill Number 251050, authorizing Councilmember Cindy Bass's appeal on behalf of this body of the decision of the Department of License and Inspections with respect to 6930 Ardleigh Street. What is this? Is this another ZBA ruling that city council is going to waste taxpayer dollars to try and stop after it's been approved? Nope. This is a buy right project that would bring 13 homes to the neighborhood that is located 0.2 miles from a SEPTA stop. We can all agree that enforcement of the rules is very important. In this case, the developer was following the rules that were in place. He spent real dollars to develop plans and get permits only for this body now to try to use taxpayer dollars to try and stop it because they believed the lie in question was improperly zoned. Even if this was true, I do not believe that it is appropriate to use taxpayer dollars to sue to stop 13 homes from being built that was allowed by right when the property was purchased by the developer. Putting ending resign to run on the ballot is not a bad thing. It lets the voters decide. City Councilmember GilmoreRichardson has voiced support in the past for something else. Term limits. Term limits should be put on the ballot as well. And last but not least, we're talking about SEPTA. Governor Shapiro provided $220 million in capital funding to address urgent safety and infrastructure issues. This is great, but still does not address the long-term SEPTA funding issue that needs to be on the forefront of everyone's mind. Ride the Ride. Fund SEPTA. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. President. I just wanted to respond to the previous commentor. And I just wanted to make clear that there's a difference between following rules and exploiting loopholes. And that the speaker should certainly have an understanding of the differences and understand the distinction between the two. We had a conversation earlier, but there is a very strong difference between understanding what the rules are and taking advantage of those rules through a loophole. Thank you, Mr. President.
All right. We have Sydney Polinchock, Melanie Harris, John Bynum. May Paul Brown, Jeff Jones, David Alexander Jenkins, and Ogbonna Hagins make their way to the podium.
Good morning, Council. My name is Sydney Polinchock, and I'm an educator and an activist here in the city. I'm also a member of the Save the Cecil B. Moore Library Coalition, which is advocating for the library's right to remain in its current location and be renovated using rebuild money. I'm in favor of Bill 250887 to install and maintain encroachments, particularly along the Ridge Avenue corridor in the 5th District. The area does need support to be maintained to the level that the community deserves. It has many historic buildings in the area, including the Cecil B. Moore Library. The library is a wellloved institution and it too deserves to be maintained and preserved in its current location as a staple on Ridge Avenue in the community. As someone who grew up going to my local library, worked at a library for three years and is now researching the collapse and destruction of third places across the country, I feel strongly about the protection of this space. We've raised the funds and we are ready to act on the plans that have been made through rebuild for this library. It was supposed to be put into action over a year ago, 429 days to be exact, but there has still been no movement to sign the one piece of paper that we need to begin renovations of a historic and incredibly important building. The longer we wait, the harder it will be to renovate the library to the standards that we hold for ourselves. With the current inflation rate, we will not have the buying power that we had a year ago or two years ago when we first started campaigning to get this done. The answer is not to move the library or create something new, putting us into a longer holding period while we wait for more funding to appear. The answer is to preserve the roots of this community through this historic building and leave the library where it is for a new generation of children to flourish. There is room for both historic preservation and modernization with the current building as the rebuild plan describes. No matter how you look at it from a community perspective and environmental perspective or an economic perspective in terms of the cost, building a new library is not what we need. I hope that with Bill 250887's push to improve the area along Ridge Avenue, the community's desire to improve and renovate the Cecil B. Moore library will also be honored with an immediate signing of the notice to proceed. Thank you.
Good morning, honorable City COUNCILMEMBERS. My name is Melanie Harris and I'm the Chief Information Officer for the School District of Philadelphia. I'm honored to be here before you, representing the work that the school district of Philadelphia and our partners have done to increase digital literacy and computer science opportunities for the students of Philadelphia. I would like to thank the Honorable Councilmember Rue Landau for introducing a resolution to recognize December 8th through 14th 2025 as Computer Science Education Week in the city of Philadelphia. I would be remiss if I did not recognize Councilmember Landau's work as The Chair, and Councilmember Squilla's role as the vice chair on the Council's Technology and Information Services Committee, helping everyone recognize the importance of empowering our students with the necessary skills to compete in this digital age. As superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia, Dr. Watlington will kick off Computer Science week at John H. Taggart Elementary School on Monday, December 8th, to observe and celebrate our students as they share their digital literacy skills by programming robots and engaging in block coding and working as a team to solve the pattern and sequencing problems presented to them. Digital literacy is not just about teaching our students the fundamentals of computer science and coding. It is to be a good -- to be a good citizen of the city of Philadelphia, you must also understand what it means to practice good digital citizenship and internet safety. We teach our students to be critical thinkers, collaborators, problem solvers, and truth seekers. This is more important than ever in the world of social media and artificial intelligence. Thank you for your recognition on the importance of computer science education and its role in preparing our children of Philadelphia for the future. And I would also just like to say seeing the young men of Cassidy School here is why we do our work and I'll be reaching out to the school and looking forward to them possibly joining our nationally recognized student apprenticeship program in technology. So thank you so much.
Good morning, Council. My name is John Bynum. I am the assistant district leader for 32BJ SEIU. 32BJ is the largest property service union workers in the country. We represent 185,000 members along the east coast, including around 3,000 security offices in Philadelphia. They play a critical role in safeguarding Philadelphia's hospitals, universities, and commercial office building and more. Our office want improve high quality training necessary to better protect both public safety and their own wellbeing while on the job. 32BJ strongly supports this bill, which would provide training resources to Philadelphia security officers. The bill would require any training program developed to reflect real world skills that security officers need to perform their duties, not just site-specific customer service. Skills like lifesaving first aid techniques, such as CPR defibrillator use and conflict de-escalation and threat identification. A majority of U.S. states now mandate training for unarmed security officers. Pennsylvania is one of the few that has failed to establish such a standard. Without that standards, officers report that the training they are provided is inconsistent or absent. For example, more than one in three security officers say they have either never received training from their employers on how to deescalate a hostile confrontation safely or have not received a refresher within the last year. Even more concerning, less than half of security officers report that they have been taught how to administer -- haven't been taught -- have taught how to administer CPR training. By passing this legislation requiring comprehensive interactive training and annual refreshers, Philadelphia can empower security officers to protect themselves and the public better. The low standards in this industry fuel high turnover rates which undermine public safety. This means fewer experienced workers on site to handle emergencies and identify risks, putting public -- putting the public at risk. Private security is growing as a growing field that employ many people from our Philadelphia communities. Security is one of the largest occupations in the city, which over 14,000 people in Philadelphia are employed in this sector. As demand for security raises, we must ensure our officers compensate -- be compensated properly, trained, and willing to stay on the job. So on behalf of the union, we want to thank council person Isaiah Thomas for seeing the importance of this moment and introducing this bill. Thank you.
Hello. My name is Paul Brown. First off, thank you, Councilmembers. Thank you for giving the same respect you showed the gentleman by giving me your full attention by not being on your phones and being present at this moment. So thank you. By not looking at your phones. Anyways, good morning. My name is Paul Brown. I'm a community member of the 5th District. I'm also a concerned community member of the Cecil B. Moore Library campaign that's trying to get our library renovated. I'm here to speak to Bill Number 250887-A. I'm glad there -that at the intersection of 23rd and Ridge, there's consideration for improvements. However, I want to draw special attention to ensuring improvements to space along this corridor. In my day to day, I work as a school psychologist for the School District of Philadelphia, so I recognize the importance of third spaces on mental health and overall social wellbeing. While I support these improvements, the sustainability of these improvements is dependent on the spaces surrounding the area. Between Councilmember Jeffrey Young's plan to move the library, Bill 251030 to upend historic preservation and the school district's facilities planning process, I'm calling on all City Councilmembers to make an effort to preserve our places as we preserve these corridors, these streets. Adults in Philadelphia get mad at the youth for occupying certain spaces, being disrespectful, not knowing their history, but then they never want to do the selfreflection that the adults in charge are responsible for the conditions that they're living in. It may be just a movement down the block, but that has a long term impact on the education of not just the children, but the adults in the area. We already saw that with the school closures in 2013. Libraries are just second schools. So thank you so much for this needed improvements. But I'm also urging City Council to appeal to Councilmember Jeffrey Young to sign the notice to proceed to renovate the Cecil B. Moore Library with the already raised $10 million. We need to invest in this area holistically and not in half measures. Signing this document is the first step to getting the library renovated. We want the rebuild funds a transparent renovation process and engagement with the Councilmember throughout. Because right now we are looking at systematic disinvestment in the Brewerytown Sharswood neighborhood. Thank you.
Hello. My name's Jeff Jones. And thank you for having me given the opportunity to speak this morning, Council President, Councilmembers. And I want to speak on behalf of 251030, the historic preservation task force. And I do respect and appreciate the work that Councilman Squilla put into this task force work that he did regarding the bill. But I do understand that there's a little bit more language that needs to be robustly put into this bill so that it can protect historical properties in the -- particularly the district that I'm in, Germantown, Chestnut Hill, but then all throughout the city. We know that the city of Philadelphia is a historic city in and of itself, but we don't want to jeopardize our future and take away our past. So we want to make sure that this bill has a proper language in it to make sure that we can preserve the historical landmarks and historical buildings and properties that are nature and essence to what Philadelphia is and all about. So I just believe that this bill 251030 should be tabled so further discussion can be had and robust information can be put into it so it can sustain a true historical context of the properties and the landmarks that are in the city of Philadelphia. Because we want to make sure that we can sustain this without losing any impact as a tourist environment that we have and economic input that these historical properties can lend to our city as a whole. So again, with respect to what Councilmember Squilla has put together, I do believe that he's heading in the right direction with this and I always respect his work, but I just definitely believe that there should be more consideration towards how this bill could have the proper language in it that doesn't jeopardize losing any property within unknown consequences that could lead for some of the language that's already currently in this bill. So I just wanted to add that for the record and I know there's going to be a planning meeting tomorrow, which I will be able to attend and explain in further detail my concerns. But thank you all for your time.
Mr. President, Members and guest, Dave Alexander Jenkins, and I rise to address 241070 and 241056. Beyond a procedural amendment, the proposal before you to eliminate the longstanding resign to run requirement in the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter asked us to reconsider one of the city's most deliberate guardrails against the misuse of public office for electoral advantage. My remarks are offered in good faith and with respect for Councilmember Thomas's introduction of the measure and with equal respect for the institutional memory of this body. Philadelphia, however, did not adopt the resigned to run rule haphazardly in haste or without measure. It emerged in a time when political machines, mechanisms, patronage, networks, and the immense power of incumbency threatened the integrity of the competitive election. The rule was designed to address three specific fears, the abuse of public resources for campaigns, the unfairness of incumbency, advantage and divided loyalty. The founders of the modern charter understood how easily office holders could leverage city staff visibility, constituent services and departmental relationships as a defacto campaign infrastructure. Our Home Rule Charter ensured that those seeking higher office did so on equal footing with private citizens. Now, I know, I know, you can do it at the state level and you can do it at the federal level. Okay. But to wit, I rebut. We see the nepotistic corruption rampant in politics of the day. There was a concern legitimate then now that the public office campaigning for another job may no longer be fully present for the work taxpayers fund. Abuse of authority, distortion of democratic competition, and erosion of public confidence is something we in America today fear far too much. And we see similarly in the federal and state levels at what we might now see come home very soon. With respect and great joy, Councilman Curtis Jones' seat is due to the vacancy created by Michael Nutter who resigned from city council in 2006 to run for Mayor. Four seats became available in the -- in the last moral campaign, making way for remarkable contributions to the city of Philadelphia, that many of you who sit in these chairs add to the voices of this very important council. My friends, good governance is not only about legacy and legitimacy and law, it's about public trust. It's about making sure that public attention and public money is not used to advance personal ambition. If the original fears justified by the rule, today's political dynamics makes those fears sharper, not obsolete. I'm ever proud that we have the guardrails that stop some of the foolishness we see in other bodies of governance today. So I respectfully requested the council preserve this charter protection or at minimum submit it to the public with a full and transparent accounting of why this rule existed, who it interest historically and protects and whose interest it removes now and advances. I yield back.
Good morning. My name is Ogbonna Hagins, 4th generation chattel slavery survivor, and the president of the Philadelphia Reparations Coalition for American Freedmen. Philadelphia's Procurement and Public Safety Programs are constitutionally suspect because they perpetuate the badges and incidents of slavery by collapsing -- by collapsing generalized terms that don't apply to the descendants of slavery. The city's own roadmap to safer communities amid structural racism against descendants of the emancipated. The independent study that the Brookings Institute, which analyzed that the values of American Freedman homes have been devalued $48,000 per home. Here in Philadelphia's acknowledgement of structural racism combined with the deliberate choice to substitute diversity, equity, and inclusion proxies for constitutional beneficiaries, satisfies the intent required. Moreover, in City of Richmond v. J.A. Croson Company, decided in 1989, the court held that remedial programs must be narrowly tailored to proven discrimination. Collapsing Freedmen into minorityowned is both over inclusive and under inclusive. Failing strict scrutiny under Adarand Constructors, Incorporated v. Pena decided in 1995. As Jones v. Alfred H. Mayer Company, decided in 1968, affirmed Congress has the authority to eradicate practices that perpetuate slavery's legacy. This applies to the city council of Philadelphia as well. Bill 250607 introduced by Councilmember Jim Harrity seeks to tighten prequalification standards for contractors on city funded public works projects ensuring that contractors meet verified workforce training requirements. When applied correctly, it can serve as a tool to directly address the systematic exclusion I have outlined. By explicitly incorporated Freedmen -- incorporating Freedmen as the constitutional beneficiaries in prequalification programs, we can ensure that the city's procurement dollars support the very descendants the 13th Amendment intended to protect. Finally, resolution 250781 is therefore warranted to establish the Freedmen-led Advisory Committee, ensuring that Philadelphia's remedies constitutional violations by directly recognizing the descendant class of the rightful beneficiaries of reconstruction's promises. Over and out.
Council president, there are no further names for public comment.
That concludes public comment for today. We will now consider the bills and resolutions on the second reading of final passage calendars. Would the clerk please read the title of Resolution Number 250612?
A resolution appointing Nicole Conrad to the board of directors of the City Avenue Special Services District of Philadelphia and Lower Marion.
The Chair recognizes Majority Leader Councilmember, Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore-Richardson for a motion regarding Resolution Number 250612. COUNCILMEMBER GILMORE RICHARDSON: Thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of Councilmember Jones, I move for the adoption of the resolution.
It has been moved and properly seconded. The Resolution Number 250612 will be adopted. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. COUNCILMEMBERS: Aye.
Those opposed? The ayes have it. The motion carries. The resolution is adopted. Would the clerk please read the title of Resolution Number 250613.
A resolution reappointing Nathan Muchnick to the board of directors of the City Avenue Special Services District of Philadelphia and Lower Marion.
Chair recognizes Councilmember Curtis -- Chair recognizes Councilmember, Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore-Richardson for a motion regarding Resolution Number 250613.
Thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of Councilmember Jones, I move for the adoption of the resolution.
It has been moved and properly seconded that the Resolution Number 250613 be adopted. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. COUNCILMEMBERS: Aye.
Those opposed? The ayes have it. The motion carries. The resolution is adopted. Would the clerk please read the title of Resolution Number 250820?
A resolution appointing Mark Graefe to the board of directors for the Old City Special Services District.
Chair recognizes Councilmember Mark Squilla for a motion regarding Resolution Number 250820. Chair acknowledges Councilmember Majority Leader Gilmore-Richardson to make a motion on behalf of Councilmember Mark Squilla.
Thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of Councilmember Squilla, I move for the adoption of the resolution.
It has been moved and properly seconded that the Resolution Number 250820 to be adopted. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. COUNCILMEMBERS: Aye.
Those opposed? The ayes have it. The motion carries. The resolution is adopted. Will the clerk please read the title of Resolution Number 250970?
A resolution proposing an amendment to the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter providing for the creation of the Philadelphia Retirement Savings Board and providing for the submission of the proposed amendment to the electors of Philadelphia.
Chair recognizes Councilmember Mike Driscoll for a motion.
Thank you, Mr. President. On your behalf, I would like to offer an amendment to Resolution Number 250970. Copy of the amendment has been circulated to all members of council. I move for the adoption of the amendment.
It has been moved and properly seconded that the amendment to Resolution Number 250970 be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. COUNCILMEMBERS: Aye.
Those opposed? The ayes have it, and the resolution has been amended. This resolution will be placed on the final passage calendar at our next session of council. Would the clerk please read the title of Resolution Number 251035?
A resolution recognizing and determining that Bill Number 250804 remains under active consideration by this council.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Jamie Gauthier for a motion regarding Resolution Number 251035.
Thank you, Council President. I move for the adoption of the resolution.
It has been moved and properly seconded that the Resolution Number 251035 be adopted. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. COUNCILMEMBERS: Aye.
Those opposed? The ayes have it. The motion carries. The resolution is adopted. Will the clerk please read the title of Resolution Number 251040?
Resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 2230 North 3rd Street located in the 7th Councilmanic District in accordance with the terms of chapter 16-700 of the Philadelphia Code.
Chair recognizes Councilmember Quetcy Lozada for a motion regarding Resolution Number 251040.
Thank you, Council President. I move for the adoption of the resolution.
It has been moved and properly seconded. The Resolution Number 251040 be adopted. All those in favor the motion will signify by saying aye. COUNCILMEMBERS: Aye.
Those opposed? The ayes have it. The motion carries. The resolution is adopted. Will the clerk please read the title of Resolution Number 251046?
A resolution reappointing Adam Shapiro to the board of directors for the South Street Head House District.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Mark Squilla for a motion regarding Resolution Number 251046.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution.
It has been moved and properly seconded that the Resolution Number 251046 be adopted. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. COUNCILMEMBERS: Aye.
Those opposed? The ayes have it. The motion carries and the resolution is adopted. Will the clerk please read the title of Resolution Number 251047?
A resolution appointing Raphael Licht, the board of directors of the South Street Head House District.
The Chair recognizes Councilman Mark Squilla for motion regarding Resolution Number 251047.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for adoption of the resolution.
It has been moved and properly seconded. The Resolution Number 251047 be adopted. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. COUNCILMEMBERS: Aye.
Those opposed? The ayes have it. The motion carries. The resolution is adopted. Will the clerk please read the title of Resolution Number 251048?
A resolution reappointing Allison Hindman-Harvey to the board of directors for the South Street Headhouse District.
Chair recognizes Councilman Mark Squilla for a motion regarding Resolution Number 251048.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for adoption of the resolution.
It has been moved and properly seconded that the Resolution Number 251048 be adopted. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. COUNCILMEMBERS: Aye.
Those opposed? The ayes have it. The motion carries. The resolution is adopted. Will the clerk please read the title of Resolution Number 251049?
A resolution appointing Marlene Clark to the board of directors for the South Street Head House district.
Chair recognizes Councilmember Mark Squilla for motion regarding Resolution Number 251049.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for adoption of the resolution. And I ask to be voted, Aye, on all resolutions and bills as I request leave to attend to council business. Thank you.
Duly noted. Leave is granted. And is there a second?
It has been moved and properly seconded that the Resolution Number 251049 be adopted. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. COUNCILMEMBERS: Aye.
Those opposed? The ayes have it. The motion carries. The resolution is adopted. Will the clerk please read the title of Resolution Number 251050?
A resolution authorizing Councilmember Cindy Bass's appeal on behalf of and as representative of city Council of the decision of the Department of Licenses and Inspections with respect to 6930 Ardleigh Street.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Cindy Bass for a motion regarding Resolution Number 251050.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of this resolution.
It has been moved and properly seconded that the Resolution Number 251050 be adopted. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. COUNCILMEMBERS: Aye.
Those opposed? The ayes have it. The motion carries. The resolution is adopted. Will the Chief Clerk please read the title of Resolution Number 240340-A?
An ordinance amending Subcode A, the Philadelphia Administrative Code of Title IV of the Philadelphia Code, the Building Construction and Occupancy Code to require proof of certain insurance certificates, all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill has been read on two different days. The question now is, should the bill pass finally. Chief clerk please call the roll?
Council will be at ease. 6-7. 6-7. Will the clerk please reread the title of Bill Number 240340-A. Majority Leader are you okay? Okay. Please reread the title, Chief Clerk, of Bill Number 240304-A?
An ordinance amending Subcode A the Philadelphia Administrative Code of Title IV, the Philadelphia Code, the Building construction and Occupancy Code to require proof of certain insurance certificates, all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill has been read on two different days. The question now is, shall the bill pass finally? Will the Chief Clerk please call the roll?
And may I be recorded as voting Aye on the resolutions that I missed when I was away?
Aye. The ayes are 16. The nays are zero. Majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. Will the Chief Clerk please read the title of Bill Number 250607?
An ordinance amending chapter 17-100 of the Philadelphia Code entitled Procurement Contracts by revising Section 17-101 entitled Prequalification of Prospective Vitters for Contracts for Construction of Public Works to establish minimum workforce training requirements and documentation standards for contractors and subcontractors on Public Works projects, all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill had me read on two different days. The question now is, shall the bill pass finally? Chief Clerk please call the roll?
Aye. The ayes are 16. The nays are zero. Majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, the Bill passes. Chief clerk, please read the title of Bill Number 250646?
An ordinance amending Title IX of the Philadelphia Code entitled Regulation of Businesses, Trades and Professions by adding a new chapter entitled Minimum Training for Security Officers.
Chair recognizes Councilmember Mike Driscoll for a motion.
Thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of Councilmember Thomas, I'd like to offer an amendment to Bill Number 250646. Copy of the amendment has been circulated to all members of council. I move for the adoption of the amendment.
It has been moved and properly seconded that the amendment to Bill Number 250646 be adopted. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. COUNCILMEMBERS: Aye.
Those opposed? The ayes have it. And the bill has been amended. This bill will be -- will be placed on the final passage calendar at our next session of council. Will the clerk please read the title of Bill Number 250651?
An ordinance amending Title IX -- XIX, Finance, Taxes and Collections of the Philadelphia Code to add a new chapter creating the Philadelphia Retirement Savings Program as an automated savings program for certain employees in the City of Philadelphia to establish the Philadelphia Retirement Savings Board and to establish the Retirement Savings Administrative Fund, all under certain terms and conditions.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Mike Driscoll for a motion.
Thank you, Mr. President. On your behalf, I'd like to offer an amendment to Bill Number 250651. A copy of the amendment has been circulated to all members of council. And I move for the adoption of the amendment.
It has been moved and properly seconded that the amendment to Bill Number 250651 be adopted. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. COUNCILMEMBERS: Aye.
Those opposed? The ayes have it. And the bill has been amended. This bill will be placed on our final passage's calendar for our next session of council. Would the clerk please read the title of Bill Number 250708?
An ordinance amending Subcode A, the Philadelphia Administrative Code of Title IV of the Philadelphia Code, the Building Construction and Occupancy Code, to provide penalties associated with stock, work, and cease operations orders, under certain terms and conditions.
This bill had been read on two different days. The question now is, should the bill pass finally? Chief Clerk please call the roll?