Aye. The ayes are 16; the nays are one. A two-thirds majority of all members of Council having voted in the affirmative, the resolution is adopted. The Chief Clerk will please read the title of Bill No. 080169.
An ordinance providing for the submission to the qualified electors of the City of Philadelphia of a proposal set forth in a resolution approved by Council proposing an amendment of the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter relating to the transfer of the powers and duties of the Fairmount Park Commission to the Department of Recreation.
This 6/19/08 - STATED - 2ND READING bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. The Chief Clerk will please call the roll.
Aye. The ayes are 16; the nays are one. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. We will now consider Bill No. 080496.
An ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property, on behalf of the City, to acquire from the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority the properties known as 917, 919, 923, 925, 927, 929 and 931 South 22nd Street.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. The Chief Clerk will please call the roll.
Aye. The ayes are 17; the nays are zero. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. 6/19/08 - STATED - 2ND READING We will now consider Bill No. 080466.
An ordinance amending Chapter 11-600 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Construction, Encroachments and Projections Over, On and Under Streets," all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. The Chief Clerk will please call the roll.
Aye. The ayes are 17; the nays are zero. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, this bill passes. We will now consider Bill No. 080523.
An ordinance amending Chapter 10-700 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Refuse and Littering," by making certain technical changes, all under certain terms and conditions. 6/19/08 - STATED - 2ND READING
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. The Chief Clerk will please call the roll.
Aye. The ayes are 17; the nays are zero. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. The Chair now recognizes Councilwoman Tasco for a motion on Resolution No. 080552.
Madam President, I offer an amendment on Resolution No. 080552.
I move for the adoption of the amendment. (Duly seconded.)
It 6/19/08 - STATED - 2ND READING has been moved and seconded that the amendment circulated by Councilwoman Tasco on this resolution be adopted. All in favor will say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and the amendments are adopted. The Chair again recognizes Councilwoman Tasco.
Madam President, I move for the adoption of the resolution, as amended. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and seconded that the resolution, as amended, be adopted. All in favor will please indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. That completes our Calendar for today. We will now have a special resolution honoring the life of Anne d'Harnoncourt. The Chair requests that Councilwoman Tasco come to the podium with -- is Mr. Rishel here, please? Please join the Councilwoman at the podium. And may I suggest whoever is with you, please join. The Chair also requests that all members participate. Everyone should have a copy of the resolution on their desk. Would everyone be so kind and rise and read their portion from their desk. There is no need to come up. Once you know your turn is up, you can then stand and read your portion. Thank you. The Chair recognizes
Thank you, Madam President. It is with heavy heart and sadness that this Council presents this resolution honoring the life of Anne d'Harnoncourt. Whereas, the Council of the City of Philadelphia is pleased and proud to honor the life of the noted civic leader, cultural advocate and Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Anne d'Harnoncourt; and
Whereas, as a national and international leader in the arts, Anne d'Harnoncourt was known for her steadfast devotion to the advancement, enjoyment and educational impact of art and culture throughout the City of Philadelphia, the region, the United States and the world;
And whereas, born on September 7, 1943 in Washington, DC and raised in Manhattan by father, Rene d'Harnoncourt, who was a painter and Director of the Museum of Modern Art for 20 years, and her mother, Sarah Carr d'Harnoncourt, Anne d'Harnoncourt attended the Brearley School and Radcliffe College, where she majored in European and British history and literature and graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, and attended London University's Courtauld Institute of Art, earning a Master's degree; and
Whereas, Anne d'Harnoncourt began her career at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1967 as a Curatorial Assistant in the Department of Painting and Sculpture, and became the Assistant Curator of 20th Century Art at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1969, where she met her future husband, Joseph J. Rishel; and
And whereas, in 1972, Anne d'Harnoncourt returned to Philadelphia as the Art Museum's Associate Curator of 20th Art, and as curator, organized and co-organized numerous groundbreaking exhibitions, including Marcel Duchamp in 1973, Violet Oakley in 1979 and Futurism and the International Avant-garde in 1980, and as a scholar, advanced an understanding and appreciation of art and artists through museum catalogues and publications; and
Whereas, Anne d'Harnoncourt became the Art Museum's Director in 1982, and through the strength of her leadership and belief in the power of art to provide meaningful experiences and enhance the lives of our citizens and our visitors from near and far, she vastly expanded the Museum's service to the public through a revitalization of numerous galleries that are dedicated to displaying the City's great art treasures; and
Whereas, Anne d'Harnoncourt was responsible for numerous memorable exhibitions that of world-renowned artists like Marcel Duchamp, Paul Cezanne, Vincent Van Gogh, Henry Ossawa, Thomas Eakins, Salvador Dali, Auguste Renoir and Frida Kahlo, but also assured that the Museum expanded our horizons of imagination with exhibitions dedicated to artists who might have been less well known, like Antonio Mancini or Beauford Delaney, and also brought us exhibitions that expanded our understanding and love of world cultures, like African Art/African Voices, Ike Taiga and Tokuyama Gyokuran, and Tesoros: The Arts in Latin America; and
Whereas, in 1996, Anne d'Harnoncourt launched Philadelphia's concept of cultural tourism with the spectacular Cezanne exhibit that brought unprecedented numbers of visitors to the Art Museum, both from within the region and around the globe, so that today the Art Museum generates substantial economic impact on ranging from $210 million to $235 million every year; and
Whereas, Anne d'Harnoncourt dedicated herself to the power of education to change lives and has built education programs at the Museum and serviced 85,000 school children in classroom visits, served a total of 200,000 children, teens, college students, adults and seniors annually, provided free after-school artists-in-residence, and K through 12 programs free for the Philadelphia public schools, and has built distance learning and web-based resources for teachers through the new Education Resource Center; and
Whereas, Anne d'Harnoncourt collaborated and partnered with the great diversity of cultural organizations across the region, including, but not limited to, the Free Library of Philadelphia, Taller Puertorriqueno, the Police Athletic League, the City of Philadelphia, Department of Recreation, the Mural Arts Program, the Curtis Institute of Music, Congreso de Latinos Unidos, the Mexican Cultural Center, the Council of Spanish Speaking Organizations, African-American Museum of Philadelphia, the Lighthouse, Multi-Cultural Affairs Congress, AFRICOM, La Casa Latina of the University of Pennsylvania, and the Intercultural Center of Swarthmore College, among many others; and
Whereas, Anne d'Harnoncourt made the Museum accessible to everyone, including people living with disabilities, with Pay-What-You-Wish Admission on Sundays, discounts every day for students and seniors, free admission for children who are 12 and younger, and free passes to the Museum distributed through the Free Library's Summer Reading Program; and COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Whereas, Anne d'Harnoncourt raised the profile of nationally and internationally, and the Museum is now considered one of America's top 25 favorite buildings. She dynamically enhanced the physical presence of the Art Museum through the addition of the Ruth and Raymond G. Perelman Building, which opened in 2007 and provides state-of-the-art spaces for the enjoyment and study of prints, drawings, photographs, costumes, textiles, modern and contemporary design, the Museum's library and archives, and new education resources; and
Whereas, Anne d'Harnoncourt led the charge and partnered with the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts to raise funds to keep Thomas Eakins' masterpiece The Gross Clinic in Philadelphia; and
Whereas, Anne d'Harnoncourt has led the renovation of the Museum's beloved 80-year-old landmark building, with a Master Plan and renovation of galleries being designed by the world-renowned architect Frank Gehry;
Whereas, Anne d'Harnoncourt is the recipient of some of the world's most prestigious awards, including the Philadelphia Award, 1997; the Founders Award for Exemplary Service to History of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 2001; the Order of Art and Letters of the Republic of France, 2002; the Honorary Doctorate of Law of Princeton University, 2002; and the Order of the Aztec Eagle, of the Republic of Mexico, 2007; and she served on numerous boards of directors, including the Board of Regions of the Smithsonian Institution, the Board of Trustees of the Georgia O'Keefe Foundation, the Board of Directors of the Henry Luce Foundation, the Board of Trustees of the Fabric Workshop and Museum, the Board of Trustees of the Fairmount Park Art Association, the Board the Japan Society, the Board of Directors of the John Cage Trust, the Board of Directors of ARTstor and International Advisory Committee of the State Hermitage Museum, and has been an active member of the Association of Art Museum Directors and the American Philosophical Society and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, among many other institution affiliations and involvements around the world;
Whereas, Anne dedicated herself equally to every visitor who came to the Art Museum and nurtured a world-class devoted Museum staff, and lived in Philadelphia as a resident of the Fitler Square section of the City. She is survived by her husband, Joseph;
Therefore, be it resolved, by the Council of the City of Philadelphia, that we hereby honor the life of noted civic leader, cultural advocate and Art, Anne d'Harnoncourt. Further resolved, that an engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to her beloved husband, Mr. Joseph Rishel, as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body. And that was introduced by every member of City Council. (Applause.) (Standing ovation.)
The Chair would like to recognize Mr. Rishel for remarks. And in our company is Mayor Nutter, who wanted to be here for this very special ceremony. So, Mr. Mayor, I know that we're going to have a reception in your office later, but would you care to join Mr. Rishel.
Words fail me a lately, as you can easily imagine, but I personally am very touched, and I stand for my wonderful smattering of colleagues to be here to witness this very distinguished event. Tremendously thoughtful. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Councilwoman, for making this possible. I, of course, biasly think it's very apt and you really did wonderfully on this statement, covered many, many of Anne's great virtues. I can tell you, she spent a fair amount of time in this room, and she liked you guys. I know that for a fact. She liked it. If I could say one thing just to underscore what has been said so eloquently in your testimony and quite marvelously all of your reading across the board, it really is consensus. all lose track of people who are public people like Anne, as sophisticated as she was and as really quite naturally simple as she was. She was a very good citizen. She really from her girlhood believed in political engagement. She supported things. She was active. She truly looked forward to coming here, working with you. And as all of you are more aware that -- I've certainly been there on the sidelines watching -- the remarkable advances that we have made in working, especially Anne and Gerry and Gail and all of the people on this stage, working in harmony with you to improve the arts in Philadelphia, to improve the sort of depth of culture in this remarkable city. And it can only get better, and it gets better because everyone is out as a player in that, in what is essentially -- I must say, I quite loved sitting here watching you resolve all of your business this afternoon, No. 428, bang, bang, bang, because you're all in there playing the game together, and that's the only way it's ever going to work. And just let me say thank you so much, heartfelt. I speak for all of my colleagues, and citizenship is at the top of the deck. Thank you. (Applause.)
Mr. Mayor, City Council President Verna and all members of the Council, I really never listened to anything more moving than your tribute to Anne d'Harnoncourt. It's very deeply appreciated, as you recited her accomplishments. But we all loved her at the Museum. She was our leader. She was a great inspiration to all of us. The Museum will continue. It's a credit to this great City of Philadelphia that you have also one of the greatest museums in the world. With your support, it will continue. to, again, express my appreciation to all of you for that wonderful tribute. The Museum will continue, but it will never be the same. (Applause.)
And on behalf of the entire Museum staff and our extended family, I want to thank you again for this spectacular tribute. I think Joe and Gerry have said it all. I would just add that this resolution is especially meaningful as a tribute to Anne's faith and the power of art and the Museum to make Philadelphia and beyond a better place to live and work. As Director of the Museum, Anne's goal was always to serve the public and to connect people, especially school children and young people, with art. As your resolution makes very, very clear, she was dedicated to making possible the experiences of enjoyment, inspiration and learning that can happen every day at the Museum and throughout believed that the greatest achievement of any museum was its positive impact on the lives of the people of this city and region. The signatures of every member of City Council on this resolution is such a great demonstration of Anne's success in leading our Museum to achieve that sort of positive impact throughout our City and the surrounding counties. We know that Anne would want to thank each and every one of you, many who she's known from the very beginning. I'm looking at Marian Tasco, who worked with her at the Museum as a registrar in the Museum, and even the newest members of City Council. I remember just weeks ago at our budget hearings giving the three new members, newest members, an A plus for their work. So she had individual relationships with each and every one of you, and it's a fitting honor that we're here today to hear this resolution and to honor this for Anne. You should know that all of the Museum and all of the galleries are open to the public free all day. There's a spectacular audio tour of her favorite objects in the collection, and this evening at 6 o'clock we hope that you and all of your friends will join the City, all the citizens who are -- will join at 6 o'clock on the East Terrace to celebrate Anne's extraordinary life. Thank you very much for this great resolution. (Applause.)
Is anyone else to be recognized? If not, Council will be at ease. Mr. Mayor, I know we're having a reception downstairs. I thought you wanted to save your words for then.
Madam President, thank you very much, Majority Leader Tasco, all members of Council, Gail and Gerry and, of course, Joe and this had not planned to plan to speak, but the only thing I'll say here is that it's really great that City Council has taken this action here during its session. There is a reception to follow and, as Gail mentioned, later on today. The one thing that has occurred to me since this tragedy, all of us feel a sense of loss, and I've certainly been saddened, had an opportunity to work with Anne, but I have to say that it's been her husband, Joe's, attitude and public and I'm sure private persona that he has, I think, kept what could be one of the saddest moments in our city from being just a sad moment. I don't know how you do it, but you just have a certain way about you, and it's tremendously uplifting, about Anne. And so I think it's a bit of a model for how the rest of the day will occur, and I wanted to commend you, sir, in public. I really admire how you've So with that, God bless you and I'll see you later. Thank you. (Applause.)
We will continue our conversations down in Conversation Hall very shortly at the reception. We have concluded our Calendar. Are there speeches on the part of the minority? The Chair recognizes Councilman Rizzo.
Thank you, Madam President. Today City Council passed legislation that will put the merger of the Fairmount Park Commission and the Recreation Department on the ballot for voters' approval next fall. I expect that it will pass. prospect of increasing funding, the measure provides for a selection process for the Commission on Parks and Recreation that increases transparency and accountability. We nominate and the Mayor appoints. Fairmount Park is a 141-year-old treasure. It was long and well protected by many dedicated, generous and farsighted volunteers who served untold hours on the Fairmount Park Commission. I thank them all. And now it is incumbent upon us as Councilmembers to make sure that the nominees that we send to the Mayor are the best we can find to protect the interest of our citizens and preserving, maintaining and improving Fairmount Park for generations to come. Thank you.
You're welcome. Are there speeches on the part majority? The Chair recognizes Councilman Jones.
At the conclusion of this part of the Council calendar year, a lot has gone by and I've learned a lot of things, and this week was no exception. As we recognize people who have passed, I'd like to bring this Council, this body's, attention to one titan who passed this week, who was Sam Evans, who was a centurion, a 105-year-old, still sharp titan in Philadelphia politics, and his presence will be missed by the people who he helped to become honorable elected officials, to the people who he helped to get through law school or obtain their doctors degree. He will be missed by all of Philadelphia, and at some point at an appropriate time, Madam President, we would like to honor him and his contribution to Philadelphia at large. Thank you.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco.
Thank you, Madam President. I concur with the comments of my colleague, Councilman Jones. Mr. Evans will be missed. I'd just like to say to my colleagues, have a safe and healthy and enjoyable break. Thank you.
Thank you. Also, I would like to remind my colleagues regarding the reception for Anne immediately following our Council session in Conversation Hall. So if we can go directly there, I think it would be very appropriate. I, too, would like to thank my colleagues, as I said, for working so diligently on particularly the budget, and I think we've accomplished a great session, and I want to thank you all. And I, again, want to wish you all a very healthy and safe summer. I know I'll still see quite a bit of you, but I do hope you enjoy the break. At this time, the Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke.
Thank you, Madam President. Madam President, before I move for the adjournment, I just want to say that I would like to thank the members of this Council and actually members of the prior session of Council, because this is how long this particular issue has been on the table, for their support today and throughout the many, many, many, many public hearings and public discussion we had on the Fairmount Park and the Department of Recreation merger. I just want to say I want to thank you all for your support. We all look forward to working together in ensuring that at the end of day, as Councilman Rizzo indicated, making sure that we do the appropriate thing as it relates to the very transparent nomination process and also ensuring that we make sure that there are the appropriate resources on the table. And, lastly -- and I can say this personally -- I just want to say that my good friend and colleague, Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, has been a true, true colleague in every sense of the word. During the course of this debate, we took turns in playing good cop/bad cop, and I would like to say that it has fortunately finally reached its fruition, and I just want to say, Blondie, thank you. It was a pleasure working with you on this issue. I understand you have one maybe equally as controversial coming up, and you can count me in on that. So I just want to thank all of my colleagues for their continued support. that, Madam President, I enthusiastically move that Council stand adjourned until September the 18th, 2008, 10:00 a.m. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and seconded that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, September 18th. All in favor say aye. (Aye.)