►
Description
The Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities of the Council of the City of Philadelphia held a Public Hearing on Monday, March 22, 2021, at 10:00 AM, in a remote manner using Microsoft® Teams to hear testimony on the following item:
210137 An Ordinance amending Title 22 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled “Public Employees Retirement Code,” by creating an early retirement program for certain employees working in or with the Department of Commerce, Aviation Division, and making certain technical changes, all under certain terms and conditions.
A
Mr
chair
council,
members
and
participants,
we
are
now
live
good
morning.
Everyone,
the
meeting
of
the
committee
on
transportation
and
public
utilities,
has
now
begun.
I
understand
that
the
state
law
currently
requires
that
the
following
announcement
be
made
at
the
beginning
of
every
remote
public
hearing
as
follows.
A
Due
to
the
current
public
health
emergency
city,
council
committees
are
currently
meeting
remotely.
We
are
using
microsoft
team
to
make
these
remote
hearings
possible
instructions
for
how
the
public
may
view
and
offer
public
testimony
at
public
hearings
of
council
committees
are
included
in
the
public
hearing,
notices
that
are
published
in
the
daily
news.
A
Enquire
and
legal
intelligence
serve
prior
to
their
hearings
and
can
also
be
found
on
phl
counsel,
dot
com
will
the
clerk
please
call
the
role
to
take
attendance
members
that
are
in
nintendo's
will
please
indicate
that
they
are
present
when
their
names
are
called.
Also,
please
see
a
few
brief
words
when
responding
so
that
your
image
will
be
displayed
on
screen
when
you
speak.
B
A
A
A
A
A
A
By
continuing
to
be
in
the
meeting,
you
are
consenting
to
being
recorded
additionally
prior
to
recognizing
amendments
for
the
questions
or
comments
they
have
for
witnesses.
I
will
note
for
the
record
at
this
time
that
we
will
use
the
chat
feature
available
in
microsoft
teams
to
allow
members
to
signify
that
they
wish
to
be
recognized
in
order
to
comply
with
the
sunshine
act.
The
chat
feature
must
only
be
used
for
this
purpose.
E
It
is
my
pleasure
to
be
before
you
and
members
of
the
committee
on
transportation
and
public
utilities
today,
I'm
here
to
testify
in
support
of
bill
number
210137,
which
would
create
an
early
retirement
window
program
to
benefit
division
of
aviation
employees
near
or
at
retirement
age.
This
bill
is
supported
by
district
council
33
and
district
council
47.
E
E
E
Reducing
our
class
100
costs
through
amicable
separations
will
reduce
the
number
of
layoffs.
The
division
of
aviation
will
need
to
conduct
in
the
future
as
a
condition
of
accepting
relief
funding
through
the
american
rescue
plan.
The
division
of
aviation
is
required
to
retain
90
of
our
workforce
based
on
march
2020
staffing
levels
until
september
30th
2021.
E
This
early
retirement
program
will
temporarily
lower
the
eligible
age
of
retirement
without
penalty
by
five
years
for
division
of
aviation
employees,
in
addition
to
temporarily
lowering
the
early
retirement
age
during
this
window.
The
program
also
offers
a
bonus
of
one
thousand
dollars
per
full
year
of
city
service
to
all
employees
that
opt
in
and
does
not
alter
the
amount
of
the
participants.
Pension
individuals
that
participate
in
this
program
and
are
59
years
of
age
or
younger
are
also
eligible
to
receive
one
year
of
cobra
benefits
or
a
five
thousand
dollar
single
sum
payment.
E
E
A
C
B
D
Thank
you,
mr
chair.
I
just
have
a
a
very
quick
question
and
I
was
going
to
ask
shelly
this
question
later,
but
since
you're
in
front
of
us
today
give
me
a
perspective
on
your
thoughts
on
how
the
airport
is
doing
now
that
we're
in
the
spring
and
we're
starting
to
see
some
some
movement-
and
you
know
the
american
rescue
plan
was
passed
a
few
weeks
ago,
which
I
think
the
airport
is
scheduled
to
receive
about
115
million
dollars,
but
we're
not
nearly
out
of
the
woods.
E
Sure
thank
you
for
the
question
councilmember
greene,
so
I
I
think
there
are
two
factors
that
are
influencing
our
recovery
right
now
and
although
we
are
seeing
bookings
come
up
in
the
spring
and
during
the
summer
what
is
still
missing
from
our
portfolio
are
international
flights.
We
we
have
a
few
flights
that
will
be
starting
this
summer,
but
nowhere
near
what
we
had
in
the
past.
That
impacts
both
international
travelers,
as
well
as
connecting
travelers,
and
the
second
factor
is
the
business.
E
Traveler
still
hasn't
returned,
so
a
lot
of
leisure
travel
is
starting
to
happen.
People
are
starting
to
make
plans
as
they
get
vaccinated,
but
we
are
not
seeing.
Business
travel
come
back
in
any
kind
of
meaningful
way
by
way
of
the
numbers
prior
to
the
pandemic.
Our
business
traffic
was
about
45
to
50
percent
of
our
overall
traffic
and
recent
surveys
that
we've
conducted
among
travelers
show
that
it's
about
10
right
now.
E
Yes,
I
I
agree
with
you.
Actually,
I'm
not
sure
that
business
travel
ever
returns
to
the
level
that
it
was
before
I've
heard
consultants
say
things
like
you
know
that
that
overnight
trip
to
london
and
back
the
next
day
for
a
meeting,
you
know
probably
won't
happen,
we'll
be
combining
business
trips
to
locations,
so
I'm
not
sure
that
it
ever
comes
back,
but
if
it
could
at
least
approach
say
the
40
50
60
of
of
prior
levels.
Again,
that
would
help
to
even
us
out
and-
and
we
that's
that's
really.
E
A
Thank
you.
I
want
to
ask
a
question
shelley,
regarding
how
does
this
impact
not
this
bill,
but
just
the
environment?
I
know
we
did
a
extension
of
the
lease
right
and
sometime
in
the
near
future,
we're
going
to
do
a
full
release
for
no
give
me
an
overview
of
how
the
pandemic
is
going
to
play
a
role
and
at
least
renewal.
You
know,
obviously,
I'm
advocating,
for
you
know,
just
making
sure
our
workers
are
supported
and
protected
out
of
the
foot
off
international
airport.
E
E
We
will
be
in
discussions
with
the
airlines
later
this
year
to
start
talking
about
what
a
new
agreement
looks
like,
and
I
I
really
am
unsure
as
to
how
that's
going
to
go.
What
if
I
had
to
make
at
least
one
prediction
say
that
we
would
probably
not
be
looking
at
a
large
capital
investment
program
to
be
agreed
to
by
the
airlines.
They
are
suffering
in
a
really
big
way.
E
A
C
I
do
agree,
you're
not
going
to
see
business
travel
come
back
and
I
think
in
general,
the
pandemic,
when
we
look
back,
will
have
accelerated
everything
they'll
accept
it
accelerated
businesses
that
were
failing
to
close
it
accelerated
purchases
on
the
internet
that
accelerated
businesses
that
were
succeeding
to
succeed.
Even
more
was
like
an
accelerator
of
everything.
Okay
and-
and
I
know-
we've
talked
about
this-
and
I
know
you're
ramping
it
up,
but
I'm
just
wondering
what
else
can
we
do
to
pivot
and
take
advantage
of
that
acceleration
example?
C
E
Yes,
sir,
you
you
hit
the
nail
on
the
head,
the
one
bright
spot
during
this
pandemic
for
our
industry
and
air.
Other
airports
has
been
cargo
and
we
are
in
a
uniquely
advantageous
position
where
we
have
a
property
that
we
acquired
on
the
west
side
at
western
border
of
the
airport
and
and
our
airport
master
plan
calls
for
that
to
be
developed
for
cargo.
We
have
a
couple
of
enabling
projects
underway.
E
E
E
We're
hopeful
that
the
state
will
participate
with
us,
and
you
know
I
know
that
the
city
is
in
a
tough
spot
financially
as
well.
Everybody
is
these
days,
but
really
it's
it's
a
little
bit
of
investment
in
some
of
those
enabling
projects,
things
like
extending
the
runway
to
the
new
site
that
a
developer
isn't
going
to
come
in
and
do
themselves,
but
we
need
just
a
little
bit
of
help
for
those
enabling
projects
to
then
entice
the
developers
to
come
in
and
build
out.
C
C
A
coalition
work
together
because
the
success
of
the
airport
to
a
large
degree
is
going
to
depend
on
how
well
we
pivot
into
this
new
economy,
and
then
the
last
question
I
have
for
you
is,
I
know,
you're
very
involved
with
airports
all
over
the
country.
Are
there
any
airports
in
other
cities
that
are
doing
successful
things
that
we
should
be
looking
at.
E
E
If
you
have
beaches
or
mountains,
as
as
we
keep
saying
those
airports,
leisure
destinations
are
coming
back
a
lot
quicker.
We
have
already,
we
actually
set
the
pace
in
terms
of
an
airline
incentive
program
to
try
and
make
sure
that
our
airlines
come
back
and
and
add
back
in
the
service
that
we
lost
as
a
result
of
the
pandemic,
we're
down
about
30
percent
in
terms
of
non-stop
destinations,
that's
on
top
of
the
traffic
levels
that
have
declined
and
everything
else.
E
We
put
into
place
a
program
that,
with
with
a
little
bit
of
help
from
the
state
that
is
providing
some
financial
incentives
again
for
airlines
to
come
back
quicker
to
philadelphia,
and
it's
been
very
successful
so
far.
So
I
think
I
think,
that's
one
and
then
we're
seeing
a
lot
of
other
airports.
Do
cargo
work
again:
cargo
development.
E
E
Well,
that's
a
good
question.
Those
who
are
in
the
1a
or
1b
category
are
starting
to
get
vaccinations.
I'm
hearing.
Unfortunately,
transit
employees
were
included
in
the
1b
category.
Other
transportation
employees
were
not,
and
so
the
the
vaccine
is
not
widely
available
to
my
staff
or
the
other.
We
have
about
16
000
employees
left
at
the
airport
with
all
of
the
other
companies.
E
C
E
Sir
one
other
challenging
aspect
to
the
vaccine
that
I
need
to
throw
in
and
I'm
sorry
I
didn't
earlier-
is
we
when
you
look
at
the
city
of
philadelphia
employees,
we
of
course
all
live
in
the
city
of
philadelphia,
but
when
you
look
at
the
16
000
employee
population
number,
those
folks
are
from
new
jersey,
delaware,
maryland
and
all
a
number
of
counties
in
pennsylvania.
So
that's
a
real
challenge
to
overwork
those
jurisdictional
challenges
so
anyway,
thank
you
for
your
support.
A
D
Thank
you,
mr
chair.
Here's,
a
quick
question:
I'm
curious
what
you
may
be
seeing
from
a
convention
perspective,
because
that's
also
another
way
that
will
help
to
bring
back
travel
to
the
city.
I
know
I've
seen
an
uptick
in
reservations
and
bookings
from
what
I've
been
hearing
and
some
of
those
things
I've
been
reading
for
vacation
travel,
because
I
think
there
is
a
lot
of
and
up
demand,
as
you
were
saying,
based
on
the
fact
of
a
one
year
pandemic
and
that
people
are
now
getting
vaccinated.
E
Thank
you
councilmember
for
the
question.
We
don't
have
a
ton
of
insight
into
conventions
other
than
what
we
get
through
phl
cvb
and
visit
philly.
As
you
already
mentioned,
anecdotally,
though,
I
can
comment
on
on
airport
conventions
and
and
business
meetings,
and
it
looks
like
the
fall.
There
are
a
few
of
them
that
are
going
to
happen
again,
so
I
don't
know
I
I
just
you
know,
I'm
I'm
crossing
my
fingers
and
toes
and
praying
and
that
you
know
folks
will
feel
more
comfortable.
E
Some
of
the
survey
work
I
have
seen
and
you've
probably
heard
this
as
well
when
you've
talked
to
greg
and
jeff,
is
that
conventions
will
probably
be
something
that
does
come
back.
It's
a
way
for
people
within
industries
to
connect
and
network,
and
so
we
do
feel
pretty
positive
that
conventions
at
some
level
will
come
back.
I
I
don't
have
much
more
insight
in
that,
though,.
D
D
It's
still
just
not
the
same.
So
I
think
there
definitely
will
be
a
pen
up
demand
for
conventions
and
opportunities
for
people
to
gather
and
exchange
information
in
person
because
being
on
a
zoom
call
for
a
conference
or
a
or
even
exhibit
hall
is
not
the
same
thing
like
actually
being
in
that
space.
So
thank
you,
miss
cameron.
Thank
you,
mr
chair.
Yes,
sir.
B
Thank
you,
mr
chairman,
and
my
question
was,
along
with
councilmember,
green's
question
about
the
sort
of
the
the
convention
industry,
but
also
the
tourism
industry
and
obviously,
as
we
start
opening
things
up,
it'll
be
more
of
a
reason
for
people
to
come.
But
the
other
question
was
you
know
as
far
as
businesses
at
the
airport
and
and
as
we
see
the
fall
off
of
the
businesses
before
the
lack
of
traffic-
and
I
know
there
was
some
assistance
from
the
federal
government.
E
Thank
you,
council
members.
It's
a
really
good
question.
So
a
couple
things
in
addition
to
the
small
business
programs
that
you
probably
already
heard
about
part
of
our
funding
under
the
arp
includes
a
carve
out
for
our
concession
programs.
So
any
of
the
airport
concessions
will
be
getting
additional
relief.
We
we
actually
kicked
it
into
high
gear
last
year
and
and
provided
relief
to
a
number
of
our
con
mo.
E
In
fact,
all
of
our
concession
operators
as
as
well
so
we've
already
been
providing
relief
and-
and
we
will
continue
to
do
so-
we've
really
done
that
with
an
eye
on
inclusion
and
equity
issues.
At
this
point,
I
can
tell
you
of
160
concession
operators
in
the
terminal.
I
believe
100
are
very
close
to
100
of
our
acdbe
airport
concession
disadvantaged
business
enterprise
operators
are
back.
E
We
brought
them
back
as
soon
as
we
possibly
could,
and
you
know
we
will
continue
to
to
do
that,
to
try
and
make
sure
that
we
focus
on
those
minority.
Women
owned
businesses,
local
small
businesses,
to
make
sure
that
they
can
succeed
in
terms
of
of
businesses
that
haven't
made
it
they're.
Just
a
couple
that
I'm
aware
of
travelex
that
provide
a
currency
exchange.
Services
went
out
of
business
as
a
result
of
the
pandemic,
and
I
don't
know
that
you
know
I
think
we're
going
to
struggle
with
a
duty-free
operator.
E
B
C
Thank
you,
mr
chair.
It's
my
last
question.
I
promise
so
it's
a
financial
question.
Really
even
the
past,
the
airport
financed
a
lot
of
this
budget
with
short-term
revenue,
anticipation,
notes
and
the
debt
service.
It
looks
like
it's
like
25,
roughly
of
what
the
airport
generates
locally
so
going
forward.
How's
the
airport
handling
the
debt
service
on
those
deals
and
has
the
pandemic
changed
your
approach
to
short-term
financing.
Basically,.
F
F
This
late
this
spring,
so
we
will
continue
to
lower
our
debt
service
payments.
In
fact,
we're
going
to
structure
the
savings
to
be
more
upfront
than
spread
out
evenly
because
we
anticipate
the
next
few
years
being
our
roughest
years
to
get
through
until
recovery
is
upon
us,
so
we're
hoping
that
that
will
help
ease
this
burden
during
the
next
few
years.
F
Where
again,
we'll
use
the
commercial
paper
program
in
the
interim
to
help
us
muddle
through
this
time
and
still
continue
to
embark
on
the
state
of
good
repair
projects
and
things
that
we
need
to
still
do
here
and,
and
we
do
envision,
we've
been
very
fortunate.
That
cares
act
and
chris
and
arp
is
here
to
help
us
with
those
debt
service
payments.
But
if
not,
we
are
looking
at
obviously
our
revenues
and
we
do
see
our
revenues
being
enough
to
make
debt
service
payments
and
cover
costs.
F
We've
done
our
best
at
lowering
all
of
our
operating
expenditures,
contractual
services,
materials
and
supplies
and
equipment.
We've
made
severe
cuts
everywhere
to
try
to
you,
know,
weather
this
storm
and
now
we're
before
you,
because
we're
also
looking
at
personnel
as
a
way
to
keep
our
expenditures.
You
know
more
balanced
as
well.
While
we
continue
through
to
recovery.
C
F
The
the
bonds
are
profit
like
an
oil
in
rate,
would
probably
be
between
three
and
four
percent
say
three
and
a
half
percent.
On
average,
the
rates
for
commercial
paper
range
from
anywhere
from
point.
You
know
zero
point,
four
percent
to
zero
point:
seven
percent,
it's
very
low.
So
it's
we're
very
fortunate
to
have
that
program
in
place.
F
Right,
I
know
I
agreed
it's
you
know,
timing
is
timing
is
a
bear
right
because
it's
also
one
of
the
toughest
times
to
go
before
investors
and
rating
agencies
at
this
moment
with
where
we
are
so
it's
it's
a
catch-22
at
the
moment,
because
the
rates
are
fabulous
and
we
probably
won't
go
before
them,
except
for
our
refunding,
which
is
what
most
airports
are
doing
right
now.
We
will
continue
to
moderate.
F
We
don't
necessarily
see
it
skyrocketing
tomorrow,
so
we
absolutely
work
with
our
financial
advisors
and
we'll
continue
continue
to
monitor
that,
so
that
we
can
take
advantage
of
fixing
out
our
commercial
paper.
Some
of
it
is
taxable
for
land
purchases
we've
made
over
the
years,
and
so
we
won't
necessarily
fix
those
out
until
we
have
an
ultimate
airport
use
of
those
properties
so
that
we
can
do
non-amt
and
amt
debt,
which
will
be
lower
interest
rates
than
taxable
for
long
term.
A
Thank
you,
councilman,
dom
any
other
questions
or
comments,
and
members
of
the
committee
well,
thank
you.
Shelley
keep
up
the
good
work.
We
also
want
to
acknowledge
you
for
being
appointed
chair
of
the
us
policy
council
for
airports,
council
international,
to
keep
up
the
good
work
as
well,
and
thank
you,
sir.
A
A
A
We
will
now
convene
the
public
meeting
and
take
a
roll
call
to
make
sure
that
all
members
are
in
the
presence
of
all
members
who
are
attendants.
Will
please
say
by
saying
present
when
your
names
are
called
also,
please
say
briefly
words
when
responding
so
that
your
image
will
be
displayed
on
the
screen.
When
you
speak,
would
a
clerk,
please
call
the
role.
D
D
A
B
A
Here
are
the
notes
for
the
the
chair
notes
for
the
record,
the
councilman
that
green
center
is
the
motion
and
councilman
david
out
seconds
to
motion
has
now
been
moved
in
property.
Second,
at
bill
number
two
one:
zero
one:
three
seven
be
reported
from
this
committee
with
disabled
recommendation
and
further
move
that
the
rules
of
accounts
will
be
suspended
to
prevent
the
first
reading
of
this
bill
at
the
next
session
of
council.
All
those
in
favor
of
the
motion
was
signified
by
saying
I.