The ayes have it, and the resolution is adopted. (The Resolution is referred to the Committee on Public Health.) The Chair recognizes Councilman Rizzo.
The Chair thanks the gentleman. business is reports from Committees. And the Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke for a report from the Committee on Rules.
Thank you, Madam President. Madam President, the Committee on Rules reports two bills with a favorable recommendation.
Thank you. The Chief Clerk will please read the report. THE
To the President and Members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, the Committee on Rules to which was referred Bill No. 040467, entitled an ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Rittenhouse Street, Pulaski Avenue, Chelten Avenue and Morris Street; And Bill No. 040873, entitled an ordinance authorizing the extension of the City District pursuant to the provision of the Municipality Authorities Act until 2025, all under certain terms and conditions; Respectfully reports it has considered and amended the same and returns the attached bills to Council with a favorable recommendation.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke.
Madam President, I move that the Rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading this day of Bill No. 040467 and Bill No. 040873. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved a properly seconded that the Rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading this day of Bill Nos. 040873 and 040467. All in favor will indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and the bills just read will be placed on today's First Reading Calendar. The next order of business will be the consideration of the Calendar. And the Chief Clerk will please read the bills on the First Reading Calendar. THE
Bill 040467, an ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within the area bounded by Rittenhouse Street, Pulaski Avenue, Chelten Avenue and Morris Street.
And Bill No. 040873, an ordinance authorizing the extension of the term of the Center City District pursuant to the provisions of the Municipality Authorities Act until 2025, all under certain terms and conditions.
The Chair agrees. That completes the First Reading Calendar. The Chair now recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell for the purpose calling bills on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar to be considered today.
Thank you, Madam President. Today, Bill Nos. 040785, 040786, 040765, 040779, 040184 and 040613 are being called up for Second Reading and Final Passage. All other bills are being held.
The Chief Clerk will please read the title of Bill No. 040785. THE
An ordinance amending Bill No. 040602, approved July 1, 2004, relating to the Fiscal 2005 Capital certain appropriations made in that ordinance for improvements to existing recreation facilities.
This bill two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. The Clerk will please call the roll.
Thank you, Madam President. I rise in opposition to this bill and the next one that follows it. I would prefer to request that it be delayed. But at the hearing on the bills, my arguments were given short shrift so I have no other alternative except to oppose it and to state clearly why. I believe these two bills 75 and the next one which relates also to the Capital Budget represent more or less a political slush fund rather than the bills for the improvement of recreation or other City facilities. For many years, I've been fact of the undeviating unanimity of District Councilmembers. For a long time I thought it occurred because they might have had similar interests and, therefore, I thought they had all become developers rather District Councilmembers since District Councilmembers generally seem to spend most of their time in developing economic projects. But it seems to me that something else also has been going on. At some point, a perfectly proper and sensible item in the budget which provide for City Council to have extra money available to complete projects was turned into something entirely different. Unbeknownst to Council at-Large Members, some arrangement was worked out between a Mayor -- I'm not certain whom as of yet because my investigation is not fully complete, but it looks as if it occurred possibly during the Administration of Mayor Rendell. An agreement was worked out between the District Councilmembers or a representative of them -- and I don't have the details yet -- and the Mayor to change Council of 17 members to a body of 10 effective members with the 10 members being District Councilmembers and the City Council at-Large Members turned into the kind of members that Councilman Mariano likes to talk about from time to time. He wonders what the Councilmembers at-Large do with their time. He wonders what they do because they're not engaged in these important economic development projects. And maybe he had a reason for that; I don't know. But apparently, what happens is that at some point a number of years ago this perfectly appropriate item in the budget was changed into a slush fund so that each District Councilmembers had available to him or to her a sum of an approximately $1,200,000 each year to distribute without any knowledge of any other Council body, no approval needed other than a letter, apparently, from a department saying, we need this additional funds to finish a project. The Councilmember was authorized to approve that letter, and the money was furnished. Whether it was furnished or for some other reasons is yet unclear. It looks as if sometimes it was and perhaps sometimes it wasn't. But investigation is ongoing now, and I don't know what it's going to show fully yet except I think it's a bad principal in general. Even if it showed no flaws -- but I think it will show many serious flaws. But even if it showed no flaws, it would be a bad thing to reduce Council from 17 members to an effective membership of 10. As I read the Home Rule Charter and as the founders of the Home Rule Charter discussed it, the 17 members were each to be treated equally. As a matter of fact, Richard Dilworth argued that the number of 10 ought to be the Councilmembers at-Large and 7 ought to be the District Councilmembers because he argued that one way or the other greed would overcome the District Councilmember who was interested in one-tenth of the City as against the Council at-Large Member whose voting area covers the entire City and who, therefore, is more apt to think about the concerns of the Dilworth wanted it, but this is one of the fights he lost and a number of District Councilmembers was increased to enable them under certain circumstances to control all of Council without respect to Councilmembers at-Large.
Therefore, a District Councilmember became a Councilmember equipped with much more authority than anybody else. And maybe it was in City Council for the first time we had what is happening much more frequently, different individually elected officials taking on the roles of government. For example, in the Northeast, I understand Representative Speaker Perzel has government funds to clean streets. And in South Philadelphia I think the other party through Senator Fumo has been reported as having funds are available to him to clean the streets. And of course, the people love it in the areas because they get special government services without having to fight their way through all the red tape that other government units need to. Now, I think if this 7 million were for recreation and public facilities, I would be all for it. Actually, if you add the two numbers -- the current figures in the budget are 4 million; 7 million makes it $1,100,000. I learned there's another $100,000 made available in the same way to District Councilmembers through another department, the Managing Director's Department. Now, this is quiet government. It's secret government. It's unhealthy government. And I think the best way you maintain cleanliness in government and win the confidence of the people is put everything out in the open. Therefore, I have no feeling at all that this money is going to be used wisely. It is not subject to anybody's decision except the District Councilmember. As far as I can tell so far, there's not even any auditing of how the money spent, so that it is not necessarily spent nor does anyone check to see that it is spent for the stated purpose. Therefore, I am in opposition of this grant some clause added that would guarantee that the money has to go through the usual Council processes and be available through a vote of all the Councilmembers. And one last thing, let me say. I don't have all the answers yet as to the existence of this secret slush fund, but I do know this, it seems to me that if everything were above the board, there would be no reason for special treatment of it, no reason to have kept it secret for these years. For me as a 35-year veteran since the first day I was elected to City Council to learn about this officially just last week when during the hearing on this bill that people referred to an item by its initials, ITS or ITEF, I don't know what they were. And I listened carefully and thought my hearing aids were betraying me. Finally I asked what are these initials all about, what do they refer to? And for the first time did I ever hear mention of this item. Therefore, I'm urging that we either reconsider this bill, and I would so move that reconsidered and held until the results of the investigation are done. Or if not, I will be compelled to speak against it and continue the investigation.
Councilman Cohen, who's performing the investigation?
Before I do anything beyond that, I want to know what the facts are.
Very well. Thank you, sir. Again I will repeat that Bill No. 040785 has been read on two different days. The question now is shall the bill pass finally. The Chief Clerk will please call the roll. THE
Aye. The ayes are 16, the nays are 1. A majority of all Members having voted in the affirmative, this bill passes. The next bill to be called for consideration is Bill No. 0407886. THE
An ordinance amending Bill No. 040603, approved July 1, 2004, relating to the Fiscal 2005 through Fiscal 2010 Capital Program by enacting certain appropriations for improvements to
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. The Chair recognizes Councilman Cohen again.
I would ask that my remarks made in connection with the previous bill be reprinted as if they were also being made in connection with this bill. They both deal with the same item.
Thank you, Madam President. I rise in opposition to this bill and the next one that follows it. I would prefer to request that it be delayed. But at the hearing on the bills, my arguments were given short shrift so I have no other alternative except to oppose it and to state clearly why. I believe these two bills 75 and the next one which relates also to the Capital or less a political slush fund rather than the bills for the improvement of recreation or other City facilities. For many years, I've been startled by the fact of the undeviating unanimity of District Councilmembers. For a long time I thought it occurred because they might have had similar interests and, therefore, I thought they had all become developers rather District Councilmembers since District Councilmembers generally seem to spend most of their time in developing economic projects. But it seems to me that something else also has been going on. At some point, a perfectly proper and sensible item in the budget which provide for City Council to have extra money available to complete projects was turned into something entirely different. Unbeknownst to Council at-Large Members, some arrangement was worked out between a Mayor -- I'm not certain whom as of yet because my investigation is not fully complete, but it looks as if it occurred possibly during the Administration of Mayor was worked out between the District Councilmembers or a representative of them -- and I don't have the details yet -- and the Mayor to change Council from a body of 17 members to a body of 10 effective members with the 10 members being District Councilmembers and the City Council at-Large Members turned into the kind of members that Councilman Mariano likes to talk about from time to time. He wonders what the Councilmembers at-Large do with their time. He wonders what they do because they're not engaged in these important economic development projects. And maybe he had a reason for that; I don't know. But apparently, what happens is that at some point a number of years ago this perfectly appropriate item in the budget was changed into a slush fund so that each District Councilmembers had available to him or to her a sum of an approximately $1,200,000 each year to distribute without any knowledge of any other Council body, no approval needed other than a letter, apparently, from a saying, we need this additional funds to finish a project. The Councilmember was authorized to approve that letter, and the money was furnished. Whether it was furnished for that project or for some other reasons is yet unclear. It looks as if sometimes it was and perhaps sometimes it wasn't. But investigation is ongoing now, and I don't know what it's going to show fully yet except I think it's a bad principal in general. Even if it showed no flaws -- but I think it will show many serious flaws. But even if it showed no flaws, it would be a bad thing to reduce Council from 17 members to an effective membership of 10. As I read the Home Rule Charter and as the founders of the Home Rule Charter discussed it, the 17 members were each to be treated equally. As a matter of fact, Richard Dilworth argued that the number of 10 ought to be the Councilmembers at-Large and 7 ought to be the District Councilmembers because he argued that one way or the other greed would overcome the District Councilmember who was of the City as against the Council at-Large Member whose voting area covers the entire City and who, therefore, is more apt to think about the concerns of the whole City. So Dilworth wanted it, but this is one of the fights he lost and a number of District Councilmembers was increased to enable them under certain circumstances to control all of Council without respect to Councilmembers at-Large.
Therefore, a District Councilmember became a Councilmember equipped with much more authority than anybody else. And maybe it was in City Council for the first time we had what is happening much more frequently, different individually elected officials taking on the roles of government. For example, in the Northeast, I understand Representative Speaker Perzel has government funds to clean streets. And in South Philadelphia I think the other party through Senator Fumo has been reported as having funds are available to him to clean the streets. And of course, the people love it in they get special government services without having to fight their way through all the red tape that other government units need to. Now, I think if this 7 million were for recreation and public facilities, I would be all for it. Actually, if you add the two numbers -- the current figures in the budget are 4 million; 7 million makes it $1,100,000. I learned there's another $100,000 made available in the same way to District Councilmembers through another department, the Managing Director's Department. Now, this is quiet government. It's secret government. It's unhealthy government. And I think the best way you maintain cleanliness in government and win the confidence of the people is put everything out in the open. Therefore, I have no feeling at all that this money is going to be used wisely. It is not subject to anybody's decision except the District Councilmember. As far as I can tell so far, there's not even any auditing of spent, so that it is not necessarily spent nor does anyone check to see that it is spent for the stated purpose. Therefore, I am in opposition of this grant unless there is some clause added that would guarantee that the money has to go through the usual Council processes and be available through a vote of all the Councilmembers. And one last thing, let me say. I don't have all the answers yet as to the existence of this secret slush fund, but I do know this, it seems to me that if everything were above the board, there would be no reason for special treatment of it, no reason to have kept it secret for these years. For me as a 35-year veteran since the first day I was elected to City Council to learn about this officially just last week when during the hearing on this bill that people referred to an item by its initials, ITS or ITEF, I don't know what they were. And I listened carefully and thought my hearing aids were betraying me. Finally I asked what are these initials all about, what do they refer to? And for the I ever hear mention of this item. Therefore, I'm urging that we either reconsider this bill, and I would so move that this bill be reconsidered and held until the results of the investigation are done. Or if not, I will be compelled to speak against it and continue the investigation.
Aye. The ayes are 16, the nays are 1. A majority of all Members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. The next bill to be called for consideration is Bill No. 040765. THE
An ordinance approving the Fiscal Year 2005 Capital Budget providing for expenditures for the capital purposes of the Philadelphia Gas Works in acknowledge and receipt of the forecast of capital budgets for Fiscal Years 2006 through 2010.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. The Clerk will please call the roll. THE
Aye. The ayes are 17, the nays are 0. A majority of all Members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. The next bill to be called for consideration is Bill No. 040779. THE
An ordinance authorizing transfers in appropriation for 2005 within the General Fund from certain or all City offices, Departments, boards and commission to the Fire Department.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. The Clerk will please call the roll. THE
Aye. The ayes are 17, the nays are 0. A majority of all Members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. The next bill to be called for consideration is Bill No. 040184. THE
An ordinance amending Title 17 of the Philadelphia Code, entitled "Contracts and Procurement," by adding a new Section 17-1200 entitled foreign outsourcing prohibiting City service contracts under which the work is performed outside of the United States, under certain terms and conditions.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. The Clerk will please call the roll. THE