1328 COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA BEFORE THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE Operating Budget HEARINGS - CONTINUED - - - Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Tuesday, February 22, 2000 9:15 a.m. - - - BILL 00005 - An ordinance adopting the Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2001 PRESENT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT ANNA C. VERNA, Chair COUNCILWOMAN JANNIE L. BLACKWELL COUNCILWOMAN BLONDELL REYNOLDS BROWN COUNCILMAN DARRELL L. CLARKE COUNCILMAN DAVID COHEN COUNCILMAN FRANK J. DICICCO COUNCILMAN W. WILSON GOODE, JR. COUNCILMAN JAMES F. KENNEY COUNCILWOMAN JOAN L. KRAJEWSKI COUNCILMAN W. THACHER LONGSTRETH COUNCILWOMAN DONNA REED MILLER COUNCILMAN MICHAEL A. NUTTER COUNCILMAN ANGEL L. ORTIZ COUNCILMAN FRANK RIZZO COUNCILWOMAN MARIAN B. TASCO - - - VINCENT VARALLO ASSOCIATES, INC. Registered Professional Reporters Eleven Penn Center, Suite 600 Philadelphia, PA 19103 (215) 561-2220 1329 I N D E X BILL 000005 PAGE LAWRENCE M. MOY, Commission of Streets Dept. 1330 JOSEPH SYRNICK, Chief Engineer and Surveyor, Streets Department ..................... 1353 STEVE TILNEY, Acting Recycling Coordinator .. 1366 ROBERT DUBOW ................................ 1381 JOE DOYLE, Chief Lighting Engineer .......... 1386 CLARENA TOLSON, Deputy Streets Commissioner . 1394 CHARLIE TRAINOR, Chief Traffic Engineer ..... 1407 ANDREAS PEREZ, Commissioner, Department of Public Property ....................... 1525 JOSEPH JAMES, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Public Property .................... 1532 CHRIS ZEARFOSS, Director of Transit Operations and Planning ........................... 1538 RILEY P. HARRISON, Fleet Manager ............ 1582 RICHARD TYLER, Historic Preservation Officer, Philadelphia Historical Commission ..... 1612 EDWARD J. MCLAUGHLIN, Commissioner of Dept. of Licenses and Inspections ............ 1623 RICHARD FELDGUS, Administrative Services Director, Dept. Of Licences and Inspections ...... 1629 ROBERT SOLVIBILE, Deputy Commissioner, Dept. of Licenses and Inspections ............ 1636 DOMINIC VERDI, Deputy Commissioner, Dept. of Licenses and Inspections ............... 1660 OLIVER THORNTON, Deputy Commissioner, Dept. of Licenses and Inspections ............ 1670 RICHARD FELDGUS, Administrative Director, L&I, testifying for Board of Licenses and Inspections Review ..................... 1701 RICHARD FELDGUS, Administrative Director, L&I, testifying for Board of Building Standards .............................. 1702 EMANUEL ORTIZ, Chairman, Board of Trustees of Community College of Philadelphia ...... 1707 STEVEN CURTIS, President of Community College of Philadelphia ....................... 1711 VIVIAN MILLER, Clerk of Quater Sessions .... 1739 1330 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 P R O C E E D I N G S
Good morning. This is the continued public hearing of the Committee of the Whole regarding the Operating Budget, Bill No. 005. The first department to testify this morning will be the Streets Department. (Streets Department witnesses come forward.)
Good morning. COMMISSIONER MOY: Good morning, Council President.
Kindly identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony. COMMISSIONER MOY: Yes, President Verna, Members of City Council, ladies and gentlemen, my name is Lawrence Moy, M-O-Y, Commissioner of the Streets Department. I'm pleased to be here this morning to present testimony on behalf of Streets Department's Fiscal Year 2001 proposed Operating Budget. We are requesting a General Fund appropriation of $166,428,008 and all funds 1331 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 appropriation of our proposed budget reflects a net General Fund increase of $3,707,287 and an All Funds appropriation of $146,678,008. Our proposed budget reflects a net general fund increase of $3, 707,287 and from Fiscal Year 2000 estimated obligations. The overall request for the department for all three major funds to sustain operations General, County Liquid Fuels, and Special Gasoline Tax, is a net $3,720,287 higher than Fiscal Year 2000 estimated obligations. The increase in funding over estimated obligations is a result of full funding of authorized positions, funding of wage increases through FY 2000, anticipated increases in street lighting maintenance and sanitation disposal contracts, and funding for streetscape maintenance for the Avenue of the Arts. The Streets Department authorized position level remains at 2,232. I would like to briefly highlight some of the goals that have been achieved in the areas of refuse collection, recycling, street maintenance and cleaning. Collections and cleaning. Our 1332 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 Sanitation Division has used the addition of more efficient vehicles and improved productivity per crew to increase on-time collections and reduce costs. We project on-time household collections at a rate of at least 95 percent for FY 2000 and FY 2001. We're continuing our staffing at the same 1,480 positions as last year, and I am proud to report that the results of this year's survey conducted for Mayors's Report on City Services showed that nearly 89 percent of respondents said that their trash was collected on time either always or frequently. In addition, the budget request for sanitation funds, the current scheduled street-cleaning program for arterial and commercial corridors and the pilot programs initiated this year. The Department is addressing several impediments to effective neighborhood street-cleaning through the pilot program. We're combining ticketing and education with more frequent cleaning and the permanent posting of cleaning schedule signs to try to improve the efficacy of our neighborhood cleaning program. 1333 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 Preliminary information indicates that the public is supportive of this program. Recycling. The curbside recycling program which was available to only a quarter of the city as recently as 1992 has been available in every neighborhood since March 1994. In November 1996, the Department began citywide collection of mixed paper. This has helped to offset the national decline and tonnage of commingled mixed recyclables as more plastics are used to replace glass. In FY '99 43,668 tons of recyclables were collected. In the current projection through FY 2000 and 2001 are 45,410 and 46,700 tons, respectively. The increased tonnage is anticipated to be a result of our pilot effort and ongoing educational programs. This budget request continues funding for the pilot program. Additionally, recycling has been instituted in 190 City buildings including Municipal Services Building, Criminal Justice Center, City Hall, branch libraries, Police Headquarters, the Fire Administration Building, and a number of health centers. This program will expand to a total of 250 municipal buildings in FY 1334 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 2001. Also in FY 2001, we will continue to support the community partnership program that provides an outlet for citizens to recycle materials not included in curbside collection program.
We are currently working with the Administration to fill the vacant recycling coordinator position. Street repairs. The Highway Division's reengineering efforts succeeded in improving many of the services the division provides. In FY '99 Highway Division employees resurfaces 183 miles of roadways compared to 158 miles in FY '98, plus 28 federal aid municipal miles and 108 miles in FY '97, plus 68 contractor-repaired miles and 8 federal aid municipal miles. In FY 2000 and 2001 the division projects to resurface 156 miles of streets with local funds in 42 and 29 miles, respectively, with federal aid municipal funds. The increase in the number of miles resurfaced in FY '98 and FY '99 results from simultaneously conducting the Hot In Place or HIP asphalt recycling pilot while maintaining three resurfacing crews. 1335 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 In FY '99, in addition to increases in street resurfacing, we restored 8,836 ditches. Having that ditch backlog, our projection for FY 2000 and 2001 is to restore 7500 ditch openings and maintain the zero ditch backlog at the end of construction season. 33 million square foot in FY 2000 and FY 2001. This translates into 2,009 intersections with new crosswalks and 187 miles of streets with new lane markings. In FY 2000 and 2001 we expect to place new crosswalk markings at 2500 intersections. The department repaired 16,202 potholes in FY '99 and projects repairs to 30,000 in FY 2000 and 2001. Also in FY 2000 and 2001, we plan to perform over a million linear feet of cracked ceiling. I am pleased to report that the results of this year's survey conducted for the Mayor's Report on City Services show that 74 percent of the respondents said the streets in our neighborhood were in good or mostly good condition 1336 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 compared to 73 percent for FY '98 and 70 percent for FY '97. Street lighting. Between FY '91 and the end of FY '99, the department replaced over 63,000 lights as part of its 12-year citywide program to replace obsolete fixtures. Under the program, old light are being replaced with energy-efficent high-pressure sodium fixtures. When the entire program completed in FY 2002, the department projects that a total of 75,000 lights will have been replaced. This program is enabling us to see reductions in terms of repair and maintenance that you can see reflected in our productivity measures. Traffic engineering. Between FY '98 and end of FY 2001, the department will have modernized traffic signals at over 500 intersections in Center City and in the Northeast. Modernization includes overhead replacement of lights and the installation of state-of-the-art solid state controllers that electronically communicate with a centralized control center to help improve traffic flow. This is part of our ITS, the Intelligent Transportation System. 1337 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 In FY '99, the Department and the Municipal Energy Office completed a two-year citywide installation program of red light emitting diodes or LEDs and long-life incandescent bulbs in all traffic signals. The LED installation has reduced the annual electric bill 8 by approximately $887,000. Future capital projects will include green and yellow LEDs for additional savings. In conclusion, the employees of the Department of Streets will continue working diligently in the delivery of services to our citizens and neighborhoods and improving the quality of life in our City. I'm especially proud of their tremendous efforts during our recent prolonged snow and ice periods. We will continue working closely with City Council to shape effective programs and, therefore, we request your favorable consideration of this budget. I'm available to answer your questions at this time.
Thank you, Commissioner. In your testimony, you mentioned a 1338 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 pilot program concerning recycling. What is the status of this program and what are the findings? COMMISSIONER MOY: We have preliminary findings in terms of the pilot areas. What we -- and they are positive in the sense that there is an increase in the results primarily in our area four, which is the northwest and in Center City. What we expect to do is to have information to compare this with by June with the rest of the City. The Managing Director had talked earlier at the budget session there about looking at the uptick in the pilot but he was concerned about the downturn in the rest of the City, so we need to look at both of those situations and determine why that is happening and what can be done about it.
I guess my question was, why are you only continuing the pilot program in Fiscal 2001 and not expanding it? COMMISSIONER MOY: Because we -- we need to look at the cost of how much the unit cost is to expand this kind of program citywide. The numbers, the absolute numbers themselves may be up, but the unit costs are going to be significant and we also have to find out why in the non-pilot 1339 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 areas we've taken a general downturn in recycling reduction. We have to really look at this, and I would expect in June, we'll be going over this with the Administration and we would share that with Council, certainly.
I don't understand that, but on of your testimony, has your department maxed out on the average tonnage collected per crew in the Sanitation Division since you are projecting the collection rate to be the same as it was in Fiscal 1999? Why hasn't this increased as the department has increased the number of high-density compactors? COMMISSIONER MOY: We think we've reached close to the optimal range for reduction per crew, Council President. Fourteen is probably our number. We've been on the rise over the last couple of years. Over the last eight years or seven years, we came up from 11, and we are up to 14. We have decided that the 25-yard high density is more of a vehicle of choice for us and we think 14 is about the number for us at this time for the production.
Also on 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 of your testimony, street resurfacing, will your department continue to use the hot in place method for resurfacing? If so, what are the types of resurfacing projects that this method will be used? COMMISSIONER MOY: It is our expectation to continue to use the hot in place recycling. It would be used in -- the areas where it is very beneficial is when we have straight sections of street, long sections of street where there is pave back. When we get into cul-de-sacs and where there's a lot of turning and curving streets, it's not quite as clear-cut. The benefits are there, but it's our expectation and we also do testing where we have streets that have a base that accepts recycling, which is basically what this program is. So we will test those three so you continue to use HIP wherever we can.
Do you really think that that's a successful method to be using? Because I know last year several Councilmembers saw photographs of streets that had been resurfaced through this method. You would never know that they had been resurfaced. I mean, they 1341 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 were damaged as they were before the resurfacing was done. COMMISSIONER MOY: Yeah, the streets that we saw last year, as my understanding, have been repaired. We engaged in another program this past year, and while there were a few bugs here and there, for the most part, that was a successful program for us.
Here and there, but not 100 percent? COMMISSIONER MOY: Not 100 percent, that's right. And we're continuing to work with the contractor here to get it refined to a point where it works for everyone. I mean, there's a lot of pluses to the program.
What are the pluses? COMMISSIONER MOY: The pluses, aside from cost, I think a big thing is that the conventional resurfacing used, we had at least a two-step program where you have someone come in and mill the street if it's existing material. They'd have to then set boxes, and it takes a number of weeks before you're able to come in with 1342 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 the final resurfacing application. So there's a risk involved in terms of the people that have to ride on that surface. The alternative for a HIP is that it is usually done within the same day where they take a milling -- take that material, inject it with an additive, a rejuvenator, and put that material back down in the same day, sometimes within a matter of hours so that people have a new street to ride on. So it's cost-effective and it's fast, and I think in many neighborhoods this has been a welcome kind of benefit to the residents and the commercials.
Why are you projecting your disposal contracts to increase by approximately $2.1 million in Fiscal 2001? COMMISSIONER MOY: I believe that's a cost of living -- a mandated cost of living raise that's in there. I think that's a cost of living raise. UNIDENTIFIED MAN: That's what it is, yeah.
Mr. Moy, on -91 of the detail, it shows $150,000 for Hepatitis B vaccinations. Is this a new program 1343 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 and who will be entitled to receive a vaccination? COMMISSIONER MOY: It is a new program, and we have not worked out the details, but we intend to work with Risk Management and there will be a number of our sanitation workers particularly that we expect would be expected to participate in this.
Okay. Also on of your testimony, you say that "We will continue to repair potholes reported during the peak season from mid-February through mid-April, within four days to six days during the rest of the year." I hate doing this to you. I don't want to embarrass you in any way. But this is a folder that I have had in my office with requests for potholes, for depressions, for any number of types of complaints of that nature. Some of them go back to 1997. I have a couple from 1996. We have written at least four letters. We called the constituents or they call us, and we never get a response. Now, I don't know that your testimony addresses the concerns of my constituents. If 1344 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 they're done within days, these are years. And we don't even have the courtesy of receiving a response from the second highway district. I think it's a disgrace. COMMISSIONER MOY: Yes, Council President, I think you and I spoke on late last week.
I told you about this. I want an explanation. COMMISSIONER MOY: We are in the process of reviewing all of those, that correspondence that you sent over. A number of these had been either addressed verbally, and I apologize for not having written --
They haven't been done verbally. If they had been, the staff would be more than happy to make that notation and notify the constituent. That means that we're not given a verbal report. Consequently, a member of my staff has to write another letter and another letter. And then the constituent calls says that the complaint hasn't been addressed. I mean, we have 60-plus requests here. I just give up -- COMMISSIONER MOY: We are looking into 1345 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 it and we will give you a report on that within the week, Council President.
Will it be this week or next week or sometime next season? COMMISSIONER MOY: It should be the end of this week.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman DiCicco.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Good morning, Commissioner. COMMISSIONER MOY: Good morning, Councilman.
I just want to go back for a moment on the recycling issue. What I'm about to say are basically more comments than anything else. In the areas where there is not weekly recycling, it is my observation because my community, my neighborhood doesn't have it. We opted for the on-street cleaning in the southern end of my district. I notice that the majority of the people are not putting out recyclables at all. 1346 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 So that might be attributing to the decrease in the tonnage for some reason. I think basically people think that if there's not any enforcement going on or we don't continue with education, they kind of forget that they should be putting out recyclables. So I offer that to you as a comment. I think what we really need to do is really increase the educational sides of this. As an example, where I live there are six house, single-family houses, and six apartments and we all share common area for trash. And I observe the area where we have the recycling cans or containers, and the majority of the people in those 12 units do make an effort to put recyclables in the containers, but they often mix up things or put plastic bags, pizza boxes, and things that really shouldn't be in there. So it tells me that there are people who are concerned about recycling but really don't have a full understanding of the types of materials that should be placed in there. And I really think it just goes back to education. I know that from time to time materials are put out, but I don't think it is put out on a regular basis at least 1347 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 enough to get people into the habit of and the flow of doing weekly recycling, or even every other week recycling. So I really suggest to you that we make a concerted effort. I know we have some additional money you're looking for in education, but maybe we need to do a little bit more there. And again, I don't know of anyone in my community who has ever received a violation for not recycling. While I know that can be problematic for me going forward and I've got to be careful what I wish for, I think if we do the proper education, and I think you know about this from the on-street cleaning that we're doing, give everyone an opportunity the first few weeks of that program who are being ticketed some relaxation in the enforcement of that, but after that I say all bets off. You can't have it both ways. And although I still get complaints and people screaming at me that they're getting ticketed for not moving their cars on certain days, I don't care. I want to get the streets cleaned and I think that's what the majority of the people want. So I really would like to see some additional education and then follow-up 1348 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 enforcement. Maybe a warning has to be put out there that you haven't put out recyclables this week, you're mixing with regular trash, and if continues, then you're going to be cited. As District Councilperson, I would have no problem with that type of enforcement. The other thing I just wanted to touch on is that over the last four years since I've been a Councilperson, we've had many heated discussions in this chambers and on the phone and in your office about some of the problems that we have when we try to address the needs of constituents who request different types of traffic signals or signal devices at various intersections. And we generally get the typical generic letter saying, "Thank you for requesting" -- and I'm not going to beat a dead horse. We've had, like I said, some heated discussions in this chambers. What I think like to see as the Chair of the Streets and Services Committee going forward is your department meet with either me, the District Councilpeople, the people who are making these requests, and we know that there's State statutes prohibit signs at certain locations 1349 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 because they're not warranted.
I really think we ought to sit down together and figure a way and work together and figure out what we need to do about changing some of the that legislation so that you and Charlie and others don't have to hear from me and other Councilpeople screaming and yelling because constituents are yelling at us. There has to be a way in which we can begin to look at doing some amendments. " Because for me and there are other people in this chambers have been around here longer than I have been, they've been hearing it much longer than I have. And I think that that's what I'd like to see going forward and maybe you and I and Charlie or somebody can sit down in the next week or so and figure out a way in which we can start approaching this at the State level if that's where we need to go. So when you come into Council, at least every opportunity, every avenue, no pun intended, has 1350 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 been explored. " So I think that we ought to look to do that. The only other thing, I do want to comment and commend your department for, at least in my district, the way that the snow was removed in the last storm. I know that that got caught by surprise. And although everyone is not happy, we'll never make everyone happy, but I think it was a good job and for the most part people were very satisfied with the department's snow removal efforts. COMMISSIONER MOY: Thank you, Councilman.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Commissioner, I have three or four questions I'd like to ask, but I'm going start off 1351 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 with something that has been very, very controversial in the Northwest section of the City of Philadelphia. I just can't understand why there hasn't been any movement in reference to the repair of the Chestnut Hill Avenue Bridge that crosses over the Wissahickon Creek. I kind of lost track now how long it's been out of service one way. For years, Councilman Longstreth reminds me. That you were quoted or one of your staff was quoted that before -- after this work starts, we're looking at 33 months before this bridge is completed, so we're talking about a long time that that roadway has been out of service. Could you bring us up to speed? Because, again, you might have gotten copies of letters from the Chestnut Hill Community Association and other interested parties that just cannot believe it. And I don't mean to be cute here, and I said this before, I said the bridges in Kosovo have all been replaced; and this one hasn't. COMMISSIONER MOY: Yes, Councilman. The situation has been equally frustrating for the department and the residents here. We have been working for some time in trying to come up with a 1352 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 memorandum of agreement which is needed by the Federal Highway Administration before we can proceed the final design. We have been back and forth with the Federal Highway Administration, with PennDOT, and I think they in turn are dealing with the community in we're trying to come to accord. Before we can move into final design, we must get that memorandum of agreement signed.
Are you satisfied with the progress? I can't imagine that you being responsible for these streets and bridges that that's to me not a good answer. I'd like to know what we're doing. If we have to drag the Congress people into a room, United States Senators, but that bridge cannot be left in the condition it's inconveniencing the suburban community who wants to come into the City, people leaving the City of Philadelphia. It's starting to get deteriorated, dangerous, the detour, and I would like to ask the Managing Director or the Mayor personally to get involved in this issue because this is embarrassing to me as a City Councilmember. COMMISSIONER MOY: We do have our chief engineer and he's just going say thing about this 1353 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 to you.
Good morning, Councilman. My name's Joseph Syrnick, I'm Chief Engineer and Surveyor of the Streets Department. As you know, the Streets Department for about seven years has been trying to build this bridge. We've had it in Capital Program for many, many years with the capital project and on that operating project. Because there are federal funds we, need to satisfy some federal regulations regarding environmental and historic processes. In my view, there are some people in the neighborhood who prefer not to see this bridge replaced, and they have been actually very -- this is my view -- very effective in keeping us from doing that. To answer your question, what we need to do is to get all of the people who want to see that bridge replaced, that includes the Streets Department, it includes PennDOT, it includes the Federal Highway Administration, and I believe it now includes a lot of people outside the City in Lafayette Hill who are greatly inconvenienced. It certainly includes the Chestnut Hill College who 1354 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 have been suffering with this bridge being closed in one direction for at least five years. What we need to do is get all the other people who really want to see progress made on this bridge and put some pressure on the people to sign a memorandum of agreement, which I believe is very, very fair which takes into account the environmental and historic considerations of this structure. The City has made all sorts of compromises and been agreeable to putting in all sorts of language that has never been in a memorandum of understanding before. It is not -- I don't believe it is acceptable to some of the opposition parties. They want complete control over all the design details, which is not what we nor the Federal Highway Administration think they ought to have. They have a right to discuss the environmental and historic processes. We believe we're way beyond that and we're into things that are safety issues and we are unwilling to compromise any further as it is any other highway agency.
Mr. Syrnick, you just mentioned seven years the bridge has been out now, one lane for five years. I think at some 1355 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 point you're going to have to exercise whatever power government has to get project moving forward. I understand that there is -- you do have some ability to move this project forward. I don't think we can wait any longer to try to satisfy the needs of people that are not in agreement with your design because you just can't continue to leave this in this condition. I'm going to ask something of you. This bridge has been down now for years, traffic in one direction. It was initially shut because it was deemed unsafe. I would hope that there's ongoing inspections of this structure for the last five years so we don't have a bridge that collapses entering in the City of Philadelphia. Even though it's one way, I notice that a lot of heavy trucks are violating the posted weight restrictions on the bridge because they're coming from Montgomery County and they kind of get trapped once they get beyond Northwestern Avenue. So I would hope that ongoing review of the detour route, the detour route is full of potholes, the signage down. I have to constantly call about that. So I'm concerned about the last five years what's the 1356 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 further deterioration of that bridge because I'm thinking that someday you're just going to have to shut that whole bridge down and that would be a major disruption to the City of Philadelphia.
Councilman, I understand your remarks. Number one, we inspect the bridge every two weeks, we go out and physically look at it. You're quite right, th biggest problem right now with regard to that bridge is the waterway openings which are -- there's like eight spans, but only maybe three of them are in the waterway. When the snow melts and we have our spring floods, there's quite a bit of stress put onto that bridge with the water rushing through. It cannot get through the openings. We do check it every two weeks. You're right, at some point in the future it is very likely that this bridge will have to be closed in both directions. That would only add to the burden of this neighborhood. I think you're right, we need to get together and go to the Federal Highway Administration and just say to them that there is a provision that they can move this thing forward without a memorandum of understanding. In fact, former Mayor Rendell 1357 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 actually wrote to them and asked them to do that. The Federal Highway Administration thought that they could work out a compromise with the community. So far they have tried to do that, but they have been as unsuccessful as we have been. So if people want to get together -- we can't do this alone, we cannot do this alone. We need to get out there and make sure everyone knows that there are people out there that want this bridge replaced. We are working on the design every single day, but we technically cannot move into final design until we get pass this hurdle for the Section 106 process which is the provision under the Historic Preservation Act.
Thank you. Madam Chair, I have additional questions and I'd hike to yield to the District Councilperson Donna Miller, who has a question on this issue.
Certainly. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Miller.
Thank you, Madam President. 1358 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 Thank you, Councilman Rizzo. Good morning. Joe, I read last week in the Chestnut Hill Local that someone from the interested parties wrote that they're probably one meeting away from coming to that level of understanding that you're talking about. So one of the things we'd like to do is pull a meeting together again. You know, this problem met me when I came to City Council. You were the first department to come over and say, "Hey, this is what's going on." I was here two weeks. And now it's four years later and we're still talking about the problem. Councilman Rizzo lives in the area, so he's more directly affected. I'm affected if I go to the mall out that way or whatever. So we really want to bring a resolve to this so we can move forward with this particular bridge. And you have cooperated in the past and I would appreciate your full cooperation in the future.
Councilwoman, we're certainly willing to meet anytime, anywhere, with anybody to get this thing moving. And I would suggest as a suggestion if perhaps we get together 1359 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 with some of the District Councilpeople and Councilpeople-at-large that are interested in this project. And it's certainly you two and a couple of others, Councilman Longstreth has been involved in this to some extent, and maybe we could sit down and just review in-house where we are, what needs to be done, so that we all have a clear focus as to what we should be trying to get at this meeting and then have a meeting with the interested parties. And if that works, that would be wonderful. If we can get moving on this, I'll guarantee you that we will move this project to implementation just as fast as we can. We have a very attractive bridge design out there. This is a wonderful area. We think we can win an award with structure out there. Let's get together and do it.
How about if I just ask, if it's okay with the Chair, one more 1360 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 question.
One more question and then we're going to do a second go-around because everyone's light is on.
Okay. Commissioner, I would appreciate it -- and I think a policy issue more so than personnel issue. You have an organization in the Streets Department that's, I believe you call it your customer service or your customer -- help me with that. What's the exact? COMMISSIONER MOY: Customer service.
And it's open from 7 o'clock in the morning to 7 p.m. at night and they take calls from constituents for issues that affect the operation of your department. I think you need to -- if you're going to have a meeting about the bridge, I think really you need to have a meeting about what they're charged and what the responsibility of that group is, and I have some very specific notes and situations that have been reported to me and personally experienced where a fire hydrant was knocked down on the highway and the representative there was told and instructed by their supervision to tell the constituent 1361 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 calling giving them the phone number of the Water Department to report the hydrant that's knocked over in the street. In my opinion, if it's in the street, it's your responsibility to take the information and refer it to the Water Department. A person reports a pothole on a highway which they are not aware is a state highway or not. They call from their car, they're interested, want to help, and there's a free number star fixed if they call to report these problems to the Streets Department and they're told that here's the phone number for the State. You call the State. Well, 7 o'clock in the morning, 7 o'clock at night, seven, eight people, six people work there. I think that it would be more efficient, and I know you're interested in making sure that state highways within the City of Philadelphia are well maintained, I think you really need to develop a policy on what that organization does. Just this morning I heard of issue where the person called to report a pothole, a major hole in an intersection, and trying to be helpful said to the person that the gas company was digging in the street there two weeks ago. 1362 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 The representative immediately said to the person, "Well, you better call the gas company," immediately stopped the conversation. They were trying to be helpful telling the person the source of the problem was the gas company. You would think that they'd take the information and if it is the gas company's responsibility to make the repair, communicate with them. So this is just my observation. And again, I don't think it's the people that work there, I think the direction that they've been given isn't clear on exactly what their mission is there. COMMISSIONER MOY: Councilman, I don't think that is the policy, but we will review with our folks there their understandings. And the things that you described, I think we would set up for change. So I'm sorry that you experienced those kinds of things with the customer affairs group.
Thank you, Commissioner. I'll wait till the next go-around. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. As I said, we have just about every Councilmember 1363 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 that would like to ask questions, so with the next person we'll have five minutes. When the minutes is up, we'll have a second go around. At this point in time, the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brown.
Good morning, Commissioner. I have just two questions. On of your testimony you speak about maintenance for the Avenue of the Arts North. A, does that include Avenue of the Arts North and South? And, B, discuss or detail what that means, maintenance of the streetscape for those two sections of Broad Street. COMMISSIONER MOY: Well, the specific reference that we are looking at is referring primarily to the Avenue of the Arts South because that was completed. That was all of that work, the streetscape work that was performed, so we have a commitment that Mayor Rendell made to sort of pay for the funding for plannings and all of appurtenances down on the Avenue of the Arts 1364 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 South. There is a plan in terms of Avenue of the art North, however. We have been meeting with Councilman Clarke and a committee to develop what should be done on that whole section of streetscape work on Avenue of the Arts North, but this has not been worked out yet. We just met last week, as a matter of fact, with the committee.
When you say what should be done, that includes maintenance concerns, correct, with regards to the Avenue of the Arts North? COMMISSIONER MOY: Once we decide in terms of what we want to do fold in maintenance concerns also, yes.
Very well. Secondly, I join my colleagues who have expressed both an interest and a concern with regards to the recycling coordinator. In the early days of recycling, the City made terrific efforts in that area and I don't think went to lose any time with that, so let us know where you are with regards to the filling of that position, -100 of the budget says that you currently have a grant that 1365 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 pays for half the salary of the recycling coordinator, so give us some sense of where you are. And then the last part of my question is you mentioned throughout your testimony the need for education. Does that include tapping the generation behind us so that we can get them in the mind-set of recycling and what that means to our environment. And specifically I'm referring interaction, interfacing with the Philadelphia Public Schools in any way around the issue of recycling. COMMISSIONER MOY: Yes, Councilwoman. The first thing with respect to the hiring of the recycling coordinator, as Managing Director had said, he had requested of the Administration that they conduct the search in the same way as they are conducting a search for many of the filling the positions for the vacancies. The second thing with respect to education, the recycling coordinator we had just lost had in a point of fact been a teacher and Joan had spent a great deal of effort doing just what you were saying. They're trying to make that 1366 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 kind of connection with the schools trying to address recycling to the next generation and getting programs going within the schools. As we look to the next recycling coordinator we would try to at least continue that level of commitment in education.
Further detail. Within the schools, was that system-wide or was there a model program happening in one of the clusters? Or any additional details about that so that we know what we can anticipate with the next recycling coordinator as it relates to the schools. COMMISSIONER MOY: Steve Tilney, our acting recycling coordinator may be better to address the specifics of that.
Good morning, everyone. I just want to respond that we did have ongoing program throughout the School District. We've been in touch with the School Superintendent as well as all of the cluster leaders throughout the school and there's a program going on at the 1367 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 Overbrook Cluster which has been, for lack of better words, a model program that's been started within the last year and a half and one that will be ongoing as well as one that we'll be looking at as a model for future activities.
Some assessment on the activity currently in the Overbrook Cluster.
Well, we've done educational outreach in the Overbrook Cluster for school programs with the children. We've done composting bins and warm farming bins.
I'm sorry. We've done small composting bins and warm farming bins vermiculture at some of the schools and areas as well. We have six composting units out in the schools as well as six vermicuture composting bins in the schools, and we're trying to increase our educational average with the schools as well.
Okay. Then I'll be paying close attention to that once I begin to visit the schools, particularly Overbrook Cluster throughout the year. Thank you. 1368 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005
Thank you, Madam President. Commissioner, as you well know, we receive tons of information on recycling. There are a lot of advocates citywide who really are interested in expanding this program to more regular pickups in every neighborhoods. I wanted to specifically zero in on tires. Is it true that two tires may be put out by homeowners with their trash every week? COMMISSIONER MOY: That's correct, Councilwoman.
I'll tell you, I just learned that today. And do you make that information available so that if a person feels they can put two tires out it won't be there, that's not a special pickup truck or whatever, it's just with your regular trash? You can do that? COMMISSIONER MOY: It is a special pickup, Councilwoman, and what we asked them to do 1369 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 is to call customer service who will arrange to have that specially pickup in that case.
Because certainly, I think if the public knew this -- I just learned it this morning -- maybe we wouldn't have such a problem with them abandoning them in front of especially vacant buildings during the year. Do you think that we could get more -- I know when we have household hazardous waste at times they put out information on tires, but could we have more information available to the public about that? COMMISSIONER MOY: We will include that in our educational effort, yes, Councilwoman.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I was just getting an update on the latest in phone technology from Councilman DiCicco. Commissioner, can you get us a list of the commercial corridors on the street-cleaning schedule throughout the City? 1370 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 COMMISSIONER MOY: Yes, we can furnish that to you, Councilman.
And what the day of the particular cleaning is and the frequency? COMMISSIONER MOY: I'd be happy to do that.
And you may have by now answered some questions on recycling. If I missed the answer, you know, just tell me to move along to the next one. When you factor out commercial recycling, what is the recycling rate in the City, what's the household recycling rate? COMMISSIONER MOY: It's about 16 percent, Councilman. Just residential collection is 6.46, I'm told, Councilman.
6.46? COMMISSIONER MOY: That's the curbside collection, the diversion rate for us.
Well, when you say "curbside," that gives me the impression that there's some other system operating. You seem to be making distinction between curbside and something else. 1371 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 COMMISSIONER MOY: Well, there's commercial which is a substantial amount of diversion.
Was that the 6 percent rate? You were saying 16 percent earlier; 7 what's that rate about. 8
The 16 percent rate is 9 after you back out construction and demolition 10 debris from the commercial sector and add in the 11 materials like tires in the City of Philadelphia, 12 organic waste material, household hazardous waste 13 material. So if you're just looking at curbside 14 collecting percentage, you're looking at that 15 6.46. Add materials to it, you come up to 16 approximately 16 percent. And then when you add additional materials to it in the commercial sector is where bring it to a greater percentage. It depends on which numbers you're looking at for which materials that you're putting into the mix.
Can you give that to us through the Chair in a chart form and break out all of those? And then when you say that the residential recycling rate is 6.46 percent, what 1372 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 does that mean? Does that mean that only 6.46 percent of the households are recycling? Does that mean that 6.46 percent of everything you collect in the course of a week is recycled material? What does that number mean?
It is a confusing number. The 6.46 is the amount of material that's pulled from the waste stream over a year's worth of time and moved into a recycling marketplace. So if you looked at what --
If you set a hundred tons worth of trash in a year, for instance, just example, 6.4 percent or 6.46 tons worth of material would be the amount of material that was recycled just from the residential sector.
What does that number mean in the whole scheme of things? Is that a good number, a bad number, average for other major cities? I mean, relative to what?
Well, if we look at Philadelphia compared to the top cities in the 25 country, as reported in Weeks News report which 1373 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 was just recently done in February, Philadelphia ranked ninth of the major cities across the country in its success in the recycling program, and that was the numbers that were -- again, it depend on what numbers you look at, but that's the numbers that are used under the Environmental Protection Agency's comparison methodology.
Why don't you share that with us just for the record, though, who was first what was their rate?
Jacksonville was first with 52 percent, Chicago was second at 47 percent, San Jose was at 45, Los Angeles was at 44, Seattle was at 44, San Diego was at 42.3, San Francisco was at 40, and Philadelphia was at 35.2. Again, that includes commercial sector recycling in addition to the residential recycling.
Okay. Why don't you provide us with some information to explain that information and maybe you can give us your perspective on why we are where we are as compared so some other cities.
Councilman, we'll have to come back to you. Your time is up. 1374 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 The Chair recognizes Councilman Kenney.
Thank you. Commissioner, I'm going to move back a movement to some issues relative to streets, resurfacing and reconstruction and the use of outside contractors. I have received more than a small number of complaints about the interaction between residents and the workers and/or supervisors for outside contracting companies who are doing probably, I would think, almost a hundred percent of that kind of work in the City when comes to resurfacing or to a reconstructed street. For example, if an individual operating a backhoe drives up on someone's curb and cracks it, if the street is resurfaced in a way that has covered curb where it's created a gully in front of the house that collects water, individuals who approach the contractors or employees are often cursed at, treated rudely, told to mind their own business. And then when trying to get a contractor back after there's a pool of water in front of somebody's house for a year is almost virtually impossible is my experience. What 1375 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 requirement do we have in the bid specs or in our policy when it comes to dealing with the citizenry? Part of the problem in addition to the work perhaps not being done properly is that people believe -- have a hard time discriminating between the fact that these are really not even City employees, that these are employees working for private company that treating them rudely even to the point using foul language and telling them to go back in the house, lady, and mind your own business. What is our supervisor responsibility in that interaction? COMMISSIONER MOY: Councilman, on any of the projects with the contractors -- first of all, let me apologize for that unfortunate interchange there. But the contract should primarily be between the City representative on the site, and usually if we have a contractor there, there should be a City inspector on site.
Are they there every day? COMMISSIONER MOY: They're there every say. So if the citizen has a complaint, it 1376 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 probably makes a great deal more sense to try and deal with our inspector who then would have the -- basically has the paycheck there for that contractor and he would then have the ability to direct any repairs that should be made.
What kind of prior interface happens before a major project, either resurfacing or reconstruction? Do people go out and knock on doors, do they meet with the neighbor, do they meet with the committee person? What do they do? They just show up one day and start working? COMMISSIONER MOY: On City projects, I think we put door hangers out. I'm not certain that that is done on all of our contract work. On a major project, we do that. On a small street in South Philadelphia, though, I'm not sure that that kind of advance activity is done with the blocks.
Is there anything specifically in the bid requirements that indicate that there needs to be some give and take when it comes to complaints about damage that was done to existing sidewalks and those kinds of things? COMMISSIONER MOY: There must be a 1377 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 clause there that puts the responsibility on that contractor, and we as the city see to it that -- we must administer that and must see to it that the contractor responds. So that the agency that's responsible is the Department the Streets and then we have to get the contractor to make the repair.
Could I possibly get a copy of a typical street resurfacing reconstruction bid package to see whether or not there's anything in there that would require them to either place money aside or to provide some type of a process for people to complain about work that's being done? See, part of problem is if work not corrected while they're there or if the damage isn't corrected while they're there, once they're off the site it's almost you bang your head against the wall trying to get somebody out there to redo it, especially when comes to areas where the street's been resurfaced and perhaps should have been replaced but is being resurfaced and then you wind up with these little lakes in front of people's homes that drive them crazy and then 1378 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 they in turn drive us crazy by calling us every day. COMMISSIONER MOY: We'll certainly furnish you with not only the spec, but some kind of an explanation, a working explanation of how that works.
Secondly, since 1992 I've asked this question, and I'll ask it again. I ask it every year and I still don't -- maybe it's me, I don't know. What is the fee for a plumber or some other contractor to open the street? Is there a specific fee that they pay? (Witness comes forward.) COMMISSIONER MOY: Councilman, it's $300 for the permit fee to open, and that entitles them to a two square yard opening, and that's $70 additional for every square yard.
What happens to that money? Where does it go? COMMISSIONER MOY: It goes into the General Fund.
Why? COMMISSIONER MOY: Because that's the policy of the City to take all revenues of that 1379 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 sort and put it into the General Fund.
Is not that fee clearly for the opening and then a proper restoration of that particular ditch? I mean, to me, I thought we were required also under City charter and City policy to collect money to do specific chores. We, again, Council President mentioned it in her opening questions, we go around trying to get these potholes and ditches filled when the money was collected for the restoration of the street once the plumber did the work. And since I've been here, I've been asking this question: Why are we not in some way putting this money or at least earmarking it for the specific purpose that it was paid for, and that was the closure of the hole as opposed to waiting for six months to eight months to a year when the ditch now begins to sink, the rest of the street around it gets damaged, and we collected the money from ABC Plumbing Company when we gave them the permit to open the street. This is clearly identifiable money to fix this problem. COMMISSIONER MOY: Councilman, there's two issues, I think. One is the issue of the 1380 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 policy of the Finance Department and why funds aren't sent to a department. The other issue that really is, do we have the funds to repair the ditch. And I think in our budget we do. I think there's a question of your telling us if there is a problem with the timely repair or the proper repair of the ditches.
It would seem to me to be easier to reduce or waive the fee and require the contractor who's digging the hole to fix the street. I mean, it's -- you collect the $300, you collect the $70, whatever it is, per square foot, and then when guy leaves after he's ne the plumbing work or whatever work he was doing there, for six eight months that sits there and disintegrates and deteriorates to the point where we have to wind up spending more money to fix street. To me, it's a very clear connection. You pay the fee to get the street open and the purpose of the fee is to put the dirt and the tar back, but it takes six to eight months to do it and we spend more money, I would think, in the end. It's just a frustration that I've experienced since 1992, and I'm just raising it again just to 1381 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 make myself feel better, but I imagine I'll ask you the same question next year.
Mr. Dubow, do you want to respond to the Councilman's question?
I guess I'd give the same answer that Larry gave which is that I think the Department has been sufficient funding to close the ditches. So I don't think it's really a funding issue, I think we have a timing issue on why it's not done.
Why don't you hire a separate contractor to go fill the holes? It's just -- I don't think there's a person in this room that hasn't experienced this plumbing ditch problem in the middle of the street, in front of the houses. And if you have to take the money that you have that's adequately funding this program, allegedly, and hire a private contractor to do nothing but go around filling holes and then seaming back the macadam and getting the street back in shape. It's just -- to me, it's insanity. COMMISSIONER MOY: It may be helpful to just explain for a moment thre the generation of some of these ditches. Our goal is to get the 1382 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 zero backlog in terms of ditches. We can get there at the end of the season, that is, the construction season which may be around December. The problem is that during that period in the winter, we don't do permanent restoration of those ditches, so many of the ditches that we see now, for example, are temporarily restored. In the severe winter that we've had, we've had a number of them start to come undone. What we do is when we come out of the box in the next month here in March, we not only come on-line with heavy pothole repair efforts, but we also come on with the ditch repair efforts by the City forces.
I'm not going to beat you to death with this. I'm just saying the severe weather is I don't think is an issue. There is a plumber's ditch in the middle of Tasker Street at 12th and you could have sucked in a Volkswagen Beetle into it that got worse after the snow, but it was there for six to eight months before the snow. All I'm saying is, if we're collecting a fee to do something and we don't do it in a timely manner, we shouldn't be collecting the fee. 1383 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 COMMISSIONER MOY: I agree, Councilman.
I would think that the Streets Department has adequate funding to address problems like that, and I understand what you're saying, but it is also my understanding we do not dedicate revenues under the City Charter. So if in fact the Streets Department did not have ample funding, it behooves them to let us know that.
Or stop collecting the fee inappropriately. Because if you're what's collecting a fee to do a service and you're not doing the service, why is the sense of collecting fee? I mean, it just goes back into the General Fund and we can't even identify where it is we're spending the money. COMMISSIONER MOY: Councilman, we will work on that system in terms of getting more timely repair.
Thank you. Good morning. 1384 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 COMMISSIONER MOY: Good morning.
I was trying to think if I had any surfacing -- oh, one question on the resurfacing. Do you know next year where you're going to resurface streets throughout the City? COMMISSIONER MOY: I'm told we're developing that list, and we're about three weeks to four weeks away from having a reasonably firm list of streets.
Can you identify those streets by council districts? COMMISSIONER MOY: We can do that, yes, Councilwoman.
Could you let me know the streets that -- COMMISSIONER MOY: We certainly can.
-- in the Ninth District what you are going to do? COMMISSIONER MOY: Yes.
I appreciate that very much. Let me just go back to my favorite subject. Your department reported that you 1385 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 replaced 5,000 street lights in the last two years. Are they identified also by council districts? COMMISSIONER MOY: We could do that. I believe we replaced 5,000 in your district. Is that what --
Now, let me understand when you talk about street lighting. Is that just the bulb and not the entire pole? Because see, my thinking is that with a new pole, but what is your -- what were you replacing, the bulbs? COMMISSIONER MOY: That in general was the program that we were engaged in was an upgrading of obsolete lights in many cases where you had existing light poles. It was simply trying to get a more efficient bulb that spread more light, and we when went through the City and in the case of these 5,000, I believe that's the case where we've replaced a more efficient bulb.
Would they have been done in replacing commercial districts versus residential or main thoroughfares? COMMISSIONER MOY: Let me ask our chief 1386 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 lighting engineer to speak to the specifics of the program.
Good morning. My name is Joe Doyle, I'm the City's Chief Lighting Engineer. To answer your question, the replacement of the light fixtures throughout the City was an ongoing program that will total eventually about 75,000 lights. They were done progressively from approximately southwest to northeast throughout the City which was the original installation program many years ago. They were used in both commercial and residential areas, but those are the lights that were attached to PECO utility wood poles. Those were the lights that are essentially the residential areas right now, but there are some commercial corridors that continue to have them. So the 5,000 lights that were replaced in the 9th Councilmanic District were replaced in last couple of years as our sweep, so to speak, went through the entire northwest portion of the City and did all of those, but primarily on residential streets. And they were the replacement of the light fixture, the entire assembly that you will see up on the pole, not the 1387 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 pole. Those were utility poles that were already existing this before.
They are a better light, they a better distribution of light. The older fixtures tended to shine the light straight down, so you had a big bright spot under the old fixture and then very dark in between to the next fixture. So as looked down the street there were a whole series of bright spots, dark spots. The newer equipment more uniformly spreads the light out , fewer dark spots, fewer very bright spots so it appears be brighter and it is more uniform as a motorist or pedestrian walks down the street.
Could tell me how you determine where to replace the lights.
The program essentially was a one-for-one on existing locations. So if there was a street light on that wood pole, it was replaced.
Yes. That program, other 1388 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 lights have been replaced in various commercial corridors for different projects.
Specifically the residential neighborhoods were on wood poles and those were the light that were replaced.
I think we had this discussion before relative to lights in terms of the East Oak Lane portion of my district where there are a lot of trees and a lot of complaints about not adequate lighting.
Right. We have had contact with several neighborhood groups in that area to try to mitigate that problem. But you're right, the Northwest has a very preponderance of trees and that clearly has an impact on lighting. Trees are a wonderful thing to have on the street, but as their branches grow and their leaves come out in the summertime, they do obstruct the light coming from there. So we attempt to balance the reality that we all want trees, but we do try to trim them and cut back the branches to help the light spread better. However, trees grow very 1389 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 quickly and we would appreciate any ongoing list or locations that you might have. We went through a year or two ago, I think, and did quite a few tree trims up in that area. Please, if you have some specific locations, we'll look at them again.
Thank you. While you're here, is the alley lighting program completed?
I have one more question, then I'll be finished for the day. Let me just ask. When are the yellow flashing lights program going to start again? We're getting a lot of complaints about these lights not being placed around the schools. What's the status of that program? COMMISSIONER MOY: Councilwoman, we 1390 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 have laid out additional schools and we started construction on 15 of them presently. We could let you know which schools are on that list.
Would you please? 6 I appreciate that very much. 7 And just one other question, Madam 8 President. 9 Relative to the question of what 10 Councilman DiCicco talked about the State 11 regulating installing traffic lights or stop 12 signs. We've had this discussion, I think, ever 13 since I've been here. I know it's an issue for 14 the state, Pennsylvania League of Cities because 15 other counties are complaining about it. So I 16 hope we will moving aggressively. It may protect 17 you in that we might not have to install them if 18 use State law as an excuse not to install them, 19 but certainly I think we ought to find some way to 20 dress address that issue. Thank you very much.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Clark.
Thank you, Madam President. Good morning, Commissioner. 1391 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 COMMISSIONER MOY: Good morning.
Actually, I have three questions. I'm going to get them real quick within five-minute time. On the Hot In Place pilot program, resurfacing program, you indicate here in your testimony that it's apparently allowed us to surface more streets. My question is as it relates to the cost effectiveness of this program, I've actually seen this take place in the periods, it appears to be like ten machines, it's like a train, is that the one where you have the train in the street? It's like maybe eight, nine different vehicles and takes a substantial period of time to set it up, and I'm wondering is it more cost effective to do repaving in that way? Let me get to other questions. The other one is relatively quickly. Sanitation officers in the Streets Department, is there any coordination between the Streets Department sanitation officers and the Police Department sanitation officers? The last one is more specific to my neighborhood, Ridge and Sedgely, the former 1392 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 highway station, the building has been leveled and the parcel of land has been sitting there for sometime and I'm just trying to get a sense of what's going to happen to that parcel of land. COMMISSIONER MOY: With respect to Ridge and Sedgely, it was leveled and we had not come to an agreement on reuse at all there, Councilman. We can talk further about that. With respect to the HIP program, while there is a train that is extensive, as you say, I think the big -- it is more cost effective first of all. And I think the big cost savings is probably in that there is one operation, one long operation that is fast. It comes in on the same day instead of milling box preparation and then resurfacing, this comes in in one day. It recycles basically the same material in place and finishes usually less than a day.
On that program, are we limited to large streets, major thoroughfares, because of the inability to make the turns. COMMISSIONER MOY: Pretty much, yes. Because of the size of that train, yes, you are 1393 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 limited to that kind of street.
So we will still on the smaller streets continue the old process. Is there any thought into possibly coming up with an additional solution to change the smaller streets such as we're doing -- we did such a great job on the snow removal with the small vehicles. Are we looking at possibly looking at some alternative programs for smaller streets? COMMISSIONER MOY: Well, we were looking at other kinds of things that are called life extenders for asphalting, I mean, where we were trying to put in seals and in something called novachip and other kind of surface treatments that could help some of the smaller streets since the HIP program is just too large for those streets. But we are looking at other alternatives to kind stretch the dollar.
To extend the life of the streets. COMMISSIONER MOY: Yes. With respect to the street program, Deputy Commissioner Tolson might want to respond to that. 1394 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005
Good morning. My name is Clarena Tolson, Deputy Streets Commissioner. Councilman, sweep officers, as you know, cover mostly, in general, our commercial corridors, the pilot areas where we had the residential cleaning pilot going on as well as the recycling pilot. Areas outside of those boundaries are covered usually by sanitation police officers. But there's coordination between the two in terms of the calls come in, service requests come in of their policy issues. There's a dialogue between sweep where my office an police to ask for assistance when we're busily working.
Why is that separation? Why use police officers in residential areas and use the sweep program officers in commercial areas? Why wouldn't we just use the sweep officers throughout the City as opposed to using police? In some people's mind, we have a shortage of police to do police work. Do you have a since of that?
Well the sweep program as grown exponentially in the last few years. For a 1395 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 number of years, we had only had one class of sweep officers and they control generally the Center City area and some commercial corridors outside of Center City. It's only that in the last year that we've grown to include areas outside of those commercial corridors. And to do that, you hired additional sweep officers.
Excuse me,Miss Tolson, they can't hear you. Would you move the mike a little closer.
Surely. Because the sweep program has grown a great deal in the last year and a half, we've been able to do additional areas. Additional areas being the recycling pilot areas as well as the cleaning pilot areas as well as the commercial corridors which we already had and in addition to that the commercial recycling efforts that we make.
Could it be possible if can provide me with a breakdown, a cost associated with the sweep officer performing a service in a comparable area as a police sanitation officer so I can gauge what is the most cost-effective way of those people providing that 1396 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 service? I'm sure they essentially do some of the things --
Because I've had this thing about using police officers for, you know, sanitation police and writing up abandoned vehicles and I just don't think that's an appropriate use of a police officer. So if you can give me a sense of the cost associated with the sweep officer versus police officer, that would be very helpful to me.
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Miller.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Good morning again. COMMISSIONER MOY: Good morning, Councilwoman.
Commissioner Moy, a couple questions regarding the sweep officers 1397 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 and whatnot. I think there is a law now that says that businesses such as restaurants or coffee shops that sell disposable items have to a trash can in front of that business; is that true? I know I'm a lawmaker here, but I can't remember everything.
I did, I know I did. What's happening, though, with the enforcement? Because particularly when you go to Broad and Erie and Broad and Olney -- I was at Broad and Olney about two weeks ago just walking around, actually shopping in and out of the some of the stores. I could not believe how much trash, of course, is on the sidewalk. And I have sense enough to know that even though there's a receptacle doesn't mean people will use it. But if there's none there -- and I think right on the corner of Broad and Olney they have a Dunkin' Donuts, lots of stores and little restaurants, and also at Broad and Erie the same way. How does the Streets Department coordinate the receptacle issue 1398 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 along with SEPTA such as Broad and Olney, Broad and Erie and some of the other Broad Street stops on the subway that are also SEPTA bus stops? Is there any coordination at all in terms of receptacles between the Streets Department, the sweep officers? Do they ticket the business operators? Do they fine them? And what does the Streets Department or how does the Streets Department and SEPTA work together around the trash issue and receptacle issues at bus stops in particular?
Yes. City Council passed a fine bill with regard to litter baskets approximately a year ago. What we have done in the Department is to develop regulations that support the enforcement of that. And what we completed just in November was a lengthy revision of our sanitation regulations, regulations to support a law. Those were done in November, and we have just most recently completed a survey of the City to determine the locations where baskets are needed. We have over, I think, 11,000 locations that do not presently have baskets that we will be enforcing. We plan for warnings to 1399 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 begin in mid-April for litter cans, so that by the summertime we will have touched a great percentage of the cans that are missing, touched those businesses to let them know that they need to have one. Full enforcement will probably begin in June. When I say full enforcement, a ticket. Prior to that we will have communicated verbally with property owners that there's a need to have a can and we will give them warnings for over a period of time, and then tickets will begin. With regard to the SEPTA issue, this is one as a matter of policy for SEPTA that probably still needs to be addressed internally. Presently, SEPTA, I believe, places cans on platforms and there are a limited number of cans that are placed at some bus stops that have covers. As you know outside of, say, MSB, that type of glass-enclosed bus stop. I do not believe that at any other bus stop in total that SEPTA takes responsibility for providing a can or to help assure that riders have a place to place their trash after exiting a bus or before entering a bus.
Well, who would 1400 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 be responsible for the cleanliness of that bus stop. If it's a store, is it the store operator? If it's a home, is it a home operator? Because realistically they could get a ticket from Sweep, right.
It is a challenging issue. Right now we're in discussions with SEPTA with regard to 52nd street, 56th Street and 60th Street. I think there's a willingness for SEPTA to try to do a little bit more at the locations where the riders may be creating more trash than is fair for the adjacent property opener to be responsible.
Or is it the business operator? When I think about Broad and Erie, it's a large bus stop where lots of people stand catching two buses and consistently people are going there, and it would be -- I guess it would be a disservice to that business operator who also is a restaurant to get ticketed when Dunkin' Donuts who is across the street their cups 1401 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 end up on his sidewalk because people are standing there waiting for the XH or the H bus. Well, I'd be interested in knowing when starts to be enforced. I know you said June, but could just kind of let me know? Because we want to monitor some of these. I personally took about eight guys, eight men down to Broad and Erie one Sunday. I talked to Commissioner Moy, and it was terrible. We must have gotten about bags of 11 trash up. That's how bad it was at that location. 12 And Broad and Olney is not much better. 13 Okay, I have a couple more questions. 14 And this is mainly about trash pickup. We've had 15 some experiences out in our neighborhood and many 16 times we get calls from constituents that are not 17 able to get an appliance picked up in a timely 18 fashion; Three weeks, four weeks and more. And 19 all of these individuals, of course, have said 20 they have called. Many of them, we have called. What is the realistic time line in picking up a refrigerator and tires by your department and other appliances like washers, dryer, etc.?
The goal that we have, Councilwoman, is five days, five business days. 1402 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 What realistically happens, though, is quite different. And I say that is our goal because we want to place the pressure on ourselves to be fair to citizens to get materials up in a timely manner. However, because our resources are shared across the board with sanitation to provide all the services that we provide, in fact, there are some points during the year that we're not able to pick up bulk on a regular basis. Our laws have changed in recent years with regard to what we can put in the trash. We used to pick up refrigerators, tires, sofas, furniture all in the trash truck and they all went one way. Now we are no longer able to pick up tires with trash, we're no longer able to pick up materials that have refrigerants and put them in the trash. And we're quite happy to comply with those laws, but what it means is that it takes extra resources for us to do that. So what we do is we send out a separate complement of trucks to pick up what we call white goods, the refrigerators, the washers, the driers. And in fact, the system is further complicated because the people that take, say, a hot water heater do not take materials that have 1403 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 refrigerants. So that collection is even split. And we don't take tires with either of those things because the guy that takes tires, does not take the metal materials. So our system gets very complex, particularly during the leaf collection season and the Christmas tree season because the people that we normally have to pick up some of those other materials like tires and bulk are instead deployed to pick up Christmas trees and leaves. Usually the delay that we have in bulk collection during that time of the year, we try to jump right back on it as soon as the Christmas tree season is over. However, this year once Christmas tree season was over, we had snow which further thwarted the system. So this year has been very, very bad in terms of what we really get and how long some of the bulk has been sitting out there. We once had a period when bulk as a regular course may have been on the street probably three to four weeks on a normal basis. I think our time period now is probably closer to seven to ten days before it is collected. But as I said, our goal is to get it within five days. And some of it we do get much shorter than that; 1404 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 however, on average we have not met the number that we'd like to meet in terms of timeliness of our collection.
And you want people to call a few days in advance, the day before, the morning of?
What we need citizens to do is to call once they place material out on the street, because we do not have a system wherein we can tell you when the collection will be scheduled. So when the call comes into our customer service center, it's entered into the customer and it's dispatched to each of the collection areas based upon the appropriate responsibility for that group.
And the collection areas are based on your trash pickup day, your regular normal trash --
There's no relationship to trash day and bulk collection or tire collection day. And that is something that we've kind of 1405 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 tied to overcome in terms of -- that used to be the practice many years ago. You know, ten years ago, it was the people understood that you put your refrigerator out on trash day. Well, in fact in today's environment and with collection practices, there's no relationship to trash day and bulk or tire collection day. Bulk can go out on any day of the week, it can be called on any day of the week. We pick it up based upon how we batch the calls as they come in geographically. So though many people would want to call on trash day because that's what used to, that's what they grew up understanding, in reality there is no 15 relationship between bulk collection day and trash collection day in our present environment and within our present collection rules.
Okay. So people just have to call once they put their refrigerator whatnot out. And if in fact a month later it hasn't been collected, should they call you?
They should call if it hasn't been collected within five days.
Oh. You'll get a lot of calls. 1406 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005
Well, we're there to receive calls. In fact, we receive 151,000 calls a year. I think it's fair for citizens to expect that and to remind us if we've forgotten it, if we lost it, whatever the case may be and to expect that the service should occur. And sometimes we give an answer that may not be liked, such as, we don't have a truck out. And sometimes when we're honest, that gets us into trouble as well, but those are the facts in terms of what we're working with and how we're trying to manage all of the material that we have out there. But I think it's fair for citizens to call any number of times that they feel comfortable in calling in.
Thank you. I have more questions, but I'll wait for the second round. Or do I have time?
Thank you. We'll come back to you. Councilman Cohen? 1407 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005
Is there anything that prevents the replacement of no-truck-parking signs next to parks, say, on the side of park land?
Good morning, Councilman. Charlie Trainor, Chief Traffic Engineer. In answer to your question, 24-hour prohibition of truck parking would require a specific Council ordinance. We do have the authority to post no-truck-parking 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. if there is a residential property within 100 feet of where we're talking about. That would only take a letter from either a resident of the street or from an elected official.
But to ban it 20 hours a day would require an ordinance by the 21 City? 22
And that would be 24 followed by the Streets Department?
We would post the signs 1408 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 on a trial basis AND then prepare the ordinance, yes.
And that no-truck ban would apply to the trailers and tractors?
Currently, trailers, if they are parked on the street more than hours 8 without a tractor attached to it is considered an 9 abandoned vehicle under the State vehicle Code. 10 They are not a vehicle unless a there is a tractor 11 attached to it, but it would include the tractor. 12
Thank you very much. 13 Let me go back to a favorite subject of 14 mine which involves driveways and retaining walls. 15 What's the situation with respect to the 16 availability of contractors? 17 COMMISSIONER MOY: Usually if we have 18 driveways or alleys or retaining walls that are 19 declared hazardous and if that's what you're 20 talking about, I guess where the residents have 21 gotten together and asked the City to go so far as 22 to go into a contract, we have not been able to 23 get contractors to bid and assume the bills, 24 assessment bills, as payment for the work done.
Has the City come up 1409 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 with an alternative proposal? COMMISSIONER MOY: No, but I believe that Councilman Nutter has introduced a resolution 5 that is addressing many of the questions that I'm sure all of us have about what can be done in terms of retaining walls particularly. And we had agreed, I think our department had agreed we would furnish a great deal of information and have an exchange at that time on that resolution. We're doing research right now, as a matter of fact, on trying to get a handle on the number of driveways, the number of retaining walls an so on.
Well, isn't the research really more important, not with respect to the number because there are many, many everywhere in the city, isn't the research needed on how we're going to deal with the problem? COMMISSIONER MOY: I think both answers are necessary. I think that the funding -- there's the issue of the technical piece of how many are there and whether we have to deal with, but in addition to that there is the policy issues of that Finance and the Law Department would have to engage in in terms of various alternative 1410 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 funding options.
Have you ever considered a funding option which would retain the responsibility of the homeowner to pay his or her proportionate share but to back up the contractor with respect to those people who don't pay? COMMISSIONER MOY: The primary problem with that is a budgetary one. Our budget at the present time doesn't provide that kind of funding for the department to advance the money and then have the City try and collect the bills.
Well, has there ever been a study made as to how much that would involve as to what percentage of people don't pay? COMMISSIONER MOY: I don't think there is an official study. I think what you would find is that in different parts of City, it probably would vary. Certainly, where you're in the Center City if you had any kind of situations that required assessment where there was high real estate value, you would probably get a higher compliance rate than you would in some other parts of City where you may have abandoned houses, where you may have absentee landlords and so on. So 1411 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 there's not a specific study that I know of that's been done, though, Councilman.
Is there one being done now? COMMISSIONER MOY: Not on that specific subject. There is data that's being gathered to discuss at the hearing.
The reason I raise it is I don't think there's a lack of data; I think there's a lack of will. Because the cost -- about two-thirds or more of the people on average pay, they meet their responsibilities. A smaller percentage, and it varies, I agree with you, in different parts of City, don't pay. But it seems to me that the cost would not be very high and we could certainly have tried in all of these years while these retaining walls have been increasingly crumbling and creating much more serious problems and the center areas of the driveways have been deteriorating, seems to me we could at least developed a pilot program so that the contractor who is in no position usually to absorb that financial problem that we can develop some kind of a program with contractors to help share the 1412 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 burden. Doesn't the City, when the City performs work on a house on an emergency basis where there's safety involved, doesn't the City have a system for collecting money and forcing judgments against homeowners who don't pay for the work that is necessary? COMMISSIONER MOY: I'm not that familiar with that. I guess that's L&I's area, and I'm not familiar with their specific mechanics, Councilman. But I think this is a legitimate question for the Administration to address, and I think it will be covered at Councilman Nutter's hearing.
Well, Councilman Nutter introduced a bill last year and it passed. Council passed a bill requiring the correction of retaining walls on a specific property. Was anything done by the Streets Department with respect to that Council action? COMMISSIONER MOY: No. I think without the funding, Councilman, we are unable to advance any kind of a program.
Well, it wouldn't take a whole lot of funding would it, to do one 1413 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 single property? COMMISSIONER MOY: I think once we start down that slope, I think it can become a very slippery slope in terms of the precedent. I think we do have to know sort of the universe we're dealing with, and I think that's why we're trying to get that information and make it available and we would share it with Council here as to how many driveways there are, how many alleys, how many retaining walls.
Well, there are thousands of them. COMMISSIONER MOY: Yes, there are. We're talking about hundreds of millions of dollars.
Nobody needs to do research. It's all over the City, and those that are barely decent now are going to, in the next couple of years, deteriorate. The infrastructure wherever there are common driveways and or retaining walls. Sometimes it's both, sometimes it's only one in an area that needs attention. They're just going to continue to get worse. The values, the property values of the homeowners are 1414 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 deteriorating badly. People have told me and we get calls in the office that people can't get anybody interested in buying their home because of the condition. And in addition, when you have broken up center area driveways, they just become a repository for all kinds of abandoned cars and trash because they're no longer able to be used as driveways, and the same thing applies if the retaining walls are deteriorated. And this is not a new situation. Could you tell me, sir, the last time the City approved and proceeded to have center driveways or retaining walls fixed by a contractor? When was the last time the City advertised? And secondly, when was the last time the City got a contractor? COMMISSIONER MOY: The last time the City got a contractor, I believe, was in a curb and sidewalk project in the Northeast.
I'm not talking about curb sidewalks. COMMISSIONER MOY: But that was the last time we had an assessment contract where the contractor accepted bills, which in that case he 1415 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 knew he would be paid for because there was commercial development alongside. But before that, it's many years since we have advertised and actually had bids taken with a contractor for that kind of repair, Councilman.
Because I think this may very well be very heavy legal liability that threatens the City in these cases because the City has been participating in permitting the values of homes to go way down, and I think the City has a responsibility. The City is certainly responsible for permitting dangerous conditions to continue and always the fining of the Streets Department inspection group doing their job, they never approved anything unless it was dangerous, and suddenly there's a halt. I think it's a good ten years, maybe longer, since the City has ever approved. Whenever the City representatives come out, they seek to discourage the people because I guess of the difficulty of getting contractors and in the few cases the people have themselves managed to put it together, but it's very, very difficult to do that. It would seem to me the City is derelict in its duty and I'd like to urge 1416 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 prompt attention on this. How soon do you expect that material will be ready for this hearing? COMMISSIONER MOY: I believe we indicated about 45 days or so we will be submitting it.
Or thereabouts. Well, the City would condemn them in the --
(Inaudible, off mike.) COMMISSIONER MOY: Well, I think the Health Department in point of fact does the actual condemnations of health hazards there with our technical advice.
All right. And that material will be presented at the hearing also when we have a hearing on the resolution that you referred to that was introduced by Councilman Nutter? I'm very much involved with Councilman Nutter in that study because I had to ask him to amend a resolution that he had introduced on a 1417 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 general subject and he recommend instead a separate consideration of a resolution and, in fact, it's a joint resolution by Councilman Nutter and myself because I've just felt the City is very derelict in its duties but nothing seems to have helped. To go on another thing, I've been raising for years. Councilman Kenney reminded me when he said he had raised a favorite subject of his since 1992. Mine might have even been raised before, and that's the absence the street signs all over the City. And we get constant complaints, and I have personal complaints as a Councilman-at-Large going all over the City. I sometimes go to areas where I haven't been in two or three years and if I can't find my way and have somebody with me, we often don't know where we are because there are no street signs. And I've always gotten some kind of promises, but there's never been in any action. Is there any program? Do we know what street signs are missing in the City? COMMISSIONER MOY: The answer is yes and no. I think that there is a program that we 1418 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 have with respect to street designation signs. We have a regular preventive maintenance inspection program where folks will travel different parts of City and check out specific traffic sign omissions and other problems there and report them back into work orders. Having said that, the funding for street designation sign materials is limited in our budget. We have not -- this had been funded out of the Capital this year.
I didn't get that last statement. COMMISSIONER MOY: This had been funded out of Capital.
You say it is funded? COMMISSIONER MOY: There's a small amount of money that grew smaller this year in terms of the funding for street designation signs.
And that's Capital? COMMISSIONER MOY: The material acquisition was funded out of Capital, that's correct.
Wouldn't that be 1419 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 Maintenance and Repair? COMMISSIONER MOY: The people that repair it are paid out of Operating. But in any event, we have the program in place and if you can help us or someone can help us with specific signs that are omitted from locations, we can go out and --
There's no way of doing it. There are thousands of streets that don't have signs. Isn't that the function of the Streets Department, to be responsible for having street signs designated? COMMISSIONER MOY: That's correct. And I had the impression that for the most part that our folks have gone through and they did have signs, but if you have a specific area, we'll go back over that and look much more closely. And if in the Northeast, if you could define a part of the northeast, we will certainly go over that portion.
I find it in almost every part of the City, South Philadelphia, North Philadelphia, Northwest, Southeast, every area of the City has many, many blocks with no street 1420 2/22/00, Operating Budget, Bill 000005 designation signs at all. COMMISSIONER MOY: We will --