COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE- PUBLIC HEARING AND MEETING - - - Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Wednesday, 12/6/00 10:45 a.m. - - - BILL 000342 - Re Pub. Employees Retirement Code. RES. 000420 - Continued to call of Chair. RES. 000594 - Re ballot question re issuance of licenses to conduct small games of chance. (Full text of above contained herein.) BILL 000705, 706, 726, 727, 728, 721, 722, 723, 724, 725, 729, 730, 731, 732, and 733 - Re new stadiums - recessed until 12/7/00, 9 a.m. PRESENT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT ANNA C. VERNA, Chair COUNCILWOMAN JANNIE BLACKWELL, Vice Chair 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 COUNCILMAN RICHARD T. MARIANO COUNCILWOMAN DONNA REED MILLER COUNCILMAN MICHAEL A. NUTTER COUNCILMAN FRANK RIZZO - - - VINCENT VARALLO ASSOCIATES, INC. Registered Professional Reporters Eleven Penn Center, Suite 600 Philadelphia, PA 19103 (215) 561-2220 2 12/6/2000 - COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE I N D E X Page Bill 000342 J. Herkness, Board of Pensions and Retirement 4 E. Meyers, Esq., Law Department, Board Member 13 Res. 000594 Joyce Berardi, Treasurer, School Mothers Club 17 Casper Baratta, St. John the Baptist Church 19 Father J. Okonski, Blessed Virgin Mary Parish 21 Father Paul Castellani, Ascension Parish 23 Regina Tanghei, Vice Principal, St. Anne's 26 Father Charles Sullivan, St. Bernard's Church 29 Father Jack Ferrey, St. Leo's Church 31 Christine McMenamin, St. Barnabus Parish 33 3 12/6/00 - WHOLE - BILL 342 P R O C E E D I N G S
Good morning, everyone. Thank you for your patience, sorry for getting started so late, but this is a public hearing regarding Bill No. 342. Also a continued public hearing regarding Bill No.'s 705, 706, 726, 727, 728, 721, 722, 723, 724, 725, 729, 730, 731, 732, and 733. And Resolution No. 594. Would Mr. McPherson please read the title of Bill No. Number 342.
Bill No. 342, an ordinance amending Title of the Philadelphia 14 Code, entitled "Public Employees Retirement Code," 15 by making certain corrections to address problems 16 in the code due to typographical errors, 17 oversights, or inconsistencies by clarifying the 18 definitions of various plans addressing various 19 issues raised by the new Five-Year Vesting 20 Program, refining the DROP Program, and correcting 21 inconsistencies with respect to refunds and 22 purchases of certain types of service credit, all under certain terms and conditions.
Do we have a representative here from the Pension Board? 4 12/6/00 - WHOLE - BILL 342 Please approach the table. (Witnesses come forward.)
Kindly identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Good morning, Madam President, and thank. My name is Joe Herkness, and I'm the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Board of Pensions and Retirement. And appearing along with me is Evan Meyer, who is former counsel to the Board and a Trustee Designee of the City Solicitor's Office. Mr. Meyer will have some additional amendments to be offered after my testimony. This legislation is a correction bill 20 that follows the complete recodification of the City's pension ordinance in January of 1999. My testimony will be presented by addressing issues in several separate sections, and if it pleases the committee, I'll proceed under that format. " There's a minor amendment. There are various references in the ordinance to employees represented by AFSCME -- that's the American Federation of State County Municipalship Employees -- District Councils 33 and 47. These employees were hired between 1/8/87 and 9/30/92. The code indicates 10/1/92 as the beginning date, so there's -- for Plan Y for these employees, so there's a one-day change in that contract. The labor contracts shall attend to effective date. And in addition, the ordinance 14 inadvertently omitted reference to District Council 33 employees. This legislation proposes appropriate amendments to Sections 22-104, 105 and 201 to correct this minor error. Five-Year Vesting Issues. The present ordinance mandates the Five-Year Vesting for exempt employees. A problem arises problem arises if an exempt employee is a rehire to the City's employment force, with prior City service or other governmental service which they had purchased. For example, an exempt employee rehired with seven years of prior service is just three years from 6 12/6/00 - WHOLE - BILL 342 vesting in the ten-year plan. Requiring an employ to pay a higher cost for the five years is illogical and possibly may be a violation of that employee's contract right to the lower-costing Ten-Year Vesting Plan. The Board of Pensions is proposing such employees be given the option to participate in the Five-Year Vesting Plan. The same difficulty arises for elected officials who come into the elective plan, Plan L, who might have had prior City service and who would now be mandated into the Eight-Year Vesting Plan for elected officials. An option to participate would also be afforded to these similarly-situated officials. 3 and amends Section 22-301 to provide for these aforementioned options. There is additional minor difficulty with five-year vesting language. A certain group of exempt employees, if hired previous to 1/13/99, which was the effective date of the complete recodification, they have the option to elect five-year vesting after 1/13/99 five-year vesting is mandatory. However, there's no provision for employees on board with the City before 1/13/99 7 12/6/00 - WHOLE - BILL 342 and then transfer into an exempt position covered by the Five-Year Vesting Plan. These employees presently are prevented from participation in five-year vesting, and the Board thinks that's clearly an inequity. Bill 342 adds a new subsection in 22-301 to correct this oversight. Optional Early Retirement Five-Year Vesting Plan. Presently, the Ten-Year Vest Plans across the board provide an optional early retirement. This legislature amends Section 12 22-301(1) to extend the option to the Five-Year Vesting Plan participants. So that everyone, if they wanted, could have a early retirement option. All options are at a significant penalty. The final issue in the five-year vesting group is an amendment offered by the Administration for five-year vesting. This provides for any employees who participate in the Five-Year Vesting Plan and who subsequently acquire of ten years of credited service in the pension system to have their five-year vesting premium. Once they acquire ten years in the system, that they could have their five-year vesting premium refunded.
There have been a few 8 12/6/00 - WHOLE - BILL 342 requests, and returning employees who were previously members of the five-year vesting group had raised this issue, and the Administration supports this amendment. There is -- by the way, there is no 7 cost since the amendment calls for a return of the dollars, but without interest. Deferred Retirement Option Plan. Bill 10 342 provides an amendment to the DROP Plan in order to allow the entrance date to the DROP to be at the end of a pay period versus the present language that requires the 1st of the month as an entrance date to DROP. This amendment obviates the need for a return of contribution checks and refunds to employees entering the DROP, and this process is extremely cumbersome and consuming a lot of administrative time between the Finance Department's Payroll Division and the Board of Pensions regular staff. As a companion amendment, partial-month payments would then be permitted to ensure that full DROP benefits would be maintained. Presently, only full-month payments are permitted. So if you're allowed to enter at the 9 12/6/00 - WHOLE - BILL 342 end of a pay period, it would create a partial month in the beginning and a partial month at the end, so this amendment would allow those two partial months to maintain the full DROP benefit. Bill 342 also specifically permits rehired retirees not previously in the DROP Plan to enter the plan. A Law Department opinion supports this amendment, and it was Council's intention in passing the original DROP legislation, and the -- this 342 memorializes this into the ordinance. Ordinary Death and Disability Benefits for Five-Year Vesting Plan. Bill 342 provides ordinary death and disability benefits for those employees who are members of the Five-Year Vesting Plan. The cost of the five-year vesting already includes ordinary death and disability, and this puts it into the ordinance and makes it clear. Purchase of Service Issues. Regulation for military leaves of absence that are subject to USERRA are different and were not included in Sections 801 and 807 of the recodification ordinance. Under this proposed legislation, leaves of absence under USERRA that were not 10 12/6/00 - WHOLE - BILL 342 purchased by a deadline may now be purchased at a later date, but with interest. Bill 342 amends the appropriate sections of the pension ordinance 5 to achieve this option and place all military leave purchases on an equal footing throughout the pension ordinance. Purchase of Deferred Time. Members of Plans D, J and X, which is the police, the fire, and the non-uniformed older plans, formerly had the right to defer membership in the pension system for the first six months of employment. Bill 342 adds a new subsection 803(6) and amends Section 807 to allow the purchase of this deferred time by paying the required interest under Section 16 807 of the ordinance, which allows installment and purchase. Purchase of Previously Ineligible Temporary Time. This piece of legislature proposes to amend the present ordinance to allow purchase of temporary time previously deemed ineligible to be purchased. The legislation adds a new subsection 803(7) and amends Section 807 to require payment of interest. Purchase of Other Governmental Service 11 12/6/00 - WHOLE - BILL 342 After Investing in Previous Employer's Plan. The retirement code prevents an employee from purchasing service, if vested, in a previous employer's plan. The current code also prevents purchase of time if an employee was vested but withdrew their contributions that are no longer vested. The Board is recommending the deletion of the second provision that prevents purchase after withdrawal of contributions from a previously vested plan, so that people would now be allowed to buy that debt time from that previous employer. Bill No 342 amends Section 802(2) to achieve this goal. Prorated Purchase for Less Than Full-Time Purchase of Time.
Bill 342 also specifically provides for the proration of less than full-time employment being purchased by employees. With the change in allowing out-of-state and other governmental service, there's been a lot of requests for a portion of years to be purchased. We prorate that, and this makes it -- this memorializes it in the ordinance. Cancelled Installment Payments. Bill 25 342 allows for the return of all cancelled 12 12/6/00 - WHOLE - BILL 342 installment payments after separation of service, including interest. Present code excludes the return of interest for no apparent reason. Bill 5 342 amends Section 806(4) and deletes this interest restriction. Finally, Bill 342 corrects three minor word-processing errors: One in Section 201(1) clearly was intended to read Plans D, J, and X, and it repeated Plans A, B, L, and Y. The second one was a cross-reference area in 701(1), where it referenced Section 14 22-304, and it should have said Section 306. And the last one is -- errors occurred in cross referencings in Section 405(5), and the cross reference appeared as 105 -- or the cross reference that should have appeared is 105(16), appeared in error as 106(16). Madam President, that completes my testimony, and I'll be glad to answer any questions if there are any.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Longstreth. Your light is on, sir; do you want to 13 12/6/00 - WHOLE - BILL 342 be recognized?
Thank you. Any questions from members of the committee? (No questions.)
Okay, do we have anyone to testify on this bill?
Kindly identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Good morning. My name is Evan Meyer, and I'm a senior attorney in the Law Department. Mr. Herkness explained my status there. I serve on the Board and am formerly counsel to the Board. On behalf of the Board, I would like to offer five amendments to the bill.
Have they have been circulated? Do Councilmembers have copies of the amendments?
The stenographer does have a copy of the proposed amendments, so if you can just go through it and tell us what they are.
All right. The first two amendments are corrections to the definitions section of the retirement code, in particular to the definition of "average final compensation." One of the things we attempted to in drafting the recodification in January of 1999 was to simplify the definitions of "compensation" and "average final compensation." It was not our intent to make any substantive chance from prior ordinance, merely to re-word it to make it more clear. Mainly, we moved some language from the definition of "average final compensation" to "compensation," 15 12/6/00 - WHOLE - BILL 342 figuring that the end result would be the same, since compensation is included in average final compensation. However, on review of the retirement code, we discovered that there is a different unintended result of that change. Amendments and that I am submitting restore the retirement code to have the same effect as the prior ordinance -- that is, before January of 1999 -- and consistent with the way the Pension Board staff has been applying the ordinances. The third amendment merely corrects an obvious typo, taking out the word "the" that got stuck in there extra. The fourth amendment is required by federal law. The code prohibits a kind of double-dipping, in that a member may not purchase pension credit for other governmental service for which that member is going to get a pension from that other governmental unit, thus possibly receiving two pensions for the same time, from the other government and from the City. However, a federal law intended to encourage service in the military reserves 16 12/6/00 - WHOLE - BILL 342 prohibits this restriction as to members entitled to military pensions based in part on reserve service. This would affect very few members, but we should make sure the retirement code complies with federal law. The fifth amendment makes Bill No. 342 retroactive to the enactment of the retirement code in January of '99. Since the bill is intended to correct errors that should not have occurred in the bill, in the initial bill, it makes sense to make it retroactive. Corrections to the DROP Plan, however, are retroactive to a different date since the DROP was added after the enactment of the retirement code. I will be happy to answer any questions.
Thank you. For the most part, these are all technical, are they not?
Do we have any questions from members of the committee? (No questions.)
Thank you 17 12/6/00 - WHOLE - RES. 594 very much, gentlemen.
Resolution 6 No. 420 has been continued to the call of the Chair. We will now take testimony on Resolution No. 594, a resolution directing the City commissioners to place on the ballot of the primary election of 2001 the following referendum question: Do you favor the issuance of licenses to conduct small games of chance in the City of Philadelphia? Our first witness is Joyce Berardi. (Witness comes forward.)
Good morning. Thank you for your patience. Kindly identify yourself for the record.
We're wearing thin right now but (laughs), I would like to introduce myself. My name is Joyce Berardi and I have a son in Father Judge High School and a daughter in St. 18 12/6/00 - WHOLE - RES. 594 Hubert's. I am here to argue the issues of fund-raising at our schools. As you are well aware of, we are nonprofit organizations. I am also the treasurer of Father Judge Mothers Association, and our organization does a great deal of fund-raising, which is a means of support for our schools. And this benefits our children in many ways. We feel necessary in helping in the upgrading of our schools. I'm sure you're well aware that the tuition fee goes directly down the Archdiocese, which they use for salaries and, you know, fuel and such. We don't compensate from any of that. So as parents we try and supplement in other fashions 50/50s, chances, Tumbola tables. And I cannot stress enough the importance of our fund-raising. I just don't understand why this is being made into such a big issue. We certainly are not out to cheat or hurt anyone -- only to help and support our children's schools. I hope you will seriously consider this issue and present it on our May ballot this coming spring. 19 12/6/00 - WHOLE - RES. 594 Thank you.
Thank you. Any questions or comments from members of the committee? (No questions.)
Our next witness is Casper Baratta. (Witness comes forward.)
My name is Casper Baratta and I am from St. John the Baptist Parish in the Manayunk area of Philadelphia. And I'm here to also ask for a -- support for this particular resolution to go on the ballot in May. The revenues are sorely needed for our parish. Our parish has been in the community for almost 170 years, and we'd like to stay for a little longer. And we need this money to not only help our particular school and the outlying neighborhoods, but our parish also reaches out to 20 12/6/00 - WHOLE - RES. 594 the community at large. Our facilities are used by many groups, civic and non-civic, in our area. And we pay for those costs out of our own pockets. So these extra revenues that we gain from these small games of chance go a long way in helping to us survive. And without these monies, probably our outreach programs would probably dry up. So, therefore, we -- we would really -- we really would like to have City Council support this particular issue when it comes time in the spring. Thank you, Madam.
Thank you very much. Any questions or comments from members of the committee? (No questions.)
I probably did not pronounce that correctly, father.
Good morning, Madam President. And thank you very much to you and to the Council for giving us this opportunity this morning. I am a parish priest at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia. And I could assure you, as many clergy, when you arrive in the parish, the last thing that comes to mind is any type of fund-raising. But when you arrive, especially in my parish, you see that to do our many activities and to carry out the social and spiritual functions, because our area is not financially affluent, we need to raise funds. And so we do that in many varied ways, from Christmas bazaars to carnivals to 50/50 chances, lottos, and everything in between has been done for the past hundred years. The majority of that money goes to our 22 12/6/00 - WHOLE - RES. 594 grade school, to keep it running, to help with the salaries, and to keep the tuition down so that our parents can afford a tuition, because we receive no assistance from any government areas. So we -- at present, we have a little less than 400 children in our school. We make it available to children of all races and religious backgrounds, but it's there as far as part of the community. But not only does the money help the school, it helps in our charitable functions within the neighborhood. We run a Vincent DePaul Society, which cares for the needy, the hungry, the homeless, those who need clothes. And so, Thanksgiving and Christmas, we'll take care of a large number of families, but throughout the entire year, we do the same. Social activities for our children in grade school and in high school can only be supported and paid for -- that's ref fees, league fees, uniforms, and everything in between -- through the money that's generated through these various activities. It's not as if the things that we do are like icing on the cake, but they are 23 12/6/00 - WHOLE - RES. 594 necessary. And we really can't do what we do without these games of chance. And, again, they are very necessary, because we're not an affluent area. And we would certainly have more people here from our neighborhood, but in order for them to be here, they would have to miss work, so I wouldn't even put that obligation on them because, again, because, I would say, a good portion are single families, you know. So the parish is very important to them but to our entire community and to our neighborhood. And we ask that City Council permit a referendum that would allow us to legally conduct small games of chance.
I fully understand, Father. Thank you very much.
Father Paul Castellani. (Witness comes forward.)
Good morning. My name is Father Paul Castellani. I represent 24 12/6/00 - WHOLE - RES. 594 Ascension Parish, located in Kensington. And as father Okonski alluded to, all of the fund-raising that we do in the parish stays within the parish. We have a very active St. Vincent DePaul Society as well, and we feed the homebound of our parish as well and they not necessarily have to be from the parish; we have many that come off the street. We have a small kitchen downstairs for canned goods and things like that to provide emergency food. The social aspect of what we do is funded a great deal through these games of chance. The lottery, afore-termed "the games of chance," in our parish raised money to help go to the school, to provide things for the parish, as our area is very in need. Recently, I came back from a trip and to arrive to the fact that we are now celebrating church in our hall because our boiler went. To replace the boiler's going to be about $20,000. The game of chance that we lost would have helped provide the funds for that. It's things that our parish community helps provide, it's all on a volunteer basis. And 25 12/6/00 - WHOLE - RES. 594 those things that we provide for that community outreach is not prevented (sic) through just people of there, but is provided to everyone in the area. Our school benefits through the replacement of a boiler a few years ago as well as keeping the tuition down to what is affordable. Again, our -- many parents would like to be here and to speak on their behalf, but because of working, because of many other reasons, they cannot be here. We as a parish ask for your help, for your aid in having this put on the ballot so that we can resume those games of chance to help provide for (unintelligible) and education as well.
Our tuition is 1380 for one individual and it caps out 2,500 for a family of three or more.
Thank you. Any questions from the members of the committee of Father? (No questions.) 12/6/00 - WHOLE - RES. 594
I'm Regina Smith Tanghei. I'm a member of St. Anne's Parish and also the Vice Principal of St. Anne's. Good morning, President Verna and City Councilmembers. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you this morning on the topic of church lotteries. As Vice Principal of St. Anne's, an issue that is of paramount importance is to provide a quality education, a stable and nurturing environment, and preparation for life at an affordable cost to the children of our parish community. The answer for us was very simple: the parish lottery. Tuition for St. Anne's School is $1600 for one student, $2250 for two students, and $2900 for three children in one family. Yet the cost to 27 12/6/00 - WHOLE - RES. 594 educate one child is $2200. Therefore, the parish lottery supplemented the difference. In the light of the financial difficulties of Philadelphia School District, this number presents a bargain, a bargain not only for the families of our parish but for the taxpayers of the City of Philadelphia. We direct the lion's share of our money from the lottery to our educational program, maintaining a reasonable tuition level. In the absence of this money, we have been forced to already reduce our staff by five support personnel, and we will be forced to increase tuition by several hundred dollars next year and further reduce staff. The implications for the taxpayers of Philadelphia are threefold. Students will transfer to the neighborhood public schools, contributing to the overcrowding and increasing cost to the taxpayer by $1600 per student. As our enrollment decreases, we will be forced to increase our tuition again, and this will set off a new round of transfers, increasing the overcrowding and the cost. 28 12/6/00 - WHOLE - RES. 594 Our City has already lost 110,000 people since the last census. The major reason listed for the move to the suburbs is a better educational system. This loss in population will result in a loss of federal dollars as well as loss in representation in Washington and in Harrisburg. Madam President and Councilmembers, our lottery is crucial to maintaining the good health of our school, and in the long run, the City of Philadelphia. It is voluntary. It helps build a sense of community and it educates our children. In short, the good it provides is beyond question. On behalf of the St. Anne's parish community and the people of the 18th, 25th and 31st Ward who support it, I urge a vote yes on this matter.
Our next witness is Father Charles Sullivan. (Witness comes forward.)
Good morning, Father. 29 12/6/00 - WHOLE - RES. 594
Good morning, Madam President and members of Philadelphia Council. I am Father Charles Sullivan, Pastor of St. Bernard's Church in Mayfair. I am also member of the famous Cluster 15; our archdiocese has been subdivided over the recent years. Cluster represents 11 different 9 churches with over 125,000 members of our 10 churches. Our schools are among the largest 11 schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. We 12 have schools of 1200 and as low as 300 children in 13 our particular cluster. 14 The funding of our schools, like 15 everything else, has become extremely difficult. We are living in changing times, changing communities. And, of course, funding for education is something very crucial to us. The last few years, by the means of jackpot lottery, we have been most fortunate in being able to raise additional monies to meet our school responsibilities. The last two budget years, over $250,000 has been raised to help our school budget, which is now up to $1.2 million a year. 30 12/6/00 - WHOLE - RES. 594 At one time, these drawings were a nice extra for all of us. At our Cluster luncheon meeting in September, the topic was survival. The survival of our churches is based upon the participation of our membership, but also through the use of these lotteries. I thank City Council for your efforts to be on top of this matter in following up the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which has already passed legislation, making this possible. I hope that you will see the connection between the work of our churches, the good of our schools, and the connection to the City of Philadelphia. These lotteries are extremely important to our funding. We hope that by having them placed on the ballot in May, that it would be something that would benefit all citizens of Philadelphia. I thank you again for your time and your listening to us this day. Thanks again.
Thank you, Father. Any comments or questions from members of the committee? 31 12/6/00 - WHOLE - RES. 594 (No questions.)
Thank you. Father Jack Ferrey. (Witness comes forward.)
Good morning, Madam President and members of Council. As Father Sullivan mentioned, Cluster -- I'm the pastor of the parish with the 300 in 10 the school. The parish is one of the smaller 11 ones. It's a parish with a rather large 12 concentration of lower and middle-class people who 13 do their best to support their parish, to support 14 the school. The parish has been there for 116 15 years, which means, quite frankly, some of our buildings are a little old, and many of our people are elderly. Along with supporting the school, which you certainly have heard here a good deal this morning, I'd ask you to also keep in mind that the referendum would also help a lot of other charitable groups, aside from just churches and schools. In one instance, in our own community, the Knights of Columbus at Christmastime will provide over 300 meals for families, not only in 32 12/6/00 - WHOLE - RES. 594 our neighborhoods but throughout the Northeast. There are so many other charitable groups that need the support of small games of chance. We've been doing these things, as mentioned before, for almost a hundred years, and now all of a sudden, we find ourselves in a position where we can no longer run them legally. And certainly, we would like to get out of that position, where the things that we do would certainly be approved, as they are at the present time in the suburban communities. And so we would certainly appreciate it if Council would add this referendum to the primary ballots. We would appreciate it and thank you for all your help.
Father, all of the good work that you've been able to do is simply not just for your parish but for the community of the whole.
How many children do you have in your school presently?
That's great. 33 12/6/00 - WHOLE - RES. 594 Thank you. Any questions from members of the committee? (No questions.)
Okay, Christine McMenamin. (Witness comes forward.)
Good morning, Christine. Sorry you were waiting so long.
Thank you. Madam President and members of City Council, my name is Christine McMenamin. I have worked for the past 13 years as the Director of Parish Services in St. Barnabus Catholic Church in Southwest Philadelphia. Monsignor Bernard Herrin, Pastor of St. Barnabus, regrets that he is unable to be here and has asked me to bring his concerns to you. St. Barnabus Parish is comprised of St. Barnabus Church, St. Mary of Chenstahova (ph.) Worship Site, and Our Lady of Loretto Worship Site. These three sites serve a total of 2600 families in the Southwest. St. Barnabus also maintains a primary school that currently educates 34 12/6/00 - WHOLE - RES. 594 460 students from kindergarten through 8th grade, with an after-school program. The paid faculty includes lay teachers and five religious 5 sisters, a sizeable payroll to be met throughout 6 the year. 7 In order to keep tuition possible for 8 parents, the parish congregation subsidizes 9 tuition at a yearly cost of $250,000. Like many 10 other City parishes, St. Barnabus is challenged by 11 the loss of many generous contributors in recent 12 years who have moved on to suburban communities. 13 These churches also deal with the maintenance of 14 large, older buildings, which need fairly frequent 15 and often-costly repairs. The St. Barnabus 16 complex includes 12 such buildings, which are 17 necessary to support the life of the three worship 18 sites mentioned earlier. 19 In conclusion, with these very basic facts in mind, the St. Barnabus weekly drawing, which ran from September to June, provided income to the parish, which proved to be extremely helpful. We ask your support to allow this financial benefit to again become an option to the churches who have found it to be so helpful in 35 12/6/00 - WHOLE - RES. 594 these challenging times. Thank you so much for your time and your interest in our concerns.
Christine, I know of all of the wonderful, wonderful work that you do, and I want to publicly thank you. I think you do a fabulous job. I just want everybody to know that as we're considering this resolution, once City Council passes it and it goes on the referendum, everybody's going to have to make sure that they go out on Election Day and vote in favor of it. (Applause.)
I mean, our doing this today is just the first step. The second and final step will be up to you to make sure that that is passed.
Well, I can assure you that the Southwest will be out there.
Do we have any other witnesses to testify on this resolution? 36 12/6/00 - WHOLE - PUBLIC MEETING Any other witnesses to testify? (No response.)
Seeing none, this will conclude the public hearing - - -
We will now go into our public meeting regarding Bill No. 342 and the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Madam President. We're reporting this out of committee? Thank you. I move that Bill 342 be reported out of committee --
Madam President, I move that the amendments to Bill 342 be approved. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the amendments as 37 12/6/00 - WHOLE - PUBLIC MEETING presented be approved. All in favor will signify by saying aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it and the amendment has been adopted. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Madam President. I move that Bill 342, as amended, be reported out of committee with a favorable recommendation. Do we need a suspension of the rules? And also that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit consideration at our next session of. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that Bill No. 342, as amended, be reported out of committee with a favorable recommendation and also a recommendation that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading at our next session of Council. All those in favor will signify by 38 12/6/00 - WHOLE - PUBLIC MEETING saying aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it and the motion is carried. The Chair recognizes Councilman Mariano regarding Resolution No. 594.
Madam President, I move for the adoption of this resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that Resolution No. 13 594 be reported out of committee with a favorable recommendation. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it and Resolution 594 has been approved. (Applause.)
I would also like the record to note that all of the other bills that were read in the beginning of the hearing regarding the stadium issues are recessed until 9 a.m. tomorrow morning. 39 12/6/00 - WHOLE - PUBLIC MEETING (Adjourned at 11:25 a.m.) - - - 40 C E R T I F I C A T E I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing proceedings of the Council of the City of Philadelphia of Wednesday, December 6, 2000, were reported fully and accurately by me, and that this is a correct transcript of same. RE: COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE BILL NO. 000342, RESOLUTION NO. 000594 __________________________________, JOSEPHINE CARDILLO, Registered Professional Reporter