Philadelphia City Council Committee of the Whole, 11 Jun 2021

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From YouTube: FY2022 Budget Hearings 6-14-2021 and 6-15-2021

Description

Recessed Public Meeting Notice

The Committee of the Whole of the Council of the City of Philadelphia held a Public Meeting on June 11, 2021 and recessed the Public Meeting until Monday, June 14, 2021, at 8:30 AM. This meeting will be held in a remote manner using Microsoft® Teams to consider the action to be taken on the items listed below:

200655 An Ordinance authorizing the Procurement Department, on behalf of the City, to enter into an amendment agreement with Axon Enterprises, Inc. for purchase of tasers by the City, under certain terms and conditions.

210283 An Ordinance amending Chapter 19 2600 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled “Business Income and Receipts Taxes,” by changing the manner of imposition, all under certain terms and conditions.

210284 An Ordinance amending Chapter 19 2600 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled “Business Income and Receipts Taxes,” by revising certain tax rates, under certain terms and conditions.

210285 An Ordinance amending Chapter 19 1500 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled “Wage and Net Profits Tax,” by revising certain tax rates, under certain terms and conditions.

210322 An Ordinance adopting the Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2022.

210323 An Ordinance amending Chapter 19 2600 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled “Business Income and Receipts Taxes,” by revising certain tax rates, under certain terms and conditions.

210324 An Ordinance amending Chapter 19 1500 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled “Wage and Net Profits Tax,” by revising certain tax rates, under certain terms and conditions.

210442 An Ordinance amending Chapter 19 1200 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled “Parking Tax,” by revising certain tax rates, under certain terms and conditions.

210336 Resolution providing for the approval by the Council of the City of Philadelphia of a Revised Five Year Financial Plan for the City of Philadelphia covering Fiscal Years 2022 through 2026, and incorporating Revised changes with respect to Fiscal Year 2021, which is to be submitted by the Mayor to the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (the "Authority") pursuant to the Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement, authorized by an ordinance of this Council approved by the Mayor on January 3, 1992 (Bill No. 1563 A), by and between the City and the Authority.

A

Thank you and good morning uh we're gonna get started now. uh Sorry for the delay um continue to have um discussions as it relates to this budget, um so we'll get started. This is the recess public meeting of committed a whole regarding bills. Number two: zero: zero; six; five, five, two one: zero, two, eighty, three, two one: zero, two, eighty, four, two one: zero, two, eighty five, two one: zero three, two, two, two one: zero three, two, three, two one: zero three, two, four, two one: zero.

A

Four, four, two and resolution number two, one: zero: three, three six, uh mr mcdermott, will you please call the roll to take attendance and members that are in attendance. Please indicate by saying your present or whatever you may choose, to make sure that your image is displayed on the screen.

B

Council, member bass.

C

Good morning, council, president colleagues and viewing public good morning.

A

C

Council member brooks good morning council president colleagues, in the city of philadelphia. I'm present.

C

Council president colleagues present.

B

Council member gautier.

D

C

Council, president and everyone present.

B

Councilman richardson.

C

Good morning, good morning, council, president good morning, colleagues and good morning.

B

Philadelphia councilmember green.

C

Good morning, council president, good morning, good morning, council staff good morning to the city of philadelphia good morning.

B

Council, member kim.

C

Good morning I am present.

B

Council keenan.

C

Good morning, council, president and good morning, colleagues.

B

Council member johnson.

C

Good morning, council president good morning, colleagues.

C

Council members.

B

Council member.

B

O'neill, council member, oh.

D

Good morning, council president good morning, colleagues, good.

B

Morning, sir councilmember parker.

E

Good morning, mr president, good morning, colleagues good morning.

B

Councilmember quinona sanchez.

C

Good morning, council president colleagues.

B

Councilmember squilla.

C

Good morning, council president bob good morning, colleagues.

B

And councilmember thomas.

A

Good morning, thank you all you for staying so far um and we will not consider the action be taken on the bills and resolution before the committee today. The chair recognizes council member parker for a motion.

E

Thank you, mr chairman. I moved at the public meeting on bill numbers 20065, two, one, zero, two, eight three, two one: zero, two, eight four, two one: zero, two, eight five, two one: zero three, two, two, two one: zero three, two, three, two one: zero three, two, four, two one: zero. Four, four, two and resolution number two: one: zero. Three, three six stand in recess until tuesday june 15 2021 at 2, 30.

A

Thank p.m has been moved in property. Second, that the public meeting of this committee on the bills and resolution just read by councilmember parker will be recess until tuesday june 15 2021 at 2 30 p.m. All those in favor of emotional signified by saying aye aye through the fools all right motion carries. uh This committee will stand and results until tuesday june 15 2021 at 2 30 p.m and which time we will reconvene on microsoft stage. This concludes the business of the community for today. Thank you all very much for your attendance and your patience.

A

Thank you and please go right into the public safety meeting for those members of that particular committee.

A

Thank you good afternoon again, as we continue this discussion about the fy 22 budget. uh We have to move uh timelines from time to time. So just like apologize to the uh individuals watching that this is a error uh moving uh target so to speak in terms of us coming to a conclusion, but we guarantee you we will adopt uh a fy22 budget uh as prescribed by the charter.

A

um This is the recessed public meeting of the committee to hold rebounding bills; number two: zero: zero; six; five; five, two one: zero, two, eighty, three, two one: zero, two, eighty, four, two one: zero, two, eighty five, two one: zero three: twenty two: two one: zero three, twenty three, two one three 210-324-21042 and resolution number 210 336..

A

Mr mcdermott, will you please call the rules to take attendance and members that are in attendance? Please indicate by saying that you're present to ensure that your intimacy is displayed on the screen.

B

Council, member bass.

C

Good afternoon, mr president, colleagues and listening public.

B

Council member brooks council member dom.

C

Council president colleagues present.

B

Councilmember cartier.

C

Good afternoon, council, president and colleagues, and to the public present.

B

Council member gilmore richardson.

C

Good afternoon, council, president and colleagues in the city of philadelphia, I'm here.

B

Absolutely council, member green.

C

Good afternoon council president good afternoon, colleagues, council staff and to the viewing and listening public, I'm president.

B

Council member again.

C

Good afternoon council president good afternoon, colleagues, I am present good afternoon.

B

Councilmember keenan.

C

Good afternoon, council, president colleagues, I am present.

B

Council member johnson.

C

Good afternoon, council president good afternoon, colleagues here good afternoon.

B

Councilmember jones.

B

Councilmember o'neil present good afternoon councilmember o.

D

Good afternoon, council president good afternoon, colleagues, I'm president good afternoon.

B

Councilmember parker.

E

Good afternoon, mr president, good afternoon.

C

B

Councilmember quinona sanchez.

C

Good afternoon, council, president and colleagues.

B

Council members.

B

And council member thomas.

C

Good afternoon, council president good afternoon, colleagues.

A

Good afternoon well, thank you. um You've established the farm you now consider actually taking on the bills and resolution before the committee today. Of course, I'd like to recognize councilwoman parker chair recognizes councilwoman parker.

E

Thank you, mr president. Mr president, colleagues, I want to make some comments about bill number two, one: zero, four, four two, which was the parking text, legislation that I introduced, mr president, it took the gun, violence, epidemic plaguing our city and nation.

E

The global covet 19 pandemic, that's claimed over 600 000 lives in the u.s and over 3705 in our city, the world witnessing in various forms the heinous murders of black people that could have been avoided. Mr president, if our lives and humanity truly mattered and there's the opioid crisis, that's now touching people from all walks of life that is um also experiencing the kind of empathy that um you know quite frankly, didn't exist when crack cocaine destroyed many black communities in the 1980s um and and really people weren't.

E

uh During that time, talking about creating and let alone uh you know, government funding of being invested in safe havens or safe crack houses for those who were addicted. Nonetheless, it took all of this. All of these things to in essence, um form what I've referred to as a perfect storm that it appears some needed for many folks to even acknowledge that systemic racism is real and it needs to be eliminated everywhere.

E

It exists that the overall poverty, social, economic, educational and public health disparities that many of us have been fighting to eliminate all of our lives deserves our laser like focus time attention and investment in both the public and the private sector.

E

It is with this in mind, mr president, that I have always believed that good jobs, the kind that put people on a path to self-sufficiency so that they can enjoy the dignity that comes with being able to take care of themselves and their families in their own rights.

E

I believe that those good jobs, mr president, are an essential part of the solution to addressing many of the ills that you heard me mention earlier now for the thousands of black men and women, african national men and women and others from our global communities who are or will be parking workers and live in our great city of philadelphia.

E

I want you to know, and I want you to hear me clearly, that I will never be apologetic about attempting to use every tool possible to help ensure that your job is what my grandmother would call a good job, the kind that puts you on a path to self-sufficiency.

E

They also know these workers that I am no johnny come lately, as it relates to the challenges faced by those in this industry.

E

It mattered to me, then, then, as after the meeting I held with them residents of my district who work in this industry, and it matters to me now, that's why I introduced legislation a few years ago that was passed by this council mandating just calls for firing and instituting minimum staffing requirements for parking, lots and garages, and if the parking operators do not comply, then there are consequences, but this time, mr president, we tried to bring the industry and workers, many of whom the workers represented by sciu 32bj, to hammer out a compromise that would help to bring these workers out of poverty.

E

We were attempting to secure industry-wide standards that if they were adopted by all firms, they would have provided these men and women with an increase in wages, okay from a range of ten dollars to thirteen dollars an hour to seventeen dollars to nineteen dollars an hour fully paid employer union health care health care. You know equally as great as the health care we receive as city employees, a 401k retirement plan, eight paid sick leave days per year, five paid vacation days in the first year of service.

E

That would have then gone up to 10 in the second year. This was our goal and a model that could have been duplicated across many industries. Mr president, for low-wage essential workers.

E

This time we did try to bring all of those parties together, listen to a firm that any tax cuts be inextricably connected, listen via a written agreement to the quality of life of workers and not just a of a philosophical ideal. I've heard a lot of that lately. uh Mr president, philosophical ideals, um why did we want the written agreement to be connected to the proposed tax cut? Because we all know that the citizens of philadelphia?

E

They cannot eat ideals alone. They cannot heat their homes with ideals alone. They cannot keep their lights on with ideals alone and ideals alone. Mr president, will not ensure their safety, nor will ideas alone, lift the citizens of philadelphia out of poverty.

E

They need good jobs, good jobs, good jobs, because that is the only economic justice that will not only just lift them out of poverty, but it will ensure and encourage their full participation in the social, economic and political processes that govern the distribution of scarce resources that we need to keep our city thriving.

E

Ultimately, yes, it's unconscionable that the out of state parking operators literally squandered this opportunity, and instead they made a decision to continue to pay poverty, wages.

E

Rather than come to the table to negotiate and lift their employees, our philadelphia citizens out of poverty. Mr president, this fight is not over. I will continue to stand with low-wage, essential workers and do everything I can to bring them out of poverty.

E

This will not deter me one instant from continuing to work towards a day when every worker in the city of philadelphia is paid a living wage with real benefits and can provide for their own families in their own right. The fight for fair wages and equity continues, and I welcome everyone who believes as I do, to join our efforts and moving forward. I thank you. Mister uh president, although we can't mandate, uh you know 15 to 17 per hour, we can't mandate retirement security.

E

We can't mandate the kind of health insurance that, if you, your wife or your family, gets sick and they need to go to the hospital to have a surgery that you won't be in debt for the rest of your life because they needed to seek medical treatment.

E

There will be a day and we will continue to fight for fair wages and equity. I thank you and our colleagues uh for your time and patience. uh Mr president, we will be holding um of this bill and there will be no further activity relative to this bill during our budgetary process. Thank you, mr president,.

A

Thank you councilwoman. Thank you for your continued fight for those of us that need the support of all of us. Thank you very much. um Next, we will move to bill number 2006. Five. Five uh chair recognizes council member parker for a motion on bill number: two: zero, zero, six, five, five.

E

Thank you, mr chairman. I move that bill number two: zero zero. Six five five be reported from this committee with a favorable recommendation and further move that the rules of council be suspended to permit first reading of this bill at the next session of council.

C

Thank you second, second, thank you notes for the record. That means councilwoman. Oh.

A

Well, councilman has been moved and properly property. Second bill number: two: zero, zero. Six five five be reported from this committee of favorable recommendation and further move that the middle of the council would be suspended. So that's when the first meeting of this bill is the next session with council, always if you're the most signified.

C

By saying aye aye all right.

C

Yes, council president, thank you.

A

Thank you. That's a reflect directly with the council when we can and councilman thomas.

A

Emotions charities.

A

Next up um will be bill number two, one, zero, three, two, four, an amendment that was circulated that I referenced earlier. The chair recognizes councilwoman park for emotional amendment to bill number 210-324.

E

Thank you, mr chairman. I offer an amendment to bill number 210324. A copy of the amendment has been circulated to all members of the committee. I move that the amendment to bill number two one: zero three two four be approved.

E

C

A

um The murder probably second, that the amendment to bill number two one: zero, three, two four being food. This will stay in committee, uh if approved, um all those in favor of the emotion will signify by saying aye.

C

Aye aye those opposed.

A

210324 has been approved. This bill will stay in committee report, further action.

A

Next, we will move to uh councilman knows amendment bill number 210 322. I understand that councilman has an amendment for the operating president to offer uh councilmember. Is that correct.

D

Yes, that's correct, council president, as.

A

The amendment circulated uh she recognizes councilman o for motion on his amendment bill number 210, 322.,.

D

Thank you, council uh uh president. I offer an amendment to bill number 210322. A copy of the amendment has been circulated to all members of the committee. I'd like to be recognized for comment before I uh move to uh uh move that the amendment be approved, you steve kelsey. Thank you very much, council president.

D

There are many important issues facing this city. The creative arts economy is not an issue. It's a proven solution to many. If not all of these problems- and that's been well documented, it's done so with almost no support from government, with the notable exception of mayor, ed rendell, who encouraged and recognized philadelphia's future in arts, culture, creativity, innovation and tourism.

D

I've heard far too many intelligent, but uninformed or misinformed people say this city has more important issues than arts and culture. While this city has many pressing issues, it doesn't have many solutions. One of the largest most impactful, sustainable and equitable solutions can be found in the arts and culture economy. It's a huge economy, it's a huge economic engine that will either grow dramatically or fail dramatically. Based on what government decides to do.

D

I tell people, it's not a hobby. It's not a plaything of reach, rich elitist, it's not a self. It's a, not a non-self-sustaining sector, that's fully dependent on nonprofit dollars. It's an ecosystem that includes a huge for-profit sector.

D

Regionally, it's 55, 000 full-time jobs benefit our city in philadelphia alone, 3.4 billion dollars a year of economic impact benefit our population, our communities with salaries, opportunities, self-worth, mentorship education, entrepreneurship, financial independence and even wealth.

D

In philadelphia alone, arts and culture provides 37, 600, full-time jobs. Last year, our city lost 62, 800 jobs. If we were to imagine that the average salary and benefits were at least 40 000 per job, that would be 2.5 billion dollars in lost annual wages.

D

The total job loss in this city since 1970 when we had 920 400 jobs, is a quarter million jobs. We've lost a quarter million jobs since 1970. we're steadily. We have steadily lost jobs until recently, then we started to regain jobs and jobs were growing until coveted 19.

D

in in 2019 philadelphia had 740 hundred jobs, but, as I said, we lost sixty three thousand jobs last year now, there's six hundred seventy seven thousand eight hundred jobs is that number increasing, decreasing or staying level?

D

Clearly, investing in an existing economic engine is a very wise thing to do doing. Tax cuts without associated jobs is wishful. Putting stimulus dollars into structural debt is at best temporary and will not solve this problem.

D

On saturday I was helping a local uh coffee company um with their public launch the contribution of arts and culture to this simple promotion can be listed as follows: three young adults were hired as models, and they got paid.

D

One is a full-time aspiring model, one is a part-time model who is a full-time teacher and one is a full-time college student. A photographer got paid, the setting was at the azalea garden at the art museum, the gardeners and all the workers at this iconic location are being paid. We use three mugs as props each were designed manufactured and paid for there was a bag of chocolate covered pretzels that the company uh makes and we use that that bag was designed manufactured.

D

Everyone got paid, the pretzels were baked in a local plant which was saved from being closed, and so everyone there kept their jobs and got paid. The company is now hiring 25 new workers at its warehouse for fifteen dollars an hour based on the product sales. Thanks to advertising, the coffee is imported, which means it's shipped, delivered and sold. Everyone is getting paid and sales taxes are being paid while the models were modeling.

D

The product music was being played, musicians, producers, audio engineers, studios, songwriters, everybody got paid, city, wage tax will be paid, property tax will fund, our city and schools, rent will be paid, an uber driver got paid and the average advertising company will be paid. The city will be promoted. The logo is a liberty bell, a historic cultural and international symbol of freedom located here in our city, 930 million dollars in annual household income is paid.

D

It's unlikely. These people are going to be a source of homelessness, crime and gun violence.

D

157 million dollars annually in local taxes help funds our schools, social service, anti-violence programs like the ones advocated by members of this city council. All of this is the result of organic economic engine that has been running without government funds because of the devastating damage done by coca-19. This home-grown job and opportunity crater needs government assistance to keep laying the golden eggs that it has been.

D

Laying all this time, I'd like to talk about the impact on underserved communities, which is widely acknowledged, hip-hop urban fan fashion, dance, popping, locking jazz gospel, music, funk djing edn for those much older than me. They'll. Remember when uh we had the sound of philly, sigma, sound studio, philadelphia, international records and how that impacted, our african-american community, bringing wealth and prestige into our communities created collaborations how about live, jazz and comedy on 52nd street yeah. That was a thing when 52nd street was live, entertainment.

D

What about film television, theater, drum line, graphic design, set design, carpentry stage handlers, audio engineers, producers photographers advertise video, recording television, crews, pre and post production? Computer work film truck drivers last time I checked 150 000 a year for driving teamsters for driving a film production, truck screenwriters novelist, poets, spoken, word, artists and so much more.

D

The equity and opportunity in the arts has defied racial barriers, prejudice and uh discriminatory laws throughout our history, and it a lot of it born in philadelphia.

D

According to cultural alliance, philadelphia's, art and culture economy lost 310 million dollars in revenues between 2020 and 2021, in order to restart the creative arts economy and prevent it from collapsing council's committee on global opportunities and the creative innovative economy has been working on this issue since the start of covet 19..

D

That's because performing venues were the first to close first to lay off workers first to refund ticket sales, they still paid rent and all their other other bills and they'll be the last to open this impacted, the rest of the sector's ecosystem, how much more to save and restart and grow the arts and culture sector.

D

A creative arts economy needs more than a 45 million dollar fund, it's not enough, but it's the least that we could do.

D

This is what our committee came up, based on meetings with industry leaders based on a public hearing that we held, there's 36, 000, full-time jobs in philadelphia alone in a bright future in a very competitive global market, where cities and countries around the world have a a strategy to take music art film and build an economic engine of their own. On that this economy is undergoing serious changes and shifts. We should not disregard what others are so deter determined to build.

D

Our artists and related workers will leave our city take their dollars, their families, their opportunities to more supportive locations here in the us and abroad. The american rescue plan federal stimulus dollars was given to our city council decides what to do with that 1.4 billion dollars.

D

That's a role of council now the mayor has offered his proposal, but he doesn't make that decision. He's got an idea now. I disagree with his idea and I think many council members do as well. We believe that this stimulus dollar should be used to revitalize our economy, create those jobs.

D

I've offered this amendment, which includes fully restoring the city's arts budget, creating a new fund for the the creative arts economy, along with a very reasonable amount of funding for livable communities.

D

That is specifically 45 million into city council for the creation of a creative economy, recovery fund, 2.2 million into the managing director's office to restore the office of arts, culture and the creative economy, the philadelphia cultural fund and the greater philadelphia film office, 14 million dollars to increase uh the funds to planning and development for the housing trust fund, to restore pre-pandemic funding levels, uh six million to the land bank for planning and development to restore funding to the land bank for operations and acquisitions, 3.75 million for parks and rec for pre-pandemic funding, 1.67 million to match fy20 funding for commercial corridor cleaning, storefront improvement, business security, camera programs and, finally, one million dollars for infrastructure in the managing director's office to create a sidewalk repair strategy, as recommended by the 2018 sidewalk policy transportation, community development initiative and to restore vision, zero program funding for fiscal year 20., that's collectively, livable communities request.

D

um This is, in summary, the amendment that I've provided. It is in writing and I will move that the um that the uh amendment be adopted.

E

A

It's been moved and properly seconded at the amendment to bill number two one: zero. They approve all those in favor indicate by saying aye.

C

Aye all right, those opposed no.

D

I'll request, a roll call uh vote counts. President for clarity. Thank you.

A

um Mr mcdermott, a roll.

B

Call council, member bass, aye council member, brooks council member dobb.

B

Council member cartier.

C

B

Council member gilmore richardson.

C

B

Councilmember green name, council member.

C

B

Councilmember heenan, nay, councilmember johnson.

C

B

Councilmember jones council member o'neil, aye, council member, oh hi, council, member, parker, nay, council, member canon sanchez.

C

B

Council members.

B

Council member thomas.

B

May council president clark.

A

Name mays: have it promotions fails. I just want to say record. I know I'm not supposed to talk, but I'm on the podium as the council president, but today I'm here as the chair, so I just want to say uh for the record for those that may be wise for councilman. We've concur with a few uh significant amount of the issues, particularly around arts and economics in the cultural economy, new economy. I mean you clearly understand we concur, but there is simply an issue with respect to the budget process challenge associated with.

A

Unfortunately, um we do have a lot of issues that we have to deal with. We want, wherever possible, address everybody's issues. There are situations that are equally as um so. You know you know we're within the spirit, but those simply bunch of realities. The need is broad, uh much broader than resources.

D

Thank you very much, council president. I understand that's why you know you know we're.

A

We're great fighting to increase funding for uh the creative economy and arts and culture as we speak. So thank you so uh as we do not consider the action be taken on the remaining.

C

President, I'm sorry council president, um this is uh mark squill. I apologize for being tardy getting one late. I just want to be. I don't just want to be recorded as I own bills and amendments. Thank you. Okay,.

A

um All right, thank you all.

C

A

Thank you councilman. uh Who was it? Okay? That's good! Thank you, council. uh That's a record reflect uh okay, uh as we will not consider the action be taken on the remaining bills or the resolution before the committee today, chair, recognizes councilmember parker for motion.

E

Thank you, mr chairman. I moved at the public meeting on bill numbers.

E

Eight 210-283-210-284-210-285 two one zero three, two, two, two one: zero three, two, three, two one: zero three, two four and resolution number two: one: zero three three six stand in recess until thursday june 17 2021 at 9 30 a.m. Second,.

A

Thank you, and probably second at the public meeting of this committee of the bills and resolutions. It's read by councilmember parker be recessed until thursday june 17, 2021 and 9 30. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye aye aye.

C

A

Aye motion carries this committee will stand in recess until thursday june 17th 2021 at 9 30 a.m, which time we will reconvene for microsoft's teams. um I obviously will continue to be in contact with all members as it relates to uh the fbi 22 budget. uh To those four of the to conversation. Thank.

C

C