►
From YouTube: May 29, 2015: Committee on Law and Government
Description
May 29, 2015 -- The Committee on Law and Government met to discuss and hear testimony on various items on their agenda.
For information on the items discussed:
https://phila.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=400142&GUID=BC9CA88C-66BC-4567-B66E-11CE2CBCDE71
A
A
B
Number
150
368
in
ordinance
amending
chapter
21
thousand
of
the
Philadelphia
code,
entitled
political
contributions
and
expenditures
by
further
providing
for
disclosures
relating
to
contributions
and
committee
expenditures,
including
electioneering
communications
expenditures,
further
defining
expenditures
further
providing
for
regulation
of
contributions
and
making
technical
changes
all
under
certain
terms
and
conditions.
Thank.
C
A
D
Mr.
chairman
members
of
the
committee,
thank
you.
As
I
said,
my
name
is
Michael
cook,
director
of
enforcement
for
the
city's
Board
of
Ethics.
Thank
you
for
the
opportunity
to
testify
favorably
on
bill.
150
368
concerning
the
city's
campaign.
Finance
law.
Board
of
Ethics
has
administered
the
city's
campaign,
finance
law
since
its
inception
and
I've
been
involved
in
that
process
since
2008.
D
At
the
outset,
I
should
note
that
this
bill
has
been
a
collaborative
effort
between
the
board
and
City
Council
and,
as
such,
I,
don't
think
anything
I'll
say
today
will
be
surprising
to
members
of
the
committee.
Needless
to
say,
the
bar
board
strongly
supports
the
bill
and
commends
council
for
its
efforts
to
keep
Philadelphia
at
the
forefront
of
the
ever-evolving
response
to
recent
Court
decisions
that
have
so
profoundly
altered.
D
The
way
money
influences
elections
in
this
country,
bill,
150
368,
would
amend
code
chapter,
twenty-one
thousand
by
enhancing
the
campaign
finance
disclosures
required
for
candidates,
political
committees
and
other
entities
that
participate
in
or
spend
money
to
influence
city
elections
over
the
past
few
years.
Judicial
decisions,
such
as
the
Citizens
United
case,
have
dramatically
shifted
the
landscape
of
campaign
finance
spending.
D
Significant
money
is
now
being
spent
by
groups
other
than
candidates
and
traditional
political
committees.
Some
of
the
spending
is
done
through
nonprofits.
These
entities
often
try
to
exploit
laws
that
have
not
kept
pace
with
the
changes
wrought
by
Court
decisions
in
order
to
disclose
as
little
of
their
funding
and
activity
as
possible.
As
a
result,
the
public
does
not
know
the
source
of
much
of
the
money
now
being
spent
in
elections
in
this
country.
D
Another
gap
in
the
existing
law
is
that
most
candidates
and
political
committees
that
spend
influence
city
elections
do
not
file
campaign.
Finance
reports
disclosing
their
activity
until
two
weeks
before
the
primary
or
general
election
for
last
two
weeks
before
these
elections,
political
committees
and
other
persons
who
make
independent
expenditures
of
five
hundred
dollars
or
more
do
have
to
report
those
expenditures
within
24
hours.
But
in
those
reports
they
don't
have
to
disclose
their
sources
of
funding
bill.
D
150
368
would
address
the
shortcomings
caused
by
recent
Court
decisions
and
inadequate
reporting
by
adding
the
following
enhanced
disclosure
requirements
to
the
city's
campaign
finance
law.
It
would
add
an
additional
reporting
requirement.
Six
weeks
before
the
election
for
candidate
committees
of
City
candidates
and
any
political
committees
that
make
expenditures
to
influence
a
city
election
would
impose
new
reporting
requirements
on
any
person,
including
a
political
committee
other
than
a
candidate
political
committee
or
not-for-profit
organization.
D
That
makes
or
incurs
expenditures
for
electioneering
communications
aggregating
in
excess
of
five
thousand
dollars
within
the
50
days
prior
to
the
election.
Because
of
the
time-sensitive
nature
of
these
last-minute
communications,
these
new
reporting
requirements
are
imposed
on
four
different
dates
within
the
50-day
pre-election
period.
Two
of
those
dates
would
overlap
with
current
reporting
dead
legs
under
the
State
Election
Code
in
the
city's
campaign.
D
Finance
law
reports
filed
based
on
this
requirement
would
disclose
not
just
the
particular
expenditure
that
triggered
the
obligation
to
file,
but
also
all
funding
received
and
expenditures
made
and
debt
incurred
in
the
new
reporting
period.
The
bill
would
also
expand,
reportable,
independent
expenditures
beyond
just
express
advocacy
for
against
a
candidate
to
include
any
spending
for
communications
that,
within
50
days
of
a
covered
election
either
promotes
attacks,
supports
or
opposes
a
candidate
or
refers
to
or
depicts
a
candidate
in
that
covered
election
on
behalf
of
the
board
I.
Thank
you
for
your
consideration
of
this.
D
As
I
said
at
the
beginning,
my
testimony
the
board
strongly
supports
it
and
commence
counsel
for
taking
up
this
matter.
We're
particularly
pleased
with
an
appreciative
of
the
excellent
dialogue
we've
had
with
counsel
and
counsel
staffers
over
the
past
several
months
on
campaign
finance
issues
look
forward
to
continuing
to
work
with
you
on
this
topic,
as
well
as
any
other
matters
within
our
jurisdiction.
I
should
note,
before
I
close,
that
we
have
proposed
a
technical
amendment
to
the
bill
which
we
previously
provided
to
council
staff
and
I
believe
they
shared
with
you
and
with
that.
A
C
C
I
think
it'd
probably
be
your
duty
to
to
bring
these
things
to
our
attention
and
change
that
you
think
needs
be
done
and
I'm
in
my
short
time
here,
I
haven't
got
anything
from
you
obvious
wondering
the
do
you
have
any
suggestions
of
changes
that
need
to
be
neat
made
besides
this
one
here
in
front
of
you
today,
whereas,
let's
say
I'm
going
to
say
TV
media
by
someone
buys
four
hundred
thousand
dollars,
and
does
it
report
that
for
two
weeks
before
an
election
I
mean
we
saw
that
happen?
Let's
fix
that.
So.
C
D
Because
the
proposed
bill
sets
the
trigger
for
reporting
at
either
when
the
money
is
spent
or
the
promise
to
pay
is
made.
Whichever
is
sooner
so.
If
I
make
the
arrangement
with
the
TV
station
six
weeks
before
the
election,
then
that
would
trigger
my
filing
requirement.
I
wouldn't
have
to
wait
until
I
sent
them.
The
check
do.
C
D
C
D
D
E
Me
help
help
you
out
of
it.
Okay,
you
probably
don't
know
the
legislative
intent
of
setting
that
threshold,
so
you
probably
can
respond
to
it.
I
actually
set
the
threshold
and
I
did
it
based
upon
looking
at
how
money
was
invested
in
previous
campaigns,
and
so
what
even
people
were
not
millionaires
would
invest
in
a
campaign
how
far
they
would
go
or
not
go
even
in
charge
of
forging
their
houses,
and
so
it
was
truly
meant
to
be
a
millionaire's
of
evident
for
people
who
had
extraordinary
resources,
as
opposed
to
even
moderate,
to
middle-income
people.
C
D
A
F
You,
mr.
chairman,
good
morning,
come
on
I
just
wanted
to
thank
you
so
much
for
your
working
with
our
staff
and
the
collaborative
way.
Also
the
administration
was
a
part
of
the
collaboration.
I
was
one
of
how
much
I
appreciate
us
working
in
a
proactive
way
to
put
what
we
think
is
legislation
that
will
clearly
have
some
impact
on
the
future
elections.
I
did
want
to
quickly
way
in
I,
wasn't
going
to
talk
about
anything
else,
but
other
than
that.
F
But
one
of
the
issues-
and
this
is
this-
is
an
issue
that,
from
a
from
a
practical
perspective,
the
millionaires
provision,
persons
of
millionaire
right
god
bless
them,
which
we
all
could
be
millionaires
and
that
person
probably
hangs
around
people
that
might
be
millionaires
right.
Yeah
I'm
assess
it's
a
simple
reality.
We're,
like
you,
know,
regular
people
well,
I.
Think
all
of
us
live
a
row
home
or
place
to
go
home.
F
Jeremy
I
live
in
the
town,
townhouse,
that's
right,
they
manage
they
reclassified
fair
amount,
but
the
simple
reality
is:
is
that
people
of
certain
wealth
they
tend
to
hang
around.
So
the
challenge
is
that
the
way
it's
and
I've
seen
in
the
last
election
and
a
half
is
that
self
finance
people
or
either
people
that
have
the
ability
to
get
contributions.
F
Their
contributions
tend
to
be
at
the
maximum
level
as
opposed
to
members
like
us,
we
get
thousand-dollar
1200
1500,
because
you
know
regular
people,
you
know,
and
so
the
concern
is
this
generally
with
respects
to
the
campaign
limits,
and
you
know,
I
voted
for.
We
I
think
those
of
us
that
were
here
well
intentioned,
but
the
challenge
is:
is
it
continuing
to
create
a
imbalance
in
terms
of
the
ability
to
put
the
message
out
there?
F
As
you
know
early
on-
and
this
is
probably
for
a
longer
discussion-
I
wasn't
going
to
bring
it
up
but
early
on
in
the
campaign.
When
you
looked
at
the
numbers
associated
with
the
mayoral
candidates
and
the
council,
cans
is
relatively
low,
the
money
didn't
start
flowing
until
people
start
putting
the
finger
in
the
air
and
say:
oh,
this
guy's
won't
win
all
right.
F
They
start
throwing
money,
but
at
some
point
I
think
we
probably
need
to
talk
about
not
only
the
millionaires
provision
with
some
of
the
other
provisions,
because
we
we
really
would
like
to
have
a
balanced
playing
field.
I
know
there
were
a
lot
of
good
people
that
had
good
messages,
but
because
they
didn't
have
the
wherewithal
to
get
those
kind
of
contributions,
it
really
hindered
their
ability
to
get
their
message.
F
D
G
For
with
us
on
the
whole
financial
peace,
since
I
passed
a
bill
from
time
ago
and
understanding
the
politics
of
what
we
do
and
come
in
to
some
conclusion
and
agreement
on
how
we
would
work
to
resolve
some
of
the
issues
that
came
about
and
I
want
to.
Thank
you
and
the
staff
for
working
with
us
and
while
I
may
not
be
on
council.
I
will
be
calling
you,
because
there
are
some
issues
that
I
think
we
ought
to
discuss
further.
Be.
A
H
H
Under
our
current
system
campaign,
finance
information
often
is
disclosed
either
too
long
before
or
too
close
to
an
election
for
the
public
in
the
press
to
have
adequate
time
to
scrutinize
how
campaigns
are
funded
and
who
is
giving
money
in
support
of
candidates.
This
is
particularly
true
in
the
current
age
of
independent
expenditures
because
of
deregulation
by
the
Supreme
Court.
These
outlays
by
independent
groups
have
become
a
formidable
feature
of
our
campaign
landscape,
most
recently
in
the
city's
mayoral
campaign.
H
A
startling
proportion
of
the
money
spent
came
from
independent
groups,
not
affiliated
or
coordinated
with
a
candidate.
The
public
has
every
reason
to
know
about
the
origin
of
these
expenditures
in
order
to
further
safeguard
against
the
potential
influence
and,
equally,
the
pen
tential
appearance
of
influence
that
these
type
of
independent
spending
may
have
on
our
elected
officials.
We
applaud
the
Board
of
Ethics
for
proposing
this
legislation
and
working
with
counsel
to
advancing
it.
H
The
board,
charged
with
enforcing
our
campaign
finance
laws,
is
wisely
suggesting
a
more
robust
disclosure
requirement
requirements
that
will
not
only
assist
it
in
timely
evaluating
potential
violations
of
those
laws,
but
just,
as
importantly,
will
help
shine
light
on
who
is
funding.
Elections
in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia
needs
this
type
of
chime,
to
help
hold
elected
officials
accountable
to
the
public
and
to
bolster
confidence
in
our
government
overall.
For
these
reasons,
another
administration
strongly
supports
bill
number
150
368
as
introduced
and
amended,
and
we
respectfully
encourage
the
committee
to
give
this
bill
its
favorable
recommendation.
A
You,
and
as
far
as
that
amendment,
that
will
be
offered
at
the
at
the
meeting
of
the
committee
any
question
seeing
none.
Thank
you
Thanks.
Anyone
else
here
to
testify
on
this
bill,
seeing
none
for
the
record.
We
have
written
testimony
in
support
from
the
committee
at
70
any
again.
Anyone
else
testify
on
this
particular
bill,
seeing
none,
there's
marconi
the
final
bill
and
the
resolution
before
it's
today
bill.
B
Number
140
721
an
ordinance
providing
for
the
submission
to
the
qualified
electors
of
city
of
Philadelphia
of
the
proposal
set
forth
in
a
resolution
approved
by
council
presenting
amendments
of
the
Philadelphia
home
rule
charter
relating
to
the
creation
of
a
new
Department
of
Planning
development,
headed
by
a
cabinet-level
director
to
oversee
the
city's
planning.
Zoning
licensing,
inspection
enforcement
and
housing
functions.
B
Continuing
the
existence
of
the
City
Planning
Commission
philadelphia,
store,
achill,
Commission,
Zoning,
Board
of
Adjustment
board
of
building
standards
and
board
of
license
and
inspection
reviews
as
boards
or
commissions,
and
such
new
department,
with
certain
changes
to
the
powers
and
duties
of
such
boards
and
commissions.
Creating
a
new
intergovernmental
housing
commission
in
such
new
department
and
conforming
other
provisions
of
the
Charter
to
such
reorganization
and
authorizing
the
appropriate
officers
to
publish
notice
and
to
make
arrangements
for
the
special
election
and
resolution.
B
140
is
732
resolution
proposing
an
amendment
to
the
Philadelphia
home
rule
charter
relating
to
the
creation
of
a
new
Department
of
Planning
and
Development,
headed
by
a
cabinet-level
director
to
oversee
the
city's
planning.
Zoning
licensing,
inspection
enforcement
and
housing
functions.
Continuing
the
existence
of
the
City
Planning
Commission
Philadelphia
Historical,
Commission
zoning
board
of
adjustment
board
of
building
standards
and
board
of
license
and
inspection
review
as
boards
or
commissions
in
such
new
department,
with
certain
changes
to
the
powers
and
duties
of
such
pores
and
commissions.
B
F
Thank
You
mr.
chairman,
real
briefly
and
then
I'm
going
to
get
out
of
here,
because
I'm
not
on
the
committee
I
just
wanted
to
say
that
I
really
appreciated
the
fact
that
there
was
substantive
dialogue
with
respects
to
this
particular
proposal
across
the
board
stakeholders
non
stakeholders,
anybody
that
had
any
interest
in
how
we
do
business
in
the
government
understand
that
restructuring
government
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia
is
a
big
thing,
fully
acknowledged
that
participated
in
earlier
versions
of
restructuring
government,
as
I
said,
fair
mark
parks
and
recs,
and
it's
working
well
now.
F
But
it
gave
us
the
ability
to
understand
that
this
is
it
going
to
be
a
working
document
if,
in
fact,
we
get
it
enacted
and
with
the
full
participation
of
everyone
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia,
because
at
the
end
of
the
day,
we
think
that
it
impacts
our
lives.
So
I
just
want
to
thank
everybody
who
is
taking
time
over
the
last
several
months
to
participate
in
this
spirited
conversation.
F
We
think
that
the
new
mayor
he
or
she
if,
in
fact,
this
is
enacted,
I,
have
to
be
politically
rector-
will
in
fact
be
in
a
position
to
utilize
this
particular
tool
to
really
benefit
all
of
the
citizens
of
the
city
of
Philadelphia.
So
I
just
wanted
to
thank
all
of
you,
members
that
our
committee,
and
particularly
the
staff
for
your
great
work.
Thank
you
very
much.
Thank.
I
We
are
pleased
to
support
this
bill
and
appreciate
the
collaborative
approach
taken
by
council
president
Clark
and
his
staff
in
the
development
of
this
proposal
based
on
feedback
from
the
administration
and
a
range
of
stakeholders.
The
proposed
amendments
before
the
committee
today
will
consolidate
and
continue
the
progress
made
toward
the
better
coordination
of
real
estate
development
housing
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia.
I
The
proposed
structure
takes
many
of
the
positive
elements
of
the
structure
currently
in
place
to
facilitate
a
coordinated
approach
to
development
across
city
government,
for
example,
the
creation
of
a
division
of
development
services
formalizes
and
strengthens
the
role
currently
played
by
the
developer
services
unit
within
the
Department
of
Commerce.
His
function
is
to
help
developers
navigate
the
various
proposals
required
by
departments
across
city
government
on
major
real
estate
development
projects.
Our
experience
has
been
bringing
all
departments
around
the
same
table
to
provide
feedback
and
guidance
on
projects
has
proved
a
great
value
to
developers.
I
Similarly,
incorporation
of
the
Historical
Commission
and
the
office
of
housing
community
development
into
the
Charter,
a
positive
steps.
It's
a
priority
of
the
administration's,
make
it
easier
to
do
business
in
the
city
and
to
provide
a
coordinator,
predictable
process
for
real
estate
development.
We
believe
that
this
proposal
contributes
to
these
goals
and
therefore
we
support
the
bill
and
resolution
before
this
committee
today.
Thank
you
and
happy
dance.
Any
questions.
Okay,.
A
J
Name
is
ANFO
duelin
I'm,
president
of
the
building
industry
association.
The
BIA
represents
residential
building
industry
in
the
Philadelphia
region.
I
want
to
thank
councilman
bill
Greenlee
and
the
cut
vernon's
committee
for
allowing
us
to
testify,
and
also
thank
President
council
council
president
Darrell
Clarke
on
his
leadership
on
this
charter
change
bill.
12
years
ago,
the
BIA
published
a
report
called,
if
you
fix
it,
they
will
come,
and
one
of
the
things
that
we
recommended
in
the
report
was
to
create
one
stop
shop
for
permitting
this.
J
J
It
also
memorializes
a
lot
of
the
positive
changes
that
have
been
made
under
the
nutter
administration
that
facilitate
development
and
there
by
the
economic
growth
of
the
city.
Having
served
in
two
different
mayoral
administration's
I
have
first-hand
knowledge
of
the
transition
period
experienced
during
the
transfer
of
one
administration
to
another.
Without
a
clear-cut
organizational
structure,
this
transition
period
can
too
often
be
disruptive
rather
than
cooperative,
but
memorializing.
A
clear
streamline,
organizational
structure
for
planning
and
development.
The
bill
will
help
ensure
a
consistent,
transparent
and
predictable
process
moving
forward.
J
J
A
K
You
I
talk
loud
too,
so
that
might
help
the
public
good
morning
and
thank
you
for
the
opportunity
to
testify.
My
name
is
Beth
McConnell
policy
director
with
the
Philadelphia
Association
of
CDC's
PA
CDC
supports
the
amended
bill
number
140,
721
and
resolution
140
732,
because
we
believe
it
can
help
create
stronger
coordination,
communication
and
planning
between
the
various
local
public
agencies
that
deal
with
housing
and
community
development.
I
do
want
to
thank
council
president
and
also
specifically
acknowledge
her
wetzel
for
the
very
hard
work
over
many
many
months.
K
I'm
considering
stakeholder
input
and
refining
this
bill
and
resolution.
We
support
the
creation
of
the
department
of
planning
and
development
as
a
cabinet
level
position.
Creating
this
department
at
the
highest
level
of
government
reflects
an
acknowledgement
that
decisions
about
the
built
environment
of
our
city
have
significant
impacts
on
the
quality
of
life
of
our
residents,
as
well
as
their
economic
opportunities.
K
So
we
certainly
support
making
this
agency
permanent
in
the
Charter,
and
we
also
strongly
support
the
requirement
that
this
new
DHCD
creating
multi-year
strategic
housing
plan
for
the
city,
because
we
believe
Philadelphia
must
set
ambitious
but
achievable
short
and
long
term
goals,
as
well
as
implement
multi-year
strategies
to
address
the
massive
unmet
need
for
affordable
homes,
while
also
increasing
the
quality
and
availability
of
workforce
and
market
rate
homes.
In
fact,
creating
the
strategic
plan
is
one
of
the
top
recommendations
in
our
policy
platform
that
we
released
just
in
February
on
equitable
development
for
Philadelphia.
K
Similarly,
we're
pleased
to
see
the
creation
of
the
housing
advisory
board,
which
will
play
a
vital
role
in
the
development
of
a
long-term
strategic
housing
plan.
This
housing
advisory
board
of
practitioners
and
policy
experts
will
ensure
ongoing
consistent
input
on
the
city's
housing
plans
and
implementation,
and
will
create
an
opportunity
to
hold
future
administration's
accountable
to
stakeholders
around
both
creation
and
implementation
of
the
strategic
housing
plan.
K
Language
and
the
resolution
that
directs
the
new
DHCD
to
convene
key
housing
agencies.
Formalizes
important
work
that
began
during
the
nutter
administration
to
improve
communication
and
collaboration
and
coordination
CDC's
that
build
affordable
homes
and
also
create
mixed-use
development,
often
have
to
navigate
an
alphabet
soup
of
public
agencies
to
cobble
together
all
of
the
necessary
funding
and
support
and
permissions
to
get
their
projects
off
the
ground
and
the
limited
resources
that
we
have
for
the
development
of
affordable
homes
is
spread
across
multiple
agencies
that
serve
different
purposes.
K
The
current
leadership
at
these
agencies
has
already
begun
to
improve
that
interagency
communication
and
the
language
in
this
resolution
will
assure
that
work
that
critical
work
continues
in
the
next
administration.
Pa
CDC
also
wants
to
recommend
that
there
be
some
common
leadership
of
various
housing
agencies.
This
would
not
be
achieved
through
legislation,
but
more
through
implementation,
not
through
the
legislative,
language
or
ordinance,
but
as
the
next
administration
charged
with
implementing
this
plan
considers
its
next
steps.
We
hope
they
consider
the
value
of
having
some
common
board
membership.
K
K
Navigating
the
many
agencies
that
enforce
those
standards
for
a
single
project
takes
extraordinary
patience
and
perseverance
and
creating
this
new
division
charged
with
helping
navigate
this
web
of
agencies
and
advance
their
projects
and
full
compliance
with
all
rules
as
long
past
due
and
we'll
help
developers
of
large
and
small
projects
alike
and
again,
as
the
next
administration
considers
implementation
of
this
new
division,
We
strongly
encourage
it's
given
adequate
resources
to
do
that.
Job,
including
leadership
that
is
empowered
to
compel
cooperation
from
other
agencies
and
dedicated
staff
to
ensure
adequate
capacity.
A
You
mr.
McConnell
mr.
Chavo,
before
you
start
I'm
glad
you
mentioned
mr.
Wetzel
and
if
I
could
add
also
let
John
Christmas
both
did
a
yeoman's
job
in
putting
pulling
all
this
together
and
meeting
with
all
the
various
interest
groups
and
and
coming
up
with
I.
Think
a
you
know
an
excellent
bill
today.
So
thank
you.
Mr.
Chavo.
L
Good
morning,
members
of
the
committee
on
long
government,
thank
you
for
the
opportunity
to
comment
on
this
important
piece
of
legislation.
My
name
is
Joe
schiavo
and
I'm.
Addressing
you
today
on
behalf
of
the
Philadelphia
crosstown
coalition,
a
coalition
comprised
of
some
20
local
civic
organizations
I
serve
the
committee
as
chair
of
its
zoning
and
land
use
committee.
L
Turning
from
the
particulars
of
the
resolution
to
its
planned
implementation,
the
Coalition
cannot
ignore
the
practical
consideration
that
each
member
of
council
who
may
support
the
charter
change
in
both
its
broad
stroke,
concepts
and
administrative
detail
must
also
accept
the
responsibility
to
appropriately
fund
its
functions.
Council
has
recently
passed
zoning
code
reform,
but
has
failed
to
adequately
fund
remapping
stalling
the
benefits
of
true
zoning
reform.
L
A
Questions
from
for
any
of
those
three
witnesses
seeing
none.
Thank
you
all
and
before
miss
Marconi
reads.
The
next
group
I
just
want
to
put
on
the
record.
There
will
be
a
letter
submitted
from
the
Greater
Philadelphia
association
of
realtors
in
support
of
this
bill
and
resolution.
Miss
Marconi,
Craig.
A
A
M
Morning,
mr.
chairman
members,
the
committee,
my
name,
is
Craig
shelter,
I'm
the
executive
director
of
the
development
workshop.
We
are
501
c
6,
nonprofit
trade
association
dedicated
to
fostering
development,
improving
the
city's
tax
base
in
growing
philadelphia.
Our
members
include
developers,
lenders,
architects,
planners
engineers,
attorneys
associated
real
estate
professionals
and
former
city
development
officials.
We
appreciate
the
opportunity
to
testify
at
this
hearing,
to
comment
on
the
City
Council
amendments
of
the
bill
and
resolution
above
that
will
dramatically
reorganize
city
agencies
dealing
with
planning
and
development
in
the
city.
M
At
the
previous
committee
hearings
of
December,
eighth
and
February
18th,
we
recommended
that
council
and
the
mayor
jointly
created,
commissioned
to
give
these
issues
appropriate
consideration
from
all
stakeholders.
The
office
of
the
council
president
responded
in
mid-april
with
an
invitation
for
an
alternate
approach
which
was
for
entrances,
take
hold,
errs
to
jointly
attend
meetings
with
City
Council
staff
to
discuss
further
amendments
to
the
bill
and
the
resolution
attendings
at
attendance
attendees
that
these
meetings
included
staff
from
the
Department
of
Commerce
planning
and
law,
stakeholders
representing
development
design,
community
interests
and
members
of
City
Council
staff.
M
M
That
said,
we
continue
to
believe
that
certain
important
aspects
of
the
reorganization
have
not
been
adequately
dealt
with
as
an
example
with
regard
to
the
Historical
Commission
in
Section
4605,
a
the
language
that
governs
current
historic
designations
on
the
text
of
that
is
their
designated
historic
building,
structure,
sites,
objects
and
public
interior
portions
of
building
spaces,
whether
interior,
exterior
collectively
for
purposes
of
this
section
all
pursuant
to
the
criteria
and
procedure
set
forth
by
city
city
ordinance.
We
believe
this
opens
the
door
for
designation
of
historic
building
interiors
by
removing
the
word
public.
M
I
would
say
that
any
accompanying
any
charter
change
affecting
planning
and
the
zoning
division
of
the
new
department.
It
remains
critical
that
city
council
alec
wait,
allocate
adequate
staff
and
budget
in
the
effort
of
that
division,
especially
with
regard
to
the
zoning
remapping
effort,
which
needs
to
go
on
citywide,
which
was
designated
as
part
of
the
zoning
code
change
back
some
three
years
ago.
We
also
recommend
that
the
short
title
in
text
of
the
bill
reflect
the
amended
intergovernmental
Housing
Commission
be
changed
to
the
housing,
Advisory
Commission
housing
advisory
board.
M
A
N
You
mr.
Carmichael
sclera
chaired
development
workshop
I
would
join
in
everything
that
Craig
said.
I
would
also
say
that
the
that
it
turns
out
that
the
process
that
the
council
president
presented
to
us
worked
and
amazing
isn't
it.
It
is
incredible.
I
know
it's
not
incredible.
It's
it
was
terrific.
There
was.
It
was
done
on
a
very
short
time
frame.
Her
wetzel
and
John
Christmas
I've
got
us
all
the
amendments.
It
was
well
thought
out,
as
Craig
said
it
was.
N
N
O
You,
mr.
chairman
darrell
zaslow
legal
counsel
to
jaco
the
homeowners
association
of
Philadelphia
hopko
represents
owners
of
residential
rental
property.
I
want
to
take
the
opportunity
to
encourage
the
committee
to
pass
and
the
council
to
enact
the
proposed
legislation.
It
is
very
well
done
if
you
cannot
reduce
your
proposal
down
to
two
pages
that
is
too
complicated
and
we
received
a
copy
of
a
two
page
summary
of
this
proposal,
which
is
so
clear,
articulates
the
department
that
divisions
it's
very
well
mr.
Wetzel
should
be
complicated,
should
be
commended
complimented
for
that
as
well.
O
You
don't
need
me
really
here
to
tell
you
that
it's
a
good
proposal.
You
know
that
really
what
I
want
to
suggest
you,
mr.
chairman
members
of
the
committee,
is
a
problem
here
is
the
requirement
that
this
be
submitted
as
a
referendum
to
the
voters.
I
served
as
solicitor
in
Bucks
County
for
many
years.
I
had
the
privilege
of
writing
the
administrative
code
for
bensalem
township,
it's
the
largest
second
class
Township
in
this
state.
We
had
a
free
reign
to
create
a
government
which
was
appropriate
for
the
township
here
in
Philadelphia.
O
So
if
there
is
some
capability
to
take
out
of
this
hearing
that
the
city
charter
should
be
changed
and
that
the
state
law
Allen
Harrisburg
needs
to
be
changed
to
remove
these
referendum
requirements.
So
the
You
mr.
chairman
and
your
wisdom
are
able
to
create
a
form
of
government
which
functions
for
Philadelphia,
without
presuming
that
citizens
are
going
to
have
some
better
idea
than
you
have
and
that
all
these
people
have
examined
this
detail
and
if
testify
this
morning.
Thank
you.
Thank.