COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA COMMITTEE ON RULES - - - Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Monday, September 24, 2007 10:10 a.m. - - - PRESENT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT ANNA C. VERNA, CHAIR COUNCILMAN DARRELL L. CLARKE COUNCILMAN FRANK DiCICCO COUNCILMAN WILLIAM GREENLEE COUNCILMAN JACK KELLY COUNCILMAN JAMES F. KENNEY COUNCILMAN BRIAN J. O'NEILL COUNCILWOMAN BLONDELL REYNOLDS BROWN COUNCILMAN DANIEL SAVAGE BILL 070512 - An ordinance approving the third amendment of the redevelopment proposal for the Independence Mall Urban Renewal Area, Unit No. 3... BILL 070540 - An ordinance re-establishing a neighborhood improvement district in an area that generally includes both sides of Frankford Avenue from Torresdale Avenue to Bridge Street... - - - 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 2
Good morning, everyone. This is a public hearing of the Rules Committee. I would ask Mr. McPherson to please read the title of Bill No. 070512. MR. McPHERSON: An ordinance 8 approving the third amendment of the redevelopment proposal for the Independence Mall Urban Renewal Area, Unit No. 3, being the area beginning at the intersection of the westerly side of 7th Street and the northerly side of Race Street projected, including the third amendment to the urban renewal plan and the first amendment to the relocation plan, which provides, inter alia, for a change of the land use and related controls for the southeast corner of 5th and Market Streets from commercial to institutional uses.
Good 3 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 morning. Please identify yourself for the record.
Nicholas Dema, Deputy Executive Director of the Redevelopment Authority.
Madam Chairperson and members of the Committee, I am here to speak in support of Bill No. 070512, which is the third amendment to the redevelopment proposal and urban renewal plan for the Center City redevelopment area, Independence Mall Urban Renewal Area, Unit No. 3. There are no acquisitions included in this bill. However, the bill 22 will change the permitted land use for the parcel located at the southeast corner of 5th and Market Streets, referred to as 440 Market Street. The 4 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 permitted land use will change from commercial to institutional. The City Planning Commission on May 22nd of this year approved these changes. This parcel was recently purchased by the National Museum of American Jewish History, who will demolish the existing building and construct approximately a $140 million museum that will house cultural exhibitions and programs. The Museum anticipates attracting more than a quarter of a million visitors per year. No families or individuals will be displaced or relocated as part of this development plan. Madam Chairperson and members of the Committee, I respectfully request favorable consideration of Bill No. 21 070512 and would also ask the suspension of Council rules to allow first reading on September 27th of this year.
Thank you. 5 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 Can you tell us what is the property being used for at the present time?
Will the property have to be rezoned? If so, what is the current zoning and what will the new zoning designation be?
There have been no objections to this; have there been?
And the new building will be used solely for the purpose of operating a museum?
What are the sources of funding for this project?
The majority of it, I believe, has been from fundraising. 6 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 Yes, it's been all fundraising.
What are the proposed commencement and completion dates of the project? COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Madam President, if I may.
The Chair recognizes Councilman DiCicco. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: If I may. Thank you. KYW has relocated out of the property. The property is actually, as we speak, being demolished. The foundation that is building the museum has been raising money for the last couple of years. I think the price tag is like a hundred million dollars or something, the project, and they are very close to meeting its goal. But, again, demolition has begun a few weeks ago, and I think in the next month or so demolition will have been complete. There will be a ground-breaking ceremony sometime in the next week or two, three weeks at the 7 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 most. So construction would be starting almost immediately after demolition is complete.
When do they anticipate it will be completed? COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: I'm not certain of that. I'm not certain of that.
Thank you. Are there any questions from members of the Committee? (No response.)
Do we have anyone else to testify on this bill? (No response.)
Seeing no one, I would ask Mr. McPherson to please read the title of the next bill, Bill No. 070540. MR. McPHERSON: An ordinance 23 re-establishing a neighborhood improvement district in an area that generally includes both sides of 8 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 Frankford Avenue from Torresdale Avenue to Bridge Street and certain side streets, including portions of Kensington Avenue, Foulkrod Street, Gillingham Street, Griscom Street, Margaret Street, Meadow Street, Orthodox Street, Paul Street, Pratt Street, Darrah Street and Unity Street, to be known as the Frankford Special Services District.
Good morning, Madam Chairwoman and members of City Council. My name is Andrew Frishkoff. I'm the Director of Neighborhood Economic Development for the Neighborhood Transformation Initiative. I'm here today to provide testimony in support of Bill No. 070540. This bill will allow for the approval of the re-establishment of the Frankford Special Services District as a neighborhood improvement district. The creation of neighborhood 9 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 improvement districts is consistent with the objectives of our newly launched ReStore Philadelphia Corridors program, designed to help re-establish neighborhood commercial corridors as central places to work, shop and meet neighbors. NTI is working with the office of Councilman Savage and community representatives, some of whom are here with me, to install new trees, banners and planters on Frankford Avenue. The Frankford CDC, which has provided management services in the past to the NID, has participated in the City's Main Street program since 2005. Three business properties on the Frankford Avenue Main Street corridor have received $20,000 in Main Street Facade Challenge grant funds that have leveraged another $45,000 in private and public funds. NIDs are one of the best examples of collaboration between the City and our neighborhood commercial corridors. Like their counterparts in 10 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 the East Passyunk Avenue NID and the Port Richmond Industrial Development Enterprise NID, the Frankford businesses, entrepreneurs and property owners recognize the need to improve the environment within which they and their customers live and work. Their efforts to make the Frankford Avenue commercial corridor clean, safe and attractive will directly impact the stability of the entire community, and as the community prospers, the economic vitality of the commercial center will also be strengthened. The result of this successful collaboration will be a dynamic neighborhood improvement district that promotes the long-term growth and viability of the Frankford Avenue corridor in Frankford. This worthwhile effort deserves the support of the City. I urge your support of Bill No. 070540. Thank you for your consideration. I will be happy to answer 11 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 any questions you may have.
Thank you very much. The proposed bill is to re-establish the district, the original term of which expired December 31, 2005. Bill No. 060957, which was approved April 12, 2007, authorized the City Solicitor to file for the retroactive revival and to extend the term of the district and the authority. Have all of the necessary filings been done and approvals received to allow City Council to now re-establish the district?
I can't answer that question definitively. It's my understanding, yes, that they have, but I don't know that positively.
I think that Tracy O'Drain would be better at answering that question.
Yes. I believe everything has been filed for us to establish the Frankford Special Services District as a business improvement district. Public notices have been sent out, everything.
Does the making of City Council's approval of the revival of the district retroactive mean that the authorized assessment on properties will be done retroactively?
The district's -- we had not planned on doing that, no, ma'am.
13 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 Please identify yourself for the record.
I'm Tracy O'Drain. I am currently the Frankford Community Development Corporation's Manager of Economic Development Programs, but I also help manage the Frankford Special Services District.
Well, if assessments are to be retroactively imposed, I'm led to believe that it probably wouldn't be legal. Is that your understanding?
That is, yes. The Frankford Special Services District has continued to provide the cleaning services through grants and volunteer service throughout the period of 2006 and up to now in 2007 and will continue to do so until such time that they are able to assess.
Have the tax-exempt property owners offered any cash or in-kind services?
We have had some 14 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 that have offered in-kind services, yes, ma'am.
How many properties are within the district, and can you tell us how many of them are industrial or commercial?
The exact number, I couldn't give you the exact number off the top of my head. It's six hundred -- 450. I'm sorry. 450. And to my knowledge, I don't think there are any industrial. I believe they're all commercial. There are several that have second floor residential as well as storefront commercial, and there are a number of residential properties within the districts, which we have not assessed.
Has anyone objected to the re-establishment of the district? If so, what percentage 15 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 of property owners within the district do they represent?
To my knowledge, no one has come to our office to object so far. Whether there's -- not in writing or to me directly. That's the best I can answer that question.
Thank you, Madam President. I'm not sure who is best to answer this. Maybe Ms. O'Drain can. How were notices sent out? What list did you use? And you might know the reason, because I saw you talking to individuals over here who own apparently two properties and only got notified about one.
Right. The City provided us a database, which they do -- my understanding is that they provide that database to all special services districts or BIDs. Ours in particular 16 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 was not up to date. It was not completely correct. For instance, the database I was provided had several City Ave addresses on it, over 100 I believe, and that's not even anywhere close to our district. So the notices that were sent out went to the addresses that were listed in that database that are within the legislated Frankford Special Services District, those addresses that were read earlier.
Do you know how up to date that list is? Because apparently one of the things was that this property was sold like two years ago, but there wasn't --
I can't answer that. I will tell you it was provided to me in 2006, in November, early December of 2006.
I guess I'm just concerned that there will be people that won't -- they'll come back 17 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 later and say, Geez, I didn't know about this.
Yes. The ones that we know -- there were a few on there that we know. For instance, I can give you an example. One store that's located on Frankford Avenue that's been there for several -- I don't know how long, at least years I know and his address, 11 according to the City, is on Orthodox 12 Street, but we know that he's there. So we changed his address. We sent it to both, the one that's on the list, then to his address now that he uses.
Are you getting your own database? Are you going to be getting your own records on this to kind of double-check, or whatever you want to say?
Just so people don't come back later and say, I didn't know about this. 18 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540
Like in this particular case, I understand the property owner also owns next door, so that's how they knew about it, but it could be a situation where if you only own one property and you didn't get notified --
Right. And a lot of time it's hard to tell how many properties are included.
So you're saying you're going to be doing a store-by-store notification?
You're welcome. Are there any other questions from members of the Committee? (No response.) 19 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540
Do we have anyone else that would like to testify on this bill? Please approach the witness table. I'm sorry, sir. Did you want to testify? MR. McCARTHY: Yes, ma'am.
Please identify yourself for the record. MR. McCARTHY: My name is James McCarthy and I'm a business owner and developer on Frankford Avenue. Good morning, Madam Chairman and members of City Council. My name is James McCarthy and I'm a business owner and developer on Frankford Avenue, as well as Vice-Chairperson of the FSSD. I am here today to provide testimony in support of Bill No. 070540. Frankford is on the cusp of real revitalization. The Special Services District makes the business corridor more aesthetically pleasing for 20 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 consumers, residents and workers. Without this service, the revitalization of this great historic neighborhood will be extremely difficult. Since the FSSD lapsed last year, it has been unable to take in revenue from assessments. With a highly motivated Board, the FSSD has allocated grant money to provide cleaning to continue for the 2007 fiscal year. This is how much we as a Board and myself as a business owner believe in the merits of the Frankford Special Services District. Your community cannot thrive without a stable business corridor, and the Frankford business corridor cannot thrive without the FSSD. I urge you to support Bill No. 070540. Thank you for your consideration, and I will be happy to answer any questions.
Thank you, sir. The Chair recognizes Councilman 21 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 Greenlee.
Thank you, Madam President. Again, I guess kind of to repeat what the Council President asked earlier, are you aware, Mr. McCarthy, of anybody who has concerns about this, who does not like the idea, have come to you with any kind of concerns? MR. McCARTHY: I actually am not. Everyone that I talked to on the business corridor is very supportive of this.
And everybody obviously seems know about it, too, right, as far as you know? MR. McCARTHY: Yes. Yes.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brown.
Good 22 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 morning, everyone. You said to your knowledge, you believe that all members of the corridor have been contacted. Do you know what means by which all these stakeholders were contacted and when?
They were sent a letter notifying them of what would happen and that the public hearing was today, and I believe we were required for a 30-day notice.
Did you get any phone calls, any e-mails, any feedback at all?
There are other members who have been involved. There are other Board members that have helped put this together, and they may have, but me personally, I have not received any.
Okay. Sir, to your knowledge? 23 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 MR. McCARTHY: I have not, no, ma'am.
Okay, then. Thank you very much. MR. McCARTHY: You're welcome.
Thank you, Madam President. Today, with Bill No. 070540 we're not voting it out of Committee today. We are just proposing amendments. This is a public hearing, and there will be another public hearing on October 25th. I just wanted that to be recorded for the record.
Thank you. Thank you very much. I understand we have other witnesses that would like to testify. Kindly approach the witness table.
Good 24 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 morning. You can be seated. Be careful.
My name is Diana Goldshlack and I'm here with my husband, who is a business owner but slightly hearing impaired and I wanted to assist him.
My name is William Goldshlack. I own the property in Frankford at 5205 Frankford Avenue. My son and I have run a business there for over years. I want it understood 23 that we strongly oppose a business 24 district that makes mandatory an 25 additional tax on us. 25 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 I'm sure Council is aware of the already high taxes we pay. We have real estate taxes, which just went up 5 percent, business use and occupancy, 6 business privilege, net profits tax, food 7 license, health license, alarm license, 8 sign license, cigarette license and 9 lottery license, as well as state taxes. 10 We are entitled to regular City services 11 for our existing taxes. We should not 12 have to pay extra to get the services. 13 The Frankford Business 14 Association seems to go in the wrong 15 direction. They should try to help 16 individual businesses expand, not 17 increase the tax burden. The Frankford 18 area has been a special services district 19 for which I paid for the past five years 20 that I know of. It did not do the job. 21 We have not seen any betterment to our 22 area in spite of having services for five 23 years. It was money spent with no 24 results. I don't want to continue 25 spending for a lost cause. 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 The decision to increase my taxes was made by an association that consists of very few business owners that I know of. I was not consulted. I must have missed a meeting because I didn't know that 51 percent of the businesses are needed to object to the special services district. Why isn't the Association required to get 51 percent to okay it? Is it a goal to just make it hard for the businesses to object but not the Association? As an aside, we had a last session. I had some signed, sent-in forms. I never found out what they got, how they got, how many they got, and I can't find out. The Association is not an elected group that has a right to spend my money. We have struggled through many years of the transportation center development, and I'm sorry to say that the net result for avenue businesses has been completely negative. SEPTA not only 27 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 changed the pattern of the transportation customer, they also created competition to all the businesses by establishing businesses inside the terminal. Is it fair that I should have to pay more taxes to clean up an area that gives them an exemption for the cost of their -- for extra services? Seven years ago I wanted to develop a property next to mine. At that time, SEPTA stopped using the building. I felt I could add the space to my business, and it has been impossible to get any action. SEPTA said it was up to the City. The City said it was up to SEPTA. The net result was we have now, after spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to tear down a building, we gained a fenced-in, trash-strewn empty lot. The Pratt Street property was a match to the Bridge Street property that has cost almost a million dollars to restore. The Frankford Business 28 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 Association has done nothing to help develop our business area, so why should they have the right to create a special services district that would raise my taxes? When they get support and approval of 51 percent of the businesses, maybe then there could be some successful improvement.
Thank you very much. Are there any questions from members of the Committee? (No response.)
Thank you very much for coming in to testify. Do we have anyone else that would like to testify? While the gentleman is approaching the witness table, I would like the record to reflect that we do in fact have a quorum. To my extreme left is Councilman O'Neill. Next to him is Councilwoman Brown, Councilman Greenlee. To my extreme right is Councilman Kenney, 29 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 Councilman Savage and Councilman Clarke.
If someone after the witnesses testify can answer these following questions. They may have to go get the information first or look it up with their paperwork. How many property -- because it's not businesses, it's property owners that pay the assessment. Because I'm on the Board of the East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District. It's the owners of the properties that pay the assessment. So it's not 51 percent of the businesses. It's 51 percent of the property owners. How many properties in the district and what is the average assessment, if there is an average assessment. What are we talking? Are we talking $100 a year? Are we talking $150 a year? Are we talking $1,000 a year? I know in our district we have 30 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 a large supermarket. They pay a bigger assessment, but they pay it happily. They're happy to pay it. There are other larger properties, square foot properties, that pay more than a regular retail business. So can you give us an idea how many properties are in the district and what the average assessment is for a property owner?
Yes, sir. Tracy O'Drain. The number of businesses, there's approximately 450 businesses -- excuse me. Excuse me. Let me correct myself. 450 properties. The average -- I couldn't give you an exact number. I can tell you they're usually below $150. There are some, as you say, there are some that are $400, $500. There are some -- I looked at one the other day that was $35. So there's a range.
What is your highest assessment? 31 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540
That I've noticed. I've only been doing this for a short time.
Because some of the properties in our district pay -- the Acme, for example, pays about $1,200, $1,300 a year.
Right. The only -- we have the Holiday Thriftway. SEPTA, of course, is exempt. I'm trying to think of any other -- now, there may be multiple properties. A particular property owner may have five to ten properties and so together they would be more than that average.
So we're talking anywhere between $100 and $200 on 32 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 average?
If I had to put a number on it, I would say average would be about $100, $125.
Fine. So we know the context of what we're talking about. Okay. Thank you.
Thank you. I would also like the record to reflect that Councilman Kelly is present. Good morning, sir. Please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Good morning. My name is Terry Tobin. I'm the Executive Director of the new Frankford community Y, which is a community center in Frankford. I'm also on the Board of the Frankford Special Services District. Although I don't have a prepared testimony, but although I can understand the frustration of the gentleman that just spoke as a business 33 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 owner, I believe some of the things that he stated was really incorrect. There has been -- in Frankford right now we're going through -- what we are trying to do is go through a revitalization of the community, and without the Frankford Special Service District, that revitalization is going to be very, very difficult. To develop on Frankford Avenue, economic development on Frankford Avenue, there's really no other organization that's going to be available to do that. In addition, the commitment from the Board of the Frankford Special Service District is that even though we haven't been able to make assessments and collect any money, we have obtained some grants and we do have plans for the future, such as returning not only cleaning the avenue but returning to the Ambassador program that we once had, which was to have employees of the special service district in uniform 34 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 patrol up and down Frankford Avenue during various hours of the day, and we're hoping to expand that into the night and the weekend. And that was a big deterrent. Since that program stopped, crime on the avenue has been going up, and that's statistically available. So I just want to speak in support of the Frankford Special Service District and the plans that it has and the importance for the revitalization of the Frankford community. Thank you.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Kenney.
Thank you, Madam President. So I understand the context, the special service district was in existence, correct?
And then the authority to collect the assessments lapsed?
How long of a period of time has the authority been not there?
It's been that long? How long was it in existence prior to December 2005?
So it was in place for five years and it's been kind of in this limbo for two?
I hear everything you're saying, because I sit on the Board myself and sometimes I wonder why I sit on the Board, because people enjoy complaining more than they do working together to get things done, and that's a cultural attitudinal change you need to get within the business community. Because on our business strip, we have older businesses that have been there for generations. Their mortgages are paid, their buildings -- I mean, basically what it is they make, they keep, other than their inventory. So they have a different attitude about us asking them or assessing them money to do plantings and to do upgrade and to clean the sidewalks and to have some additional security. They don't want to do that. We have newer, more recent business owners and operators that understand that it works in Manayunk, it works in South Street, it works in Center City and it can work in neighborhoods if 37 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 people kind of work together and try to get it done. So you're going to have to just kind of put your blinders and earphones on to the people who want to see something or continually believe something is going to fail, because it really doesn't fail in the end. It does work. And people will complain and nothing will be perfect, but I urge you just to keep at it, because it works in neighborhood strips and it's working in South Philly, which is a newer one, and I think it can work anywhere. So just hang in there. The one thing you do, once you get the authority back, you got to stay on the assessments. You got to stay on the assessments. You got to stay on the collections, because once people think that they don't have to pay, they will not pay. And the other thing I think you need to articulate to them is, this is 38 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 not a tax where the money is going to the General Fund of the City of Philadelphia so we can waste it. It's going to a fund that they have some control over and some input in when it comes to setting priorities on what's important. Are facade improvements important, is street cleaning important, is security important. And then you have the ability through that Board to direct your own money into those services. And I think the model works nationwide and hopefully we'll look forward to voting for this when it comes up out of Committee again. Thanks.
Thank you. Are there any other questions or comments from members of the Committee? (No response.)
Thank you, sir. We appreciate your coming in 39 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 to testify. Do we have anyone else that would like to testify? Please approach the witness table.
No. 10 It's fine. You're among friends. Please identify yourself.
My name is Nancy Richards. I live in Frankford. I got all this information about three weeks ago. I don't know why it was sent to me. My house is zoned for business. I don't know if that had anything to do with it. I didn't hear anything. I didn't see anything in the News Gleaner. I didn't hear anything about a bill that was up to redevelop Frankford. I heard nothing about it. I have major concerns over the things that I see on Frankford Avenue, on 40 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 my street. Prostitution is running rampant in Frankford. I don't see anything addressed in the bill to address that. The street cleaning that the sweepers that they have, they don't work. I have gone out there for a couple years, swept all the stuff off the sidewalk. They come by. They most of the time leave like a quarter of the trash still there. So any work that you do and these machines, it blows the stuff right back up. So most of it sounds like in the bill you're going to keep doing the same things. So that's not working, this whole thing about cleaning the streets in Frankford. There are signs posted, not supposed to park on certain sides of the street certain days of the week. That's not working either. I personally have heard two things. The meter people that are walking around -- I live on Sellers Street. Marshall School is right there. 41 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 Health center is on the corner. When teachers come into the area, they can park wherever they want. The crossing guard told them, It's okay, you won't get a ticket there. As a homeowner, I live there, I get tickets if I don't get up in time and move my car. I heard a meter maid -- I don't know what they're called now -- tell a school teacher who got a ticket -- she parked this far away from the fire hydrant. I heard her say, Well, if it was me, I wouldn't have given you a ticket. So all these things are going on, and what you're talking about redeveloping Frankford, there's a whole bunch of stuff going on in Frankford. So it's really kind of hard to support something when you want people that live there to do something when the laws themselves aren't getting enforced or the people who are supposed to be enforcing them aren't doing -- I don't know who it 42 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 is, the City or -- this is all new to me, being a homeowner. I don't understand how this works, but it just seems like this is just cosmetic stuff that you're trying to do. There's so many issues in Frankford that passing another bill I really don't think is going to solve or bring Frankford back. I grew up in Frankford. It used to be a beautiful place. I feel like I live in the slums now. I don't know what's going to have to happen. Thank you.
Just a moment, please. The Chair recognizes Councilman Savage.
Yes. I appreciate you coming down here. Frankford, you talked about parking. There's been a lot of changes. We brought back the meter parking on Frankford Avenue to 6 o'clock. It used to go to 9:30. 43 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540
Okay. Frankford Special Service District is a special service district that cleans the business corridor, and at one time they used to have safety ambassadors, too. I think it's a great program. And I think that any community that can be cleaner can be a safer community, too. Do you disagree with that?
No. I agree. But when you spend a lot of time and you see those trash machines come along, I don't know if they're filled all the time and they're not emptied enough, but it blows the stuff right back there, and then you think, well, you had to get up and move your car so this machine would come through and clean the street and they're not working.
Well, the Frankford Special Service District is basically based on the Center City 44 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 Special Service District, too, and if you go in Center City, there's different people going around cleaning with trash cans and by hand, and that's the same thing that's happening on Frankford Avenue. So I'd have to say I strongly disagree with you being that this is cosmetic, because it's a separate -- it's one step in many steps to making Frankford a better neighborhood.
I guess I'm telling you just to let you know that when those machines go by, they're not picking trash up. In some cases -- actually, three weeks ago, I sat there and watched it blow all the stuff right back up that I spent 45 minutes trying to get in the street so that the machine would come. I'm saying that maybe the machines or whoever is running the machines that do the cleaning need to make sure they're empty or go back and empty them or something. Something is 45 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 wrong with the machines.
Once again, the Frankford Special Service District does not use the machines.
Well, whoever comes by and sits in the machine and they have little twirly things on the back of it --
That's the City of Philadelphia street services, but I will look into that and I appreciate you coming here today. Thank you.
I have a house, a three-story house, and it's zoned for business.
Is there a business in it? 46 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540
No, there's not a business in it. I've been thinking of starting a business. So this is all like what is going on with the businesses.
That's probably why you got the information sent to you, because it's zoned commercial.
Which makes me wonder, if that was true, how come I didn't get any information that there wasn't this 51 percent of people showing up or not showing up, or however it was worded. I wasn't told that, and I thought, well -- it sort of seemed like it was all done secretly or something.
There's five 47 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 houses on my block, a health center and then there's five houses. I'm the only one that owns my property with those five houses.
But there's not commercial activity going on in there now?
Because if you're not going to start a business, you ought to get that zoning changed to a residential zoning. You'll save, I think, on taxes overall, because I think the commercial properties are taxed at a higher --
I could do that, but then I'm also thinking if I'm going to start a business, I'd like to know what's going on.
Right. And 48 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 the other issue for the service district, we've had a very successful -- well, first of all, people in South Philadelphia don't like moving their cars at all, as we've learned, very unhappily we've learned. We asked them to put their car on their back and carry it to City Hall. But we had to stop a number of street-cleaning programs. One of the things I'd suggest is to get a hold of the Community Court, because we've had very successful interaction with the Community Court, having people come down and hand clean to get rid of their public service requirements when they get convicted of a -- it's not a misdemeanor. It's a summary offense: underage drinking, loitering, whatever the smaller offenses are. They get so many hours of community service. You can coordinate the hand-cleaning people, and they're very good. I mean, actually they've been very successful. They're under supervision of 49 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 the court person or whoever your maintenance person is for Frankford Special Service District. They can get under cars and they can actually clean up stuff pretty well. And the court needs it, because there's so many people that need to get rid of their hours. So just a suggestion. Thanks.
Thank you. Are there any other questions or comments from members of the Committee? (No response.)
Do we have anyone else that would like to testify? (No response.)
Anyone else that would like to testify? (No response.)
Seeing no one, this will conclude our 50 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 public hearing. We will now go into our public meeting, and the Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke regarding Bill No. 5 070512.
Thank you, Madam President. Madam President, I move that Bill 070512 be reported out of Committee with a favorable recommendation and a request for a rules suspension as to allow reading at the next session of Council. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that Bill No. 070512 be reported out of Committee with a favorable recommendation, also a recommendation that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading at our next session of Council. All in favor will say aye. (Aye.)
Those opposed? 51 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 (No response.)
The ayes have it and the motion carries. Bill No. 070540 will be continued until October 25th -- the Chair recognizes Councilman Savage.
Thank you, Madam President. I move to adopt the proposed amendments to Bill No. 070540 that have been circulated to all my colleagues. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and seconded that the amendments proposed by Councilman Savage be adopted. All in favor will say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the motion carries. Bill No. 070540 is amended and the public 52 9/24/07 - RULES - BILLS 070512 & 070540 hearing is continued to October 25th at 9:00 a.m. Thank you all very much. (Committee on Rules adjourned at 10:50 a.m.) - - - 53 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 September 24, 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.)