►
Description
Councilman Green sits down with the Chief of Staff of the Philadelphia Commerce Department, Sylvie Gallier-Howard, to discuss the latest on the Amazon HQ2 bid process.
A
Hello,
I'm,
councilman,
Derrick,
green
and
welcome
to
public
comment.
This
is
my
time
they'd
like
to
devote
to
connecting
with
Philadelphians
and
recap
the
latest
headlines,
as
well
as
recent
legislation
from
City
Council.
Since
we
were
last
year
together,
you
may
recall
a
big
announcement
from
Amazon
that
Philadelphia
made
it
on
the
list
of
the
top
20
finalists
sites
for
their
second
North
American
headquarters,
also
known
as
HQ
there's.
A
No
doubt
if
chosen
Philadelphia
will
see
a
dramatic
increase
in
economic
growth
and
a
potentially
historic
reduction
in
poverty
all
while
creating
a
new
image
on
an
international
scale.
In
the
meantime,
the
Kennedy
administration
is
making
real
inroads
to
up
the
ante
and
how
we
market
ourselves
and
let
others
know
we're
open
for
business.
A
A
B
So
it
was
a
pretty
big
collaborative
effort,
so
we
had
a
core
team
that
was
co-chaired
by
John
Grady
who's,
the
president
of
P
IDC
and
then
my
boss,
Harold
Epps
who's,
the
Commerce
director.
And
then
we
had
a
number
of
other
organizations,
city
departments
as
well
other
state
departments.
But
we
had
the
Philadelphia
Convention
Visitors
Bureau
select,
which
is
the
business
attraction
arm
of
the
chamber
of
Philadelphia
visit
Philly,
which
does
student
camp,
a
student
attraction
and
retention
and
a
number
of
other
partners.
B
A
During
the
City
Council
hearings
that
I
put
together
regardless
topic,
it
seemed
like
it
was
a
real
groundswell
of
supporting
it
all
all
these
different
people.
A
lot
of
different
perspectives
came
together
to
really
push
for
this
proposal.
How
was
it
working
with
all
these
different
interests
coming
together?
It.
B
Was
really
incredible,
actually
I'd
never
experienced
anything
like
it
and
I
think
actually
that
whole
process
redefined
economic
development
and
business
attraction
moving
forward.
So
the
day
that
that
announced
we
came
out
and
it's
very
unprecedented-
that
a
business
attraction
process
is
public
like
that
it's
happening
all
the
time,
but
it's
usually
a
quiet
process.
B
So
we
got
phone
calls
emails
from
hundreds,
I'd,
say
even
more
than
a
thousand
people
offering
support
just
saying
how
can
I
help
and
you
know
in
any
way
that
I
can
be
of
assistance,
and
so
we
pulled
in
as
much
as
possible.
We
put
a
forum
up
on
the
website.
We
created
the
Philadelphia
delivers
tagline
and
we
had
a
forum
where
people
could
provide
ideas.
More
than
300
did
more
than
96
tech
companies
provided
testimonials
the
business
community.
The
Chamber
provided
a
letter
signed
by
more
than
I
think
165
leaders
of
major
corporations.
B
More
than
65
presidents
of
local
universities
signed
a
letter
council
provided
a
resolution.
This
legislature,
I
also
provided
a
resolution,
so
I
mean
it
was
like
support
coming
from
all
ends
in
all
the
different
ways
that
people
could
provide
ideas
or
just
let
the
company
know
we
would
love
for
you
to
be
here
now.
B
B
A
B
C
Never
ever
been
a
more
exciting
time
to
Philadelphia
Ben
right
now,
Billy
is
a
city.
Is
a
city.
That's
got
an
x-factor
right
now
that
very
few
cities
can
claim.
We've
got
momentum.
This
city
is
exploding
and
right
now,
if
you
look
in
the
sky,
you
see
cranes,
there's
every
stuff
being
built
everywhere.
There's
lots
of
energy
in
this
city
we're
poised
to
go
the
next
level,
it
kind
of
checks,
all
the
boxes,
great
arts,
great
entertainment
for
sports
teams.
The
next
thing
I'm
out
of
green
park
space
is
central
parks.
C
Our
culinary
scene
is
one
of
the
best
on
a
national
stage,
just
one
three
James
Beard
Awards
last
year,
our
new
American
cooking
is
on
par
with
every
other
restaurant.
This
country,
I
can
absolutely
say
that
without
bias,
it's
a
very
real
place.
We're
just
about
actually
driving
a
ball
forward.
They're
gonna
be
tough
on
you,
but
that's
that
not
just
because
they
love
you
on
the
dirt.
That
wants
you
to
be
better,
but
it
just
feels
like
home
man.
I
can't
call
this
place
home.
A
A
C
Basically,
I'm
the
one,
but
the
most
information
and
they're
all
within
walking
distance
you're,
finding
students
that
are
willing
to
challenge
conventional
thinking
to
sort
of
question
the
way
that
things
have
always
been
done
and
as
a
venture
fund.
We
find
that
really
attractive.
When
you
bring
the
smartest
people
together
with
the
best
possible
resources,
you
get
new
ideas,
you
get
discovery
you
get
day,
one
innovation,
that's
the
kind
of
approach
that
has
made
Amazon
great
and
that's
what
I
feel
across
Philadelphia.
C
C
The
reason
why
we
have
a
kind
of
a
creative
design
lab
in
the
hospital
is
that
when
we
get
inspired
by
our
patients,
so
we
can
take
that
idea
and
inspiration
and
come
down
here
and
be
able
to
test
something
out
very
quickly.
So
we
really
kind
of
shrink
that
innovation
cycle
sometimes
I,
have
no
idea.
What's
going
on,
then.
C
That
the
transformation
of
healthcare
will
start
in
that
150
year,
old
ball
and
925
business.
It
invented
modern
democracy
and
we
didn't
stop
there.
An
incubator
see
this
is
a
city.
That's
it's
almost
like
further
SWAT
vehicle
to
seize
here
it
will
grow.
That's
why
we
subscribe
to
this
theory
of
the
rain
forest
for
talent,
development
feasting
on
biodiversity,
that
matches
I
think
probably
the
biggest
rain
forest
which
is
Amazon
right.
A
B
A
B
He
asked
me
personally
I
think
we
rank
very
highly,
but
you
know
I
mean
there's
all
sorts
of
different
folks
out
there
Moody's
and
different
organizations
Brookings
that
are
doing
their
rankings
and
you
know
I
think
actually,
we've
been
moving
closer
and
closer
towards
that
top
quartile
I.
Think
because
of
the
fact
that
we
have
so
much
room
to
grow
and
when
you
look
at
the
different
cities
that
were
picked
most
of
them
are
kind
of.
You
know:
East
Coast
cities,
so
we
don't
know
the
geography
that
they
want
to
pick.
A
Good,
so,
after
putting
together
this
proposal,
I
know
the
mayor
is
taking
the
next
step
up.
How
do
we
take
this
whole
energy
of
putting
in
the
Amazon
proposal
to
really
work
with
our
small
businesses
all
across
the
city?
So
what's
going
on
from
the
Commerce
Department's
perspective,
as
well
as
the
mayor's
perspective
and
working
with
our
small
businesses?
So.
B
You
know
commerce,
we've
been
working
with
small
businesses
and
doing
business
attraction
for
a
long
time,
but
we
realized
that
through
this
process
that
we
kind
of
needed
to
make
the
Philadelphia
delivers.
You
know
we
wanted
to
send
the
message
to
our
business
community
how
grateful
we
are
for
the
businesses
that
are
already
here
that
have
been
growing.
B
You
know
and
fell
off,
yet
we've
gone
through
a
lot
of
decline,
we're
now
in
a
period
of
momentum,
but
a
lot
of
business
have
stuck
through
and
you
know
ahead
have
grown
or
maybe,
if
shrunk
and
grown
again
during
those
times,
so
the
business
the
mayor's
been
going
out
and
visiting
different
businesses
really
just
there
to
have
a
conversation
to
listen
to
have.
What
can
we
do
to
make
it
easier?
B
A
B
It
has
I
can't
remember
the
name
of
the
company,
but
there
is
a
company
that
specifically
mentioned
our
bid
and
said
that
when
they
saw
it,
they
chose
to
come
to
Philadelphia,
but
we're
seeing
other
businesses
come,
and
we've
heard
from
a
lot
of
different
companies.
I
think
that
honestly,
we
didn't
have
something
like
that.
We
just
didn't
have
a
public
kind
of
marketing
campaign
that
showed
all
our
attributes,
and
we
just
have
so
much
going
for
us
in
the
way
of
talent.
The
number
of
universities
that
we
have
here.
B
We
learned
through
this
process
that
we're
the
second
fastest
growing
tech
population
of
tech
jobs
as
a
percentage
of
our
job
growth
after
the
bay
area.
We
didn't
know
that
we
place
engineers
faster
than
any
major
city.
Actually,
so,
in
a
lot
of
ways,
the
fact
that
our
city
has
grown
a
little
bit
slower
than
other
cities
in
terms
of
job
growth
has
set
us
up
for,
for
it
being
easier
for
companies
to
hire
tech.
Folks,
here
now.
A
B
But
we
had
already
started
to
on
a
process
of
coming
up
with
more
of
a
brand
and
sort
of
doing
a
more
robust
effort,
a
business,
traction
and
talent
attraction,
because
that
now
what
we
hear
from
companies
is
where
the
talent
is
is
where
they
want
to
be,
and
that
tends
to
be
in
cities.
And
so
we
were
starting
down
that
road
when
the
Amazon
bid
came
out
and
that
a
little
bit
sidetracked
us.
But
the
Philadelphia
delivers
campaign
was
almost
like
a
perfect
pilot
for
us
to
really
learn
how
to
even
do
it
better.
B
When
we
actually
do
something
more
long-term.
So
we're
engaged
in
a
global
identity
process.
We
were
picked
and
we're
one
of
four
cities
that
are
participating
and
sort
of
learning
more
about.
What
is
our
reputation
globally
and
how
do
we
position
ourselves
and
we've
learned
already
that
we
are
actually
perceived
we're?
Not
perceived
as
well
as
we're
actually
performing
so
we're
sort
of
a
victim
of
our
reputation
and
we
need
to
get
beyond
that
and
people
are
hope.
B
A
So
it
sounds
like
just
putting
together
proposal
was
a
great
opportunity
for
the
city
of
Philadelphia
to
bring
people
together,
but
if
we
are
fortunate
to
have
Amazon
have
a
second
headquarters
coming
to
Philadelphia,
that
will
be
provide
a
great
opportunity
for
the
city
in
reference
to
addressing
poverty.
As
we
both
know,
we
have
the
highest
level
pop
if
any
major
city
in
the
nation,
so.
B
A
B
This
you
know
the
Amazon
bid
kind
of
has
really
put
a
lot
of
these
conversations
on
the
fast
track,
so
we've
been
talking
with
a
module
on
new
heads
planning
and
development,
around
affordability,
and
we
know
if
Amazon
chooses
Philadelphia
whatever
city
they
choose.
Housing
values
will
go
up.
It's
just
going
to
happen
when
you
have
that
many
people
come
and
by
the
way,
those
50,000
people,
those
employees
that
would
be
over
a
decade
decade
and
a
half
but
again
spouses
all
the
different
other.
This
is
that
might
come
as
a
result.
B
You
know
in
Seattle,
after
Amazon
came
yet
Noren
strip.
We
have
a
bunch
of
other
companies
that
have
come
to
the
area
because
of
a
company
like
that.
So
we've
talked
a
lot
about
well,
how
do
we
mitigate
you,
know
those
effects
and
there's
a
number
of
programs
in
place
and
so
we're
looking
at,
which
are
the
ones
that
we
could
potentially
scale
up,
because
if
an
Amazon
comes,
you
know
that
does
bring
more
resources
to
the
city,
more
revenue
through
the
wage
tax.
B
A
Some
people
are
concerned
and
how
that
will
increase
property
values
and
concern
about
gentrification
we're
already
moving
in
the
city
into
a
kind
of
haves
and
have-nots
perspective.
But
are
there
any
conversations
in
reference
to
our
school
district?
How
do
we
pay
our
current
high
school
students
to
prepare
for
possible
jobs
with
an
Amazon
and
about
the
pipeline
to
really
help
everyone
in
the
city?
Fidelity,
especially
our
young
people,
be
prepared
for
some
of
these
well-paying
jobs
and
careers
that
Amazon
may
bring
so.
B
Absolutely
so
actually
I've
told
some
folks
that
when
we
found
out
that
we
made
the
shortlist
one
of
the
first
calls
that
that
Herald
made
the
Commerce
director
was
to
dr.
heit
and
when
the
first
calls
I
made
was
to
Naomi
his
chief
of
staff.
So
we
they
were
on
our
mind
from
the
beginning,
and
it
was
one
of
the
things
that
was
in
the
RFP.
B
How
can
we
get
the
business
community
more
involved
in
this,
because
it's
not
just
for
Amazon
I
mean
so
many
jobs
are
going
to
require
these
skills
and
we
have
to
make
sure
that's
our
talent
pipeline
right
there
and
we're
starting
to
work
a
lot
more,
not
just
because
of
local
control,
which
is
one
element
but
we're
trying
to
get
businesses
more
involved
with
the
school
district.
To
really
get
the
quality
of
that
education.
A
B
A
Was
a
great
opportunity
for
the
city,
and
especially
being
together
all
these
various
advocates
and
stakeholders
together
and
using
this
as
a
catalyst
to
help
things
like
our
school
district
and
how
poverty
just
priority
issues
as
well.
Small
businesses,
so
I
want
to
thank
you
for
all
your
work
on
Amazon
proposal.
Thank
you
for
coming
to
our
City
Council
hearing
on
Amazon,
and
thank
you
for
being
here
on
public
comment.
Thank.
A
A
We
are
back
now
with
our
social
media
session.
As
you
know,
the
city's
proposed
budget
is
currently
at
the
forefront
of
conversation,
along
with
the
nomination
process
for
a
new
school
board
and
much
much
more
on
social
media.
I
ask
for
your
input
on
the
following
questions:
what
are
your
thoughts
on
the
mayor's
proposal
to
raise
real
estate
taxes
to
fund
the
school
district
Philadelphia?
What
kind
of
representation
would
you
like
to
see
on
the
new
school
board?
A
How
would
you
suggest
a
city
enforce
illegal
dumping,
fines
and
better
combat
the
widespread
littering
issue
in
Philadelphia
on
Twitter
Dave
Z
states
no
way
no
increase
in
property
tax
to
fix
the
school
budget
that
should
have
been
fixed
before
free
preschool.
We
pay
enough
now
they
doubled
our
taxes.
A
Already
my
dad
has
had
the
series
II
look
into
leaving
his
home
of
57
years
because
of
the
cost
of
house
taxes
on
Facebook
Henry
Miller
states
greetings
everyone
if
I
may
suggest
an
unexplored
way
of
generating
funding
for
our
schools
and
our
inner
cities
should
come
from
the
multitude
of
businesses
that
successfully
strive
off
of
the
community
which
comes
from
the
kids
are
in
who
are
minorities
in
our
inner
cities,
and
these
businesses
support
them.
Some
of
the
store
is
bringing
hundreds
of
thousand
dollars
a
year
and
yes
for
dumping.
A
We
need
cameras,
fines,
not
so
much
for
the
descent,
but
it's
also.
We
need
to
shame
them
and
list
their
names
and
have
them
post
it.
You
know
like
the
reward
idea
that
block
beautification
causes.
We
must
recognize
people
for
their
good
and
it
works
in
a
positive
way,
bring
back
the
street
cleaning
program
on
the
regular
and
also
employ
some
of
the
young
men
who
don't
have
jobs.
A
Also
on
Facebook
Primak
states,
the
following
number
one
parking
thought
has
been
running
around
crazy:
get
a
system
in
place
to
probably
collect
what
is
owed
to
the
schools.
Were
those
fortune
up
than
Bennet
from
the
tax
abatement,
while
using
programs
then
benefit
the
less
fortunate
be
also
be
helpful
to
homeowners.
It
will
be
wrong
to
make
us
pay
more
for
their
privilege
number
two
school
board.
Members
should
be
a
mix
of
Education
activists
and
also
people
appointed
by
the
mayor
and
number
three
illegal
dumpers
should
be
fined
and
say
to
manager.
A
Community
service
in
the
area
with
dumping
occurred,
take
some
of
those
cameras
that
are
distributed
in
more
areas
and
place
them
areas
where
we
have
high
dumping.
Thank
you
for
all
of
your
comments.
We'll
continue
to
look
at
all
these
issues
on
the
next
public
comment.
Well,
recap:
this
year's
city's
budget
and
highlight
a
couple
of
the
major
components
such
as
a
proposed
property
tax
increase,
and
what
philadelphians
can
expect
I
want
to.
A
Thank
you
for
joining
me
for
this
edition
of
public
comment
in
honor
of
Women's
History
Month
I
charge
you
with
this
quote
from
Saint
mother
Teresa
spread
love
everywhere
you
go
and
let
no
one
ever
come
to
you
without
leaving
happier
I'm
councilman,
Derek,
green
and
I'll.
See
you
next
time
on
public
comment.