COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC HEARING AND PUBLIC MEETING BEFORE THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS - - - Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Thursday, 9/21/00 9:25 a.m. - - - BILL 000539 - an ordinance authorizing transfers in appropriations for Fiscal Year 2001 within the Grants Revenue Fund from the Director of Finance - Provision for Other Grants to the Department of Licenses and Inspections. PRESENT: COUNCILWOMAN JOAN L. KRAJEWSKI, Chair COUNCILMAN MICHAEL A. NUTTER, Vice Chair COUNCILMAN DARRELL L. CLARKE COUNCILMAN FRANK DICICCO COUNCILMAN RICHARD T. MARIANO - - - VINCENT VARALLO ASSOCIATES, INC. Registered Professional Reporters Eleven Penn Center, Suite 600 Philadelphia, PA 19103 (215) 561-2220 /00 - APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE I N D E X John Coates Director of Real Estate Redevelopment Authority 3 9/21/00 APPROPRIATIONS - BILL 000539 P R O C E E D I N G S
Good morning. The Committee on Appropriations is now in session. Will the clerk please read the bill.
Bill No. 000539, an ordinance authorizing transfers in appropriations for Fiscal Year 2001 within the Grants Revenue Fund from the Director of Finance - Provision for Other Grants to the Department of Licenses and Inspections.
Is there anyone here to testify? (Witness comes forward.)
Good morning. Would you please state your name for the record.
Good morning, Madam Chairwoman and members of the committee. My name is John Coates. I am here on behalf of Herbert Wetzel, from the Redevelopment Authority, and I'm testifying in support of Bill 539. I'll read the testimony. Madam Chairperson and members of the Committee on Appropriations, I am John Coates, Director of Real Estate for the Redevelopment 4 9/21/00 APPROPRIATIONS - BILL 000539 Authority, and I'm testifying on behalf of Herbert Wetzel, the Executive Director. As a result of the efforts of State Representative William F. Keller of the 184th Legislative District, the RDA will receive a $1 million grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. This grant will be for the sole purpose of demolishing approximately 138 vacant and abandoned properties, along with related activities, such as placing stucco on remaining party walls, in Wards 1, 39, and 48. Because RDA is not legally able to enter private property or place a lien on private property for work performed, we have created a relationship with the Department of Licenses and Inspections whereby they will perform the demolition and related work. RDA will, in turn, reimburse their cost. Appropriately, Bill 539 increases the L&I budget by an amount precisely equal to the grant; thus, these demolitions will not be at the expense of the City of Philadelphia. On behalf of the RDA, I ask for favorable consideration of this matter and 5 9/21/00 APPROPRIATIONS - BILL 000539 respectfully ask that Bill 539 be added to the first-reading calendar for today's stated meeting. Thank you.
Thank you. Is there anyone else here to testify? (No response.)
Are there any questions from members of the committee?
Thank you, Madam Chair. I would just like to take this opportunity for the record to publicly thank Representative Keller. Representative Keller and I, for about the last two or three years, have done innumerous walk-throughs in the area of South Philadelphia which I have been desperately trying to get stepped-up enforcement and stepped-up demolition, along with L&I Deputy Commissioner Bob Solvibile. And it's through his efforts that we have this million dollars today, which will certainly go a long way in helping me realize a vision I've had for South Philadelphia, in the southern portion of my district, in creating new housing. 6 9/21/00 APPROPRIATIONS - BILL 000539 Already, we are starting to see the results of the demolition that has already taken place even before the million dollars in place, where we're creating numerous side yards in the 39th Ward, taking over abandoned buildings and vacant lots and putting them to good use, and giving homeowners an opportunity now to grow. So, again, I want to, for the record, thank Representative Keller for all the time and effort and energy put into this. And if you can do this again next year, I'm certain I will have some more nice things to say about you. Would you like to say anything, Mr. Keller? (Representative Keller responds off-mic.)
Thank you, Madam Chair. I, too, would like to thank Representative Keller, although it's not going in my district. But, Representative Keller, I'd like to ask you off the record at some later date how 7 9/21/00 APPROPRIATIONS - BILL 000539 you did it so I can talk to my state representative and see if we can get a million dollars in my district.
Are there any other questions? (No further questions.)
That ends our public hearing on Bill No. 539. - - -
Now we will go into our public meeting. The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that Bill No. 000539 be reported out of this committee with a favorable 8 9/21/00 APPROPRIATIONS - Public Meeting recommendation and a further recommendation that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading at our next session.
Therefore, Bill No. 000539 will be reported out of this committee with a favorable recommendation and with a suspension of rules so as to permit first reading at our next session of Council. That ends our public meeting of the Committee on Appropriations. Thank you all very much for coming in. And, Councilman Keller, again, thank you. (Adjourned at 9:30 a.m.) - - - 9 C E R T I F I C A T E I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing proceedings of the Council of the City of Philadelphia of Thursday, September 2000, were 8 reported fully and accurately by me, and that this 9 is a correct transcript of same. 10 11 12 13 RE: COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS 14 BILL NO. 000539 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 __________________________________, JOSEPHINE CARDILLO, Registered Professional Reporter