To the President and Members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, the Committee on Rules to which was referred Bill 010743, entitled an ordinance amending Chapter 2600 of the Philadelphia Code, entitled "Standards of Conduct and Ethics," by adding a anti-nepotism provision prohibiting City officers and employers from taking or recommending certain personal actions affecting family members; And Bill No. 030017, entitled an ordinance establishing a Neighborhood Improvement District in an area that is generally bounded by both sides of Ridge Avenue from Main Street to 7220 Ridge Avenue; And Bill No. 030068, entitled an ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps, by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Bridge Street, Tacony Street, a line 245 feet north of Sanger Street, the Delaware River and the Frankford Creek; Respectfully it has considered the same and returns the attached bills to Council with a
Madam President, I move that Rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading this day of Bill No. 030068. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly that the Rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading this day of Bill No. 030068. All in favor will indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and the Bill No. 030068 will be placed on today's First Reading Calendar. Bill Nos. 010743 and 030017 will be placed on the First Reading Calendar for our next Session of Council. The Chair now recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell for a report from the Committee on
Thank you, Madam President. The Committee on Finance reports out two bills with a favorable representation.
To the President and Members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, the Committee on Finance to which was referred Bill No. 030023, entitled an ordinance amending Chapter 19-200 of the Philadelphia Code entitled "City Funds, Deposits, Investments, Disbursements," by revising the list of City depositories because of non-compliance with certain provisions of that chapter;. And Bill No. 030163, entitled an ordinance amending Chapter 19-1500 of the Philadelphia Code, entitled "Wage and Net Profits Tax," by decreasing in stages the rates of the tax imposed upon certain low income persons and providing for refunds of excess taxes paid, all under certain terms and conditions; Respectfully reports it has considered and amended the same and returns the attached bills favorable recommendation.
Thank you, Madam President. I move that the Rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading this day of Bill No. 030163. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the Rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading this day of Bill No. 030163. All in favor will indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and Bill No. 030163 will be placed on today's First Reading Calendar. Bill No. 030023 will be placed on the First Reading Calendar for our next Session of Council. The Chair recognizes Councilman Cohen the Committee on Law and Government.
Thank you, Madam President. I offer the report from the Committee on Law and Government and ask everybody's indulgence -
I'm sorry, I don't think we can hear you, Councilman. Put your microphone on, please.
I offer the report of the Committee on Law and Government and ask everybody's indulgence because it's a very lengthy and heavy report.
Thank you. The Clerk will please read the very lengthy and heavy report. THE
To the President and Members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, the Committee on Law Government to which was referred Bill No. 020076, entitled an ordinance providing for submission to the qualified electors of the City of Philadelphia an amendment to Section 2-102 of the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter, relating to the redistricting of the City to revise the boundaries of the councilmanic districts after census; And Bill No. 020621, entitled an ordinance amending Title 2 of the Philadelphia Code, entitled "City-County Consolidation," by abolishing the Board of Revision of Taxes and reassigning its powers, functions, and duties to three newly created City agencies; And Bill No. 020810, entitled an ordinance providing for the submission to the qualified electors of the City of Philadelphia of an amendment to Section 6-400C of the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter relating to authorized audits by the auditing department of certain agencies performing services or receiving funding from the City; And Bill No. 030016, entitled an ordinance providing for the submission to the qualified electors of the City of Philadelphia of an amendment of the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter relating to the composition of the Board of Pensions and Retirement as approved by resolution of the City Council; And Bill No. 030097, entitled an ordinance amending Title 17 of the Philadelphia Code, entitled "Contracts and Procurement," by 17-109, entitled "Local Bidding Preferences," providing for the establishment of a bidding preference on City contracts for Philadelphia businesses; And Bill No. 030098, entitled an ordinance providing for the submission to the qualified electors of the City of Philadelphia of an amendment to the Home Rule Charter to establish that a bid preference can be allowed in the awarding of public contracts to Philadelphia firms; And Bill No. 030115, entitled an ordinance providing for the submission to the qualified electors of the City of Philadelphia of an amendment to Section 8-200 and 8-201 of the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter relating to contracts and concessions for which competitive bidding is required; And Bill No. 030178, entitled an ordinance providing for the submission to the qualified electors of the City of Philadelphia of an amendment to Section 5-300 of the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter, by adding a new subsection as approved by resolution of City Council requiring that the Health Department prepare a plan for universal Bill No. 030220, entitled an ordinance providing for the submission to the qualified electors of the City of Philadelphia of an amendment to the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter and creating the Office of the Insurance Public Advocate; And Resolution No. 020084, entitled resolution proposing an amendment to Section 2-102 of the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter relating to the redistricting of the City to revise the boundaries of the councilmanic districts; And Resolution 020817, entitled resolution proposing an amendment to Section 6-400 of the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter relating to the authorization for City Controller audits; And resolution No. 030034, entitled resolution proposing an amendment to the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter relating to the composition to the Board of Pensions and Retirement; And Resolution 030106, entitled resolution proposing an amendment to the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter to establish that bid preference can be allowed in the awarding of public firms; And resolution 030119, entitled resolution proposing an amendment to Section 8-200 and 8-201 of the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter relating to contracts and concessions for which competitive bidding is required; And Resolution No.
030189, entitled resolution proposing an amendment to section 5-300 of the City Charter relating to the functions of the Department of Health; And Resolution No. 030231, entitled resolution proposing an amendment to the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter to create the Office of Insurance Public Advocate, and providing for the submission of the amendment to the electors of Philadelphia; Respectfully reports it has considered and amended the same and returns the attached bills and resolutions to Council with a favorable recommendation.
Councilman Cohen, I would like to make a suggestion, if I may.
I think that these issues are very important. I don't think that Members of Council will be able to obtain notes of testimony prior to a vote. Many may not have been in the building when the public hearing occurred. I strongly would suggest that perhaps the technical staff could give some abbreviation or some information as to what each and every one of the bills do so that we would be fully prepared to vote on all of the bills next week.
And may I ask you as Chairperson of the Committee if you would indeed have the technical staff do that?
Thank you. The report has been read and I now recognize Councilman Cohen.
It has been moved the Rules of Council -You have to suspend the rules, Councilman. You want to suspend the Rules on the bills today?
Yes, in order to put this in position to be voted on next week, the bills and resolutions ought, in my judgement, be voted on simultaneously since every amendment requires both a bill and a resolution.
It has been moved and properly seconded that the Rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading this day of Bill Nos. 020076, 020621, 020810, 030016, 030097, 030098, 030115, 030178 and 030200.
With respect to the resolutions, I know 12 votes are required. I think it might in order to have a roll call vote on each -
We're not considering the resolutions. We're talking about suspending the Rules on the bills. I believe that was your request, Councilman.
Then there would no need for roll call. There are only nine votes to required go -
Since my colleague is going to ask for the technical staff to give everybody a brief synopsis of what they require, I didn't want the hammer on us to force us to be ready next week because we haven't requested of the technical staff and it just gives everybody time to review it, to make sure we have the information and to make sure that we're prepared to take a position. It only means an extra week.
Councilman Nutter, your light is on. Did you want to be recognized?
Not necessarily, Madam President. I was just going to weight in with Councilman Cohen to answer the issue that he raised, that there was no vote on the resolutions, that this is a rather routine matter of having a rules suspension on bills coming out of committee. When the bills get called up is a totally separate matter. But I was weighing in on the previous issue, not on the comments made by Councilwoman Blackwell.
I don't mind -- in view of the number of amendments to the Home Rule Charter being proposed, I think, as I did before, that the President's suggestion and Councilwoman Blackwell's suggestion that there been additional time provided is a reasonable one. If we're going to -- I would like very much to have everything adopted unanimously, but everybody knows if it isn't, nobody enjoys a good fight better than I do. So let's get ready for it if we have to or let's have unanimous support. So I concur in the proposal made by the technical staff provide information to everybody. I think an informed vote is the most important thing. The voters have a right to expect that from us in City Council, so I will withdraw the motion for suspension of Rules.
Very well. So these bills will be placed on First Reading Calendar for first week along with the resolutions. The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter.
Thank you, Madam President. And I appreciate Councilman, Chair of the Committee, trying to work through the particulars here. I would only point out, Madam President, that the request for suspension of the rules was actually made as part of the motion on these various matters out of committee. I'm not necessarily sure whether in this circumstance that the Committee's wish and a motion made and approved by the Committee can so immediately be dismissed.
I'm terribly sorry. I was distracted, Councilman. I don't know what your comment was.
Madam President, I was just simply pointing out, at least on the it, and I understand the Chair of the Committee, Councilman Cohen, trying to work through the particulars of this matter. I did just want to point out, though, that the motions made in Committee requested a favorable recommendation and a suspension of the Rules was made by the Committee and it's a part of the motion in front of us. I'm not so sure that, with every respect to the Committee Chair, I'm not so sure that the Chair can automatically dismiss -- and I know that he's not seeking to do that. He's trying to be accommodating under the circumstances, but I do wish to point out that the request for Rules suspension was made as a part of the Committee's motion on these respective bills. I will make one very brief comment, I understand the concern and respect the concern raised by Councilwoman Blackwell with regard to technical analysis, ability to review notes of testimony and the like. Just because the bills might be in position next week, if they were to get a first reading today, does not automatically mean that the bills are going to come up for a vote, just like -- I mean, if you look at our Calendar, probably every bill that's sitting on the Calendar suspension of the Rules coming out of Committee, and many of them have been sitting there for a while. So I'm simply raising a very technical issue about the Committee having taken action in Committee, requesting a suspension of Rules, and that part of that motion be handled in the appropriate fashion.
Well, I believe the Chairman of the Committee did make a motion to suspend the Rules and he withdraw such a motion.
Madam President, point of order. I think that Councilman Nutter is right and I think I have to confess that I would oppose a chairman having the ability to change the action of a Committee he or she is reporting on. And I think I was in error when I presumed I had the authority to do so. I think we have to put it to a vote. It is the committee's recommendation and no chair would be free to change the committee's recommendation, so I applaud Councilman Nutter for catching me on a time I tripped. Maybe I got me before I fell to the ground, though, because I think wrong. This body is the only body can change -- the body as the whole is the only body that can change the recommendation of the Committee. Madam Chair, I have to move -
Before you make your motion, there are a number of Councilmembers that would like to be recognized. Councilwoman Blackwell.
Madam President, I do have a point of order, but I will yield to Councilman Goode's point of order first.
Thank you, Madam President. I move that we suspend the rules to alter the Committee report to not suspend the rules to allow first reading today. And I'm a member of the committee that actually voted to suspend the Rules within committee.
I am being advised by our legal staff that there should simply be a motion by Councilman Cohen again to suspend the rules. Members can vote it up or down.
Councilman Nutter, your light's not on, and the stenographer cannot hear you.
Councilman Goode had another motion on the floor. I'm only asking if the technical staff responded to Councilman Cohen's motion, to his response, why can not they also give an explanation to Councilman Goode's motion that was seconded? If you explain one motion, you've got to explain every motion. We just need clarity on the floor. And in fact, if we want to go that far, we can't ask for the technical staff at his point of the game to give us an explanation. So come on now, you can't be tight on one end and loose on the other. I don't understand why if the Chairman doesn't agree that we can do this, we have another motion on the floor made by Councilman Goode. I don't understand why we have to have a debate about this. Everybody would like information. It's not a big issue.
I don't want to have want to ask Councilman Goode just a question about his motion. But if there's a request for an explanation on Councilman Goode's motion, I'll wait.
Madam President, I will wait. If Councilwoman Blackwell is waiting on a fuller explanation on Councilman Goode's motion, I will wait. My question was on Councilman Goode's motion, and I think we can get to the point where everyone wants to be, but I'm not necessarily sure that Councilman Goode's motion was exactly necessary with regard to a suspension of our Rules. I think that the question is, the Chair made a motion as a part of the Committee's recommendation to suspend the Rules in order to allow first reading. I think that we can dispose of this particular matter by just voting on that particular motion. And if the motion fails, then I think it will have accomplished what people are concerned about. But I don't know that there's any motion necessary to suspend our Rules to get to that point.
But we were another statement about that said something other another, so Councilman Goode then did a point of order. We are happy to report it out and wait have no real action.
I just wanted to make sure the Committee's request was honored.
The question is, are we going to vote to suspend the rules? I don't see any reason for us to continue debating the issue. Councilwoman Tasco.
I think when the Clerk read the report, she read -- and I think what Blackwell was saying, we were being asked whether to vote on this with the suspension of the Rules. I think Councilwoman Blackwell was saying, let's have a role call vote which answers the question because really the Clerk made the motion, do we vote on it with the suspension or not. And so all we have to do is just go back to the original comments by the Clerk and then follow Councilwoman Blackwell to have a role call vote on the suspension of the rules.
Madam President, I would like to remove the question from the floor in the in form which I presented it. And as Chairman of the Committee, I would like to divide the motion to half and first move to adopt the report, period.
And that does not include the part with respect to suspension of the Rules, just to adopt the report.
I will separately then move to suspend the rules and we can have an up-and-down vote on the suspension.
The Chair recognizes Councilman DiCicco for a point of order.
Thank you, Madam President. I think I understand what we're trying to understand here, but I don't understand why we need to -- if the vote comes to not suspend the Rules, I don't think it's fair that all of the bills that are coming out of this Committee should fall had a public hearing on the Insurance Advocate bill which I sponsored. We had two hearings and two separate dates. I don't know how much more time we need to debate that bill. I'm not disrespecting any other bills that were introduced by other Members of City Council, but on two separate days, probably a grand total of six to eight hours worth of testimony has been taken on that bill that I introduced to have a Charter change that will allow the City of Philadelphia to hire an Insurance Advocate. I would like at least have that bill removed from this motion not to suspend.
I don't understand why what has arisen has arisen. But obviously, somebody has some concern with something, maybe more than one thing and maybe everything. Therefore, I would like, Madam President, the opportunity to report the Committee's actions bill by bill. I think that's within the province of the Committee Chairman to determine since the report originally in the usual fashion was prepared by the Clerk of the Committee and not by the Chairman of the Committee. have the report returned so I can submit it bill by bill.
The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell for a point of order.
Thank you, Madam President. I President asked the Chair of the Committee to ask the technical staff, because of the nature the bills and so many of them deal with the Charter, that the technical staff prepare a synopsis or an explanation to everyone since there are so many of them included in the report today. If we're going to pull out certain bills with certain -- when we hear bills and when we vote on them, we hear bill numbers. So people who were not -- I'm on that Committee, but I wasn't sitting there through the whole Committee that morning. However, my colleagues hear bill numbers. A number doesn't necessary mean you know what's in it. Now, if we're going to pull it apart now and deal with every bill and every number, then we nullify the President's suggestion that the technical staff try to help us in this situation by doing an explanation. Now, we can sit here for the next two hours, it's okay with me, and go through each bill, read each in detail and talk about what we want to do; or we can find an easy way to just not have to vote on those bills. The Chair was willing to do that if we can do a legal way to do that. Can't we not vote on these today due to the nature of them and come back and deal with them. Nobody's saying we shouldn't vote on them. But we're saying due to their nature that maybe we don't want to do a lot today. I don't know why that is so unreasonable. The President agrees. The Chair agrees. So can't we find a way to get there?
Yes, we can. And that's the way I'm suggesting, we do it bill by bill. I happen not to be a fan of mystery books, so I'd like to uncover the mystery. If there is a problem, let's deal with it. If there is no problem, we can also deal with the situation. The only way we deal with it is to do it bill by bill. And that's the reason I'm suggesting we divide it.
Councilman, I don't want to cut you short, but I think the Committee report has been read. The question still remains about the suspension of the bills. Is there a motion? I think we vote them up or down, period.
I would like to present it, as I think I have a right to as Chairman of the Committee, in two forms. First, an action to adopt the report without to respect to a suspension of the Rules; and then secondly, to raise suspension of the rules.
Now I move the adoption of the report. That does not include the suspension.
Councilman, the report doesn't have to be adopted. You ask for the suspension -- I think what you're interested in is asking for the suspension of the Rules. (Pause.)
I've been informed by the attorney that the provisions of the Rules provide that there is no general adoption of a report made but that I would have the power to move with respect to each bill on a suspension of Rule. to adopt the report of the Committee. That will happen at the time of the final vote.
My motion is -- I need the report so I can refer to each bill. I want to withdraw what's before the body now and begin the process of moving for suspension of the Rules on each of the bills. My motion is I move that the Rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading this day of Bill No. 020076. And if given back the physical document, I will identify the bill and ask the Clerk to read the title. If anybody has any questions, they can raise them and I would request the technical staff to be prepared to give us the information.
Councilman, I don't know that this is really necessary. I think, if I may be so bold -
Yes, because some bills have more of a time requirement than other bills. Councilman DiCicco is right. We're in the middle of very heavy and continuous hearings on insurance problems that constitutes an emergency problem in Philadelphia. I would not like that bill, and maybe there may be others like it, but that bill particularly ought not to be held up by a failure on a vote to suspend the Rules. I have no idea why the question is being raised. Suspension is done automatically every time, but this is an unusual time, I admit, and so I want to honor the request -
Councilman, if I may. I think, as I said, you can ask -- I think your original request was to ask for the suspension of the Rules on the bills that are reported out of Committee. I don't know that we have to decide on each and every bill. People can either vote your request up or down. And I think that's what we should be doing.
I think the Chairman was willing to report the bills out and not suspend the rules. Can't we legally do that? That's where we are, it seems me, so that we can get more information. Isn't that where we are? And can't we as a body who are in Committee, can't we find a way to do that?
No, I would not agree to that, Madam Majority Leader. I would not agree to not request suspension of the Rules on all the bills today. I am interesting in seeing that every Member of Council has full information on bills that thee need full information on. But if there are bills that the body is prepared to suspend the Rules on, I don't think we ought to hold up those bills and we ought to pass them with the suspension of first reading. If there's any bill which creates enough controversy so that it cannot obtain the necessary number of votes for suspension, let's isolate it to that. Let's find out what the problems are and deal with them.
Then we will do then as you request and do each bill with you is, as Chair of the Committee. I'm happy to do that.
Thank you, Madam President. I still have a motion of the floor that deals with suspending the Rules of Council to alter the Committee report, if Councilman Cohen wants to alter the Committee report. If he wants go with the Committee report as it was, then he should go with it as it was. If he wants to not suspend the rules for any bills, then we shouldn't suspend the rules for any bills. If he -
We can suspend the Rules to alter a Committee report if we want to. The issue is what are we going to be voting on in the end. Are we voting on the original Committee report? I'm a member of the Committee. Are we voting to suspend the Rules on certain bills? Are we voting to suspend the Rules on all the bills? The issue is whether we're voting on the original Committee report or whether we're altering the altering the Committee report, if we can do that legally, which I believe we can do, then I still have a motion on the floor that says let's suspend the Rules to alter the Committee report as the Chair wants to alter it.
I think this is what Councilman Goode has in mind -- if it is, I'm in agreement with him. I think the first item before the body ought to be the exact original motion I made to see whether the report will be -- I move the adoption of the report and the suspension of the all the bills. If that fails, then I will offer each bill for suspension of Rules separately. But it may not be necessary if the motion prevails. I don't know whether it's going to prevail or not.
Point of order, Madam President. It seems to me -- I agreed with Councilman Goode's both times. And it seems to me that this Council, over the years -- I think we have the right to do whatever we want to do. I don't understand why we want to be technical on one end and non-technical on the order, depending on which side you are on the issues. I think our debate is innocuous because all we're talking about is an I don't understand. And second Councilman Goode's motion.
Well, let me try to get an understanding, Councilwoman. Is there any particular bill to which you object to a suspension of the Rules, or are you opposing the suspension of the Rules on each resolution?
Councilman, I can't tell you, having heard all those bill numbers, which bill is which.
Well, let's deal with each one separately. That's what we ought to do in the legislative body.
I believe that you initially agreed with Councilman Goode's motion, and I don't know why -- our body as a whole can do whatever it is we choose to do. If we make a motion and we're here and we second it. We undo and do whatever it is we choose. And I don't understand why there's such a big issue about it. If everybody is saying -- we're talking an extra week of information. I don't see where the debate is.
I did not make the issue. I presented the original resolution.
I know. You were fine, Councilman. It's whatever it is in here that causes us to get hung up in things that don't really matter. I second, again, Councilman Goode's motion.
At the risk of sounding like Vinnie Barbarino, I'm so confused this point, it's going to take 10, 20 minutes to figure it out. So didn't he just make a motion that seconded? I'm not sure what the motion was. So we have to move on the motion that was seconded, correct?
Point of order, Madam President. I received in usual form the report prepared by the Clerk's Office. My assistant, Mr. Greenlee, required me to sign six or seven or eight or nine times. It meant that what I was given in hand was a combined report. In order to clarify everything, I would like to have that report I can give each signed report separately.
Well, I believe that Councilman Goode made a motion and it was seconded.
I am asking Councilman Goode at this point in time to please repeat his motion. Make it very clear as to what the motion is.
Thank you, Madam President. The motion was to suspend the Rules of Council to allow the Chair of the Committee on Law and Government to alter the report if he chooses to alter the report, because when it was time for him to make a motion to adopt the report, he chose to alter the report by saying he did not want to suspend the rules on the bills that were voted on Committee allowing for suspension of Rules. So the motion is to suspend the Rules to allow the Committee Chair to alter the report, if he chooses to alter the report.
I do not wish to under orders from the Committee to issue a report today. I would like to be able to do that. I was given a series of reports to issue. And then in my effort to save time, I did what so often occurs when you try to save time, you spend 10 times the amount of time you hoped to save by explaining why you did what you did. I would like to withdraw my motion and start anew and present this in the fashion it usually is presented, one report at a time. Each one is separate. I had to sign separately because each was a separate report, and I apparently erred in combining all the reports together.
The action of the Committee was taken bill by bill, and the motions were made separately and they're entitled to be treated as such.
Councilman Goode, are you willing to withdraw your motion in view of what Councilman Cohen has just said?
Madam President, I have a point of order. I am a member Government Committee. My colleague, the Chair, says he's under orders from this Committee. I'm member of that Committee. I don't think you're under orders from your Committee to continue in this vein. We're very, very happy to go along -- I, as member of that Committee, am happy to concur with Councilman Goode's motion.
I think at the time of a public hearing, members of that particular Committee cast their vote and normally vote for a suspension of the Rules.
Madam President, I'm responding to the Chair of the Committee's statement that he is under orders from his Committee -
The Committee moved in every single case for a suspension of the rules. In my effort to shorthand the time required, I apparently erred in submitting all of the reports together as a single report. I wish to correct my error and reinstate the decision of the Committee which acted individually on each bill. Therefore, I want to submit the report of the Committee bill by bill.
And that will carry out the meaning of the Committee. That's what the Committee did bill by bill. They voted to suspend the Rules each time.
Please accept my apology for the error I made in presentation and permit me to have the report returned to me so I can present it correctly as a series of separate reports.
Thank you, Madam President. The Chair of the Committee does not wish to alter the report. My motion dealt with allowing him to alter the report by suspending the Rules. He does not want to alter the report. If he is retracting that statement that he wants to alter the report, then I withdraw my motion if he wants go with the original report of the Committee.
Very well. Thank you. Councilman Cohen. Councilman Clarke, do you have a question?
Thank you, Madam Chair. I just wanted some clarity on the statement that Councilman Cohen made with respect his offering the Committee report and he said erred in offering the report as one. Do the Rules state that they should be offered in a singular basis, each bill from the Committee?
We never really do that. When we report bills and if there are a number of bills and they're listed in a public hearing and Rules are suspended, they're all read at the same time.
He said he erred. I didn't know that was a Rule that we had to offer them singularly.
The Committee on Law and Government reports Bill No. 020076 with a favorable recommendation and with a request to permit first reading this day of that bill. (Duly seconded.)
Councilman, your motion has to be suspend the rules so that we would permit first meeting this day of that bill. Please make that motion, if that is your intent.
I would like to know what that bill is. I would like an explanation. If we're going to do this bill by bill I want an explanation of what the bill calls for.
I ask the Clerk to read the tile of the bill. And if that is not information, I will then ask the technical staff, with the permission of the Chair, to give a short report. That will be in domain of the President.
The Clerk will please read the title of Bill No. 020076. THE
An ordinance providing for submission to the qualified electors of the City of Philadelphia an amendment to Section 2-102 of the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter, relating to the redistricting of the City to revise the boundaries of the councilmanic districts after each decennial census, as approved by resolution of the City Council fixing the date of a special election for such purpose prescribing the form of ballot question to be voted on and authorizing the appropriate officers to publish notice and to make arrangements for a special election.
Councilman Nutter, I believe this is your bill. Would you feel more comfortable explaining what the bill does?
Sure, Madam President. I did actually testify on this matter at the hearing. This bill would establish an actual the conduct of the redistricting process as required by the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter that Council redistrict the City every 10 years. The current Charter does not provide any process by which Council is to conduct the redistricting other than to set a date by which it must be done and impose a financial penalty on Council if the redistricting is not conducted within six months of the release of the census. This bill would establish a process and proceeding for redistricting, a committee to conduct such work to establish a report to be given by that committee to the Council. This hearing was a couple days ago and there were a number of members that were there.
Thank you. Councilman Cohen made a motion. Is there a second? (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the Rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading this day -
May I ask my colleague -- I think I remember that hearing. Was the process set forth in there or did it depict the process by which or refer to us creating a process to deal with redistricting?
Councilwoman, in the body of the resolution that accompanies the bill -the bill only puts the question on the ballot. The substance of the matter is actually in the resolution which is not before us at the moment. It establishing a full process and procedure from 30 days after the census is published up through a final date by which Council action must be taken. And there is an extensive process for how a plan is developed. It requires public input, it requires all Members to have availability to computers and data and electronic equipment, and it allows for a process for recommending such a plan to the Committee of the Whole. That was the substance of my testimony at the public hearing the other day. So there's an actual process established, but it's in the resolution. The amendments actually to the Charter are in the resolution portion of a two-package bill. The bill that is the subject of rules merely allows the question to go on the ballot. The actual details are in the resolution, which are not in front of us at the moment.
Again, it has been moved and properly seconded that the Rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading this day of Bill No. 020076. All in favor will indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and the motion carries. The Chair recognizes Councilman Cohen.
Madam President, the Committee on Law and Government reports out Bill No. 020621 with a favorable recommendation, and I move that the Rules of Council be suspended so as to permit this first reading this day of Bill No. 020621. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the Rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading this day of Bill No. 020621.
Thank you. Will the Chief Clerk read the title of that as well? THE
An ordinance amending Title 2 of the Philadelphia Code, entitled "City-County Consolidation," by abolishing the Board of Revision of Taxes and reassigning its powers, functions, and duties to three newly created City agencies to be known as the Board of Property Assessment Appeals and Review, the Property Assessment Oversight Board, and the Office of Property Assessment, providing for submission of such amendment for the approval or disapproval of the qualified electors of the City of Philadelphia, fixing the date of a special election for such purpose prescribing the form of ballot question to be voted on and authorizing the appropriate officers to make arrangements for a special election, all under certain terms and conditions.
The motion was second by Councilman DiCicco. All in favor?
May we have a roll call on this, Madam President.