Philadelphia City Council Committee on Rules, 1 Nov 2022

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From YouTube: Committee on Rules 11-1-2022

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The Committee on Rules of the Council of the City of Philadelphia held a Public Hearing on Tuesday, November 1, 2022 to hear testimony on the following items:

220418
An Ordinance amending Title 14 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled “Zoning and Planning,” by revising and clarifying certain provisions and making technical changes, all under certain terms and conditions.

220769
An Ordinance authorizing Animal Husbandry Use on a certain location within an area bounded by Reservoir Drive, Fountain Green Drive, Kelly Drive, Girard Avenue, and 33rd Street, all under certain terms and conditions.

220776
An Ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Cottman Avenue, the Montgomery County Line, the Bucks County Line, Interstate 95, Grant Avenue, and Roosevelt Boulevard.

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Thank you and welcome today is Tuesday November, 1st 2022 and it's the committee on rules I understand that the state law currently requires that the following announcement be made at the beginning of every remote public hearing as follows.

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Due to the current Public Health Emergency city council committees are currently meeting remotely, we are using Microsoft teams to make that remote hearing possible instructions for how the public May, View and offer public testimony of public hearings of council committees are included in the public hearing, notices that are published in The, Daily, News, inquire and legal intelligence are prior to the hearings and can also be found on phlcouncil.com.

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Will the clerk please read? uh Please call the roll to take attendance and at the and uh the members, please state your name and then say a few words so you're your picture may appear on the screen. Look.

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Council, member Catherine, Gilmore Richardson.

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Member David L.

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Good morning, chair and colleagues I'm president as well.

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Council, member Cindy Bass good.

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Morning, Mr, chairman and colleagues I am president council.

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Member Brian O'neill.

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Good morning, everyone I am present.

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Council, member Curtis, Jones Jr.

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Good morning Mr chair colleagues, I am president and chair Escuela.

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Good morning I am present, a quorum of the committee is present and the hearing is now called to order. This is the public hearing of the committee on rules regarding bill number.

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220418-220-769 and 220-776 when a clerk, please reads the title of the bills:.

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Bill number two: two: zero four one: eight, an ordinance amending title, 14 of the Philadelphia code, entitled zoning and planning by revising and clarifying certain provisions and making technical changes all under certain terms and conditions.

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Bill number 220769; an ordinance authorizing animal head husbandry, use on a certain location within an area bounded by Reservoir, Drive, Fountain, Green, Drive, Kelly, Drive, Gerard, Avenue and 33rd Street, all under certain terms and conditions, and, finally, uh bill number 220-776, an ordinance to amend the Philadelphia zoning maps by changing the zoning designation of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Cottman Avenue, the Montgomery County Line, the Bucks County Line Interstate, 95, Grants, Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard.

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Mr chair, you are muted.

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Thank you clerk appreciate it before we begin to hearing testimony from the witnesses we have for today. Everyone who has been invited to the meeting to testify should be aware that this is a public hearing and is being recorded, because the hearing is public. Participants and viewers have no reasonable expectation of privacy. By continuing to be in this meeting, you are consenting to being recorded additionally prior to recognizing members for their questions or comments. They have for Witnesses.

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I will note for the record at this time that we will use the chat feature available, Microsoft teams to allow members to signify that they wish to be recognized in order to comply with the sunshine Act, and that chat feature must only be used for this purpose. Will the clerk please call the panel for Bill number 220418.

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-220-418 we have Paula brumlow Burns.

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Thank you, uh Paula and before you begin your testimony make I ask: do you read a summary of the Amendments of the bill while the clerk displays the Amendments for the viewing public state, your name for the record and then proceed with your testimony. My.

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Name is Paula brumalo Burns I'm, with the Planning Commission and I'm just waiting for Brett to get the screen share, ready.

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First and then we can do the summary afterwards.

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It won't even good afternoon members of the or good morning, members of the rules- committee I, am Paula brumlow Burns, director of legislation for Philadelphia City, Planning Commission I'm, here to testify on Bill number 220418, which council member Johnson introduced into City Council on May 12 2022.

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bill number 220418 amends the Philadelphia zoning code by revising and clarifying specific provisions and making technical changes to the text. This bill contains an assortment of minor technical changes that arose from recommendations of the zoning technical committee, which includes representatives from the Law Department licenses and inspections and the Planning Commission. The bill clarifies an assortment of sections, including split zoning, solar collectors, steep slopes, loading requirements, overlay districts, historic preservation and language consistency.

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The majority of the changes cover clarifications of intent and process. There are no substantive changes within this bill.

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The Philadelphia City Planning Commission considered bill number 220418 and its meeting of September 15 2022 and recommended approval of the spill and is in support of the proposed amendments presented today.

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Paula, could you confirm that the that you can see the Amendments.

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Yes, I can okay.

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Okay, so we provide Council of amendments to Bill number 220418, the technical Omnibus introduced in the spring. These amendments are based on the recommendations of the zoning technical committee, as previously mentioned in our testimony.

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As I speak about technical amendments, I'm having a technical challenge for a minute all right, our first one is use regulations and it's a one Amendment and it amends section 14-406 sections four and five and they have been updated, which will change the terminology of the allowed use of hotels and motels to visit our accommodation and housing accommodations to residential uses, to match the code language created in 2012..

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Our next section that we've changed is parking and loading with four amendments, Brett that going to be sections 14-801. So it's farther down towards the end.

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My apologies 14.

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Sorry, no wait. I did not I'm not doing this in order as I thought. I was so I apologize. So it's 14-801. Okay, perfect! Sorry,.

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Should I want to make sure I don't go too fast.

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Five, eight.

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One okay, so our first one is 14801 section, 2, B 0.2 and it's addressing the applicability it has been updated, which currently includes references to the minimum parking and loading requirements of this section. But there is a lack of clarity in the text over which requirements are included. The amendment will provide clarifying text to indicate that minimum parking and loading requirements are found only in sections 14-802 motor vehicle parking ratios, 14-804, bicycle parking ratio standards and section 14, 806 off Street loading.

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The next parking and loading amendment is 14-802, section, 9. or subsection 9.

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And addresses off-street parking, so this section will be removed from this bill. The section was also included in bill number 220414, which passed in the code. Language has already been updated.

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The next change is 14-803 5e, 0.3 interior landscape requirements.

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We will remove an illustration that was based on previous requirements that were changed with Bill number 220414. The illustration is no longer representative of code requirements.

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The last parking requirement is for the off Street loading spaces in section 14805 806.. uh This amendment will exempt square footage devoted to non-accessory parking from the calculation for required off Street loading spaces. The youth does not generate any additional need for loading, so it just amends the charts.

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We then will go to area specific standards, section 14-504 Brett and where we have four amendments.

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And I do apologize for not matching my text with this Amendment.

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Is Unforgivable.

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I know I'm normally better than this and I have failed. You it's because I've been all ghost Sports for the for the whole like last week, all right and there's so many sports to go sports on so I'm, including all teams on that one. The first section is 14-504 1.1 for permits, demolition permits and neighborhood conservation overlays.

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The amended language will add new text to clarify, license and inspections, Authority and demolishing structures that pose imminent Public Safety hazards. The next section is 14-5183. It will remove specific Washington, West Washington Avenue overlay, District Provisions that expired in 2021..

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The building has been constructed. um 14-522 is the Frankfurt Academy overlay District, and this was established to support a specific development project in the area that has been completed.

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The last area, specific amendment is 14-533. The mixed income, neighborhoods overlay, District right there. This will replace several area illustrations for the seventh Council Matic District. Within the code several set to stations were added to the Tod overlay in the spring, and these updated illustrations will reflect the boundary changes of the mixed income. Neighborhoods overlay District. So there's several Maps that are including stations.

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hmm And then, as we finish, those Maps we have three more and it is 14-705 Section, 1, landscape and trees.

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uh These will lament technical errors that related to grammar and Technical terminology that were in bill number 220414.

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So they're just uh grammar changes that got put in a bill and then bread, our next one, will be 14-904 3A.

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And this is for building identification signs. It will remove a misleading example that caused the text, misinterpretation and then section 14-1000, historic preservation.

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uh We're requesting to remove this section proposed in the bill. The law department has recommended that changes to this section via Standalone build due to the amount of content and those are all of our recommendation. Our amendments.

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Thank you. Thank you. Paula for that explanation. Are there any questions from any members of the board.

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Seeing none is there anyone else to testify on this bill.

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All right hearing, none clerk, can you please call the panel for Bill number 220769.

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Or 220-769 we have Paula brumbleburns.

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I'm Paula brimlow Burns, director of legislation for the Philadelphia City Planning Commission I'm, here to testify on Bill number 220769, which was introduced into City Council on behalf of council president Clark on September 29 2022 by council member Jones bill number 220769 authorizes city council to permit the use of animal husbandry within the sppo special purpose, Park and open space District pursuant to section 14-407 3A of the zoning code.

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This bill will facilitate the move of the Fletcher Street riding stables to Fairmount Park The Stables will continue serving the youth in Strawberry Mansion, while providing more animal grazing space. They are currently located at 26th and Fletcher. Street Stables are listed under animal husbandry. Within the zoning code. The Philadelphia City Planning Commission, considered bill number 220769 at its meeting of October 20th 2022 and recommended for approval. I will be happy to answer any questions at this time.

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Thank you Paula for your testimony. Are there any questions from anyone on the committee councilmember Jones? Thank.

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You Mr chairman um I'm, very familiar with the old Fletcher Street Stables, and if my memory serves me correctly, that move I will put them in in my district in the fourth. Is that correct, I believe it.

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Will um it is right next to Smith Playhouse? Yes,.

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There you go okay, so I'm very familiar with that area. um How big a parcel are we talking about using um in that in.

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That area um you've stumped the planner today I do not know the square footage, but if you would take, if you drive the driveway down between Smith Playhouse and the driving range there's a long driveway and then it opens up to a large area, it will be in that area. So they.

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Will eat like a stable and use grazing land in that area? For yes, a thing called a.

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Paddock yeah, so they'll have a very a larger Paddock I'm. Sorry I do not have the acreage on me today.

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Do you do you have? Can you forward to my office the plans for that.

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Yes, I can files forward to what I have uh Parks and Recreation have been the lead on this, so I will have them. Also send you what they have Mr.

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Chairman I do support the um use of that land uh for that purpose.

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If you know about the Fletcher Street uh stable, all you have to do is look at the movie Concrete Cowboy, and that is where they um kind of get the backdrops and the history of urban Cowboys from Fletcher Street, so I think it's a worthwhile project uh and I support it. uh Mr chairman.

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Thank you, council member. Are there any other questions from the committee? Seeing none is there anyone else here to testify on this bill.

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uh Will the clerk please call the panel for Bill number 220776.

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Our two two zero seven, seven six. We have Paula Brembo Burns.

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Hi I'm Paula brumalo Burns, director of legislation for the Philadelphia City Planning Commission I'm, here to testify on Bill number 220776, which was introduced into City Council on September 29th 2022 by council member O'neill, number 220776 amends the Philadelphia zoning map by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located throughout the 10th councilmatic District The Spill will amend the zoning maps by rezoning, Council District, 10's, cmx2 commercial, mixed use, zoned properties to cmx1 commercial mixed use. This involves rezoning, 446 Parcels, covering 96 Acres, based on our conversations with the council office.

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We understand that the bill intends to address commercial vacancies in the council, District's cmx-2 zoned Properties by effectively removing the requirement for ground floor commercial.

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While we acknowledge that some cmx2 properties have had difficulty finding commercial tenants, the rezoning would also have the impact of dramatically limiting the type of businesses that would be permitted. For example, all restaurants, prepare food shops and Child Care Centers will be prohibited in most cases. Medical office and personal services would also be permitted. In nearly all cases. The remapping would also prohibit multi-family housing, reducing both housing opportunities and potential supports for the businesses in these corridors.

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The resulting prohibitions could contribute to a decline in neighborhoods serving commercial corridors and would burden small businesses seeking to operate in these areas. This is contrary to the far Northeast and Central Northeast District plans, which identified mixed-use development in pedestrian-oriented design as necessary for realizing their shared priority goal of strengthening neighborhoods serving commercial corridors.

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The Planning Commission had concerns that this legislation is not supportive of small business businesses that have already been significantly hindered by covet and that this bill May limit access to resources that could help them complete recovery. The Philadelphia City Planning Commission considered bill number 220776 at its meeting of October 20th 2022 and voted to recommend against the bill. I'll be happy to answer any questions at this time.

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Are there any questions by anyone on the committee seeing none is there anyone else to testify on this bill.

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Okay hearing none I want to thank all the witnesses for the participants today and we value your input. Now we invite all the panelists and witnesses to please disconnect from the meeting before we go into our public meeting. We will now pause the proceedings briefly, as multiple participants leave the hearing.

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This will conclude our public hearing of the committee on rules.

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We want to out convene the public meeting to consider the action to be taken on the bills before this committee today. Would a clerk please call the roll to take attendance members and attendance. Please indicate that you are present and when your name is called and say a brief words responding. So your image will display on the screen.

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Council member Catherine Gilmore.

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Richardson good morning Mr, chair and colleagues, I am present.

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Council member David O, yes,.

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I'm still here, thank you.

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Council member Brian O'neill present council member Cindy bass good morning I. Am president council member Curtis, Jones Jr good.

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Morning again, Mr chair, I'm president and.

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Chairman maxvilla.

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Present thank you. Aquarium is present. Then we now go into a public meeting.

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Chair recognizes councilmember Gilmore Richardson for a motion on the amendment to Bill number 220-418.

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Thank you, Mr chair I offer an amendment to Bill number 220418. A copy of the amendment has been circulated to all members of the committee. I moved at the amendment to Bill number 220418 be approved. Second.

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Chair notes for the record, the council, member Jones. Second, the motion: it has been moved and properly second, that the amendment to Bill number 220418 be approved. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye.

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Opposed the eyes have it, and the motion carries an amendment to build number 220418 has been approved. Chair now recognizes councilman Gilmore for emotional bill number 220418, as amended.

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Thank you. Mr chair, I, moved at bill number 220-418, as amended, 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. Second,.

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The chair recognizes for the record that councilmember Jones his second demotion that has been moved and properly. Second, that bill number 220418, as amended, be reported from this committee with a favorable recommendation and further move that the rules accounts will be suspended to admit the first reading of this bill at the next session to cancel all those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye aye those opposed the eyes have it, and the motion carries council member uh chair now recognizes councilmember goodmore Richardson for emotional Bill, Number 220, seven, six, nine thank.

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You Mr chair, I, move that bill number 220769 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. Second,.

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Chair notes for the record councilmember Jones II at the motion. It has been moved and properly seconded that bill number 220-769 be reported from this committee with a favorable recommendation and further move that the rules accounts will be suspended as commit the first reading of this bill at the next session of council. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye aye aye those opposed the eyes have it, and the motion carries chair now recognized councilman Guru Morrison for emotional bill number 220776. Thank.

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You Mr chair, I, move that bill number 220776 be reported from this committee with a favorable recommendation, I further move that the rules of council be suspended to permit first reading of this bill at the next session of council. Second, second.

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Chair notes for the record that the councilmember Jones II the motion, it has been moved them properly. Second, at the bill, number 220776 be reported from this committee with a favorable recommendation and further move. The rules account to be suspended to submit the first reading of this bill at the next session of council. All those in favor will signify by saying aye.

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Aye those opposed eyes have it, and the motion carries that will conclude the meeting for today. If there are no additional remarks in conclusion for business before the committee and rules today, I want to thank all very much for your attendance participation. Everybody have a great day.

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Mr chair have a good day all right.

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