City Hall Roll Call: November 3rd, 2022
Council honors local STEM students for water crisis work
Welcome to Thursday’s City Hall Roll Call, powered by The Committee of Seventy.
Subscribe to the Committee of Seventy's newsletter for weekly news and insights on local elections, redistricting, and efforts to improve our state and local government, all delivered directly to your inbox.
Welcome to City Hall Roll Call, a summary of City Council’s weekly Stated Meeting. Reminder, the information provided below is not an official or complete record. City Council’s official legislative database can be accessed through Legistar.
For a full play-by-play of the Council session, including speeches and public comment, be sure to follow me on Twitter. Also, don’t forget to tune in on Tuesday mornings at 10:25 a.m. to WURD Radio and Reality Check’s “City Council Calendar with Lauren Vidas.” Show host Charles Ellison and I preview the issues and break down the legislation that Council will tackle at its Thursday meeting.
Session Recap:
With mid-term elections looming on Tuesday, today’s City Council session saw very few pieces of legislation introduced by members. The majority of its final passage calendar was dedicated to moving a variety of land transfer resolutions, moving properties through the Philadelphia Land Bank.
Councilmember Isaiah Thomas (D-AL) introduced a bill that would create a new section of the code entitled “Youth Name, Image and Likeness Protection.” The bill, if passed, would establish provisions related to education and counseling for certain Philadelphia youth and their families who are considering licensing publicity rights.
In a floor speech, Thomas explained that the bill was prompted by a likely rule change by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association to allow “name, image and likeness (NIL) ” deals for high school athletes. The goal of the bill, as Thomas explained, was “to offer protections to young people who might get an NIL deal to make sure they aren’t being put in a position where they are being taken advantage of.”
Councilmember Thomas also honored students from Imhotep Institute Charter School. A group of STEM students and faculty worked together to 3D print water filters for residents in Jackson, Mississippi who were in the midst of a clean water crisis. The students travelled to Jackson to help distribute the water filters, as well as teach local students and organizations how to print the filters themselves.
A number of students testified at the Council hearing about what the project meant to them and how it inspired them to continue to serve their community and fight against the systemic racism and inequity that allows such conditions to persist both at home and abroad.
Due to Election Day, Council will not meet next week. Council stands adjourned until Thursday, November 17th, 2022.
Bills and Resolutions Introduced Today (By Subject Matter)
Due to the volume, ceremonial resolutions introduced by Councilmembers that honor or memorialize individuals or organizations will not be listed below, but can be found on Legistar.
🏞️ Parks and Recreation
Bill naming and designating the Mill Creek Recreation Center, located at 4700 Brown Street as the ‘Tiffany Fletcher Recreation Center.’ (Gauthier)
💼 Business Regulation
Bill establishing provisions related to education and counseling for certain Philadelphia youth and their families who are considering licensing publicity rights. (Thomas)
🚦Streets
Bill authorizing the installation of various encroachments at 1700-1720 Arch Street. (Clarke)
Bill establishing a no truck parking regulation for a street located in the 4th Councilmanic District. (Jones)
Bills and Resolutions Introduced Today (By Member)
Due to the volume, ceremonial resolutions introduced by Councilmembers that honor or memorialize individuals or organizations will not be listed below, but can be found on Legistar.
Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (D-3rd)
Bill - Naming and designating the Mill Creek Recreation Center, located at 4700 Brown Street as the ‘Tiffany Fletcher Recreation Center.’ (Gauthier)
Councilmember Curtis Jones, Jr. (D-4th)
Bill - Establishing a no truck parking regulation for a street located in the 4th Councilmanic District.
Council President Darrell Clarke (D-5th)
Bill: Authorizing the installation of various encroachments at 1700-1720 Arch Street.
Councilmember Isaiah Thomas (D-AL)
Bill - Establishing provisions related to education and counseling for certain Philadelphia youth and their families who are considering licensing publicity rights. (Thomas)
Bills and Resolutions Passed by City Council at Today’s Session
Resolutions:
🗺️ 220850 (Clarke): Authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 2317 Ridge Avenue located in the 5th Councilmanic District.
🗺️ 220875 (Clarke): Authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 2214 N. Orkney Street located in the 7th Councilmanic District.
🗺️ 220876 (Clarke): Authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 2527 N. Hancock Street located in the 7th Councilmanic District.
🗺️ 220877 (Clarke): Authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 3018 N. American Street located in the 7th Councilmanic District.
🗺️ 220878 (Clarke): Authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 2646 Palethorp Street located in the 7th Councilmanic District.
🗺️ 220879 (Clarke): Authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 2521 N. Hancock Street & 2522 Mutter Street located in the 7th Councilmanic District.
🗺️ 220880 (Clarke): Authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 525 W. Norris Street located in the 7th Councilmanic District.
🗺️ 220881 (Clarke): Authorizing the transfer of title to 800 W. Cumberland Street in the Fifth Councilmanic District to the Philadelphia Land Bank.
🗺️ 220882 (Clarke): Authorizing the transfer of title to 911, 913, 915, 919, 921, 923, and 925 W. Auburn Street, 3812, 3826, 3834, 3846, 3850, and 3861 N. Camac Street, 2317 Ridge Avenue, and 1436 N. 17th Street in the Fifth Councilmanic District to the Philadelphia Land Bank.
🗺️ 220887 (Squilla): Authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 2501, 2855, 2857 Amber Street; 2143, 2155, 2157 E. Birch Street; 2134, 2172 E. Cambria Street; 2103, 2107 E. Cumberland Street; 2107 E. Dakota Street; 2478, 2480 Emerald Street; 2022 E. Fletcher Street; 1929, 1935, 1943, 2215-17 E. Harold Street; 2637, 2639, 2643, 2645, 2649 Janney Street; 2536 Jasper Street; 2639, 2641, 2643, 2653 Kensington Avenue; 2068 E. Monmouth Street; 1844 E. Oakdale Street; 2140, 2151, 2153, 2156 E. Orleans Street; 2646, 2658 Ritter Street; 2089 E. Somerset Street; 2106, 2133, 2135, 2250-2252 E. William Street located in the 1st Councilmanic District.
🗺️ 220888 (Squilla): Authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 2037, 2038, 2039, 2040, 2042, 2044, 2047, 2050, 2052,2056, 2058, 2060, 2062, 2066, 2068, 2201-29 E. William Street and 2306 Collins Street located in the 1st Councilmanic District.
🏆 220### (Thomas): Recognizing and honoring Champion of the Week, the Imhotep Institute Charter High School STEM students and faculty, for their heroic work in providing 3D printed water filters to residents of Jackson, MS in a water quality crisis.
🏆 220### (Bass): Recognizing and honoring November as National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Month in Philadelphia and honoring organizations, advocates, and City workers for their work supporting Philadelphia’s most vulnerable.
🏆 220### (Bass): Recognizing the month of November as Financial Awareness Month in the City of Philadelphia.
Bills:
💸 220659-A (Clarke): Amending Bill No. 220401, entitled “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,” to correct a typographical error in stating the period in which a reduction in the resident Net Profits Tax rate is applicable.
💸 220660 (Clarke): Amending Bill No. 210284, entitled “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,” to fix a mistake in identifying the tax year to which a tax reduction applies, so that the tax reduction applies in FY2023, all under certain conditions.
🏥 220813 (Brooks): Amending Bill No. 220051-A, entitled “An Ordinance amending Section 9-4116 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled ‘2021 Public Health Emergency Leave,’ to establish additional leave time under certain circumstance, modify existing provisions concerning the paid sick leave, and make technical changes, all under certain terms and conditions,” to clarify the modifications to The Philadelphia Code intended to be made by the Bill, and make technical changes; all under certain terms and conditions.
📆 Upcoming City Council Public Hearings
(Click on the Committee listing to download the full agenda of bills and resolutions for the meeting.)
Thursday, November 10th
Committee on Public Health and Human Services, 10:30 AM - Council will hold public hearings on three bills related to reproductive health rights and protections, including Bill No. 220656 which establishes privacy protections, Bill No. 220664 which protects against reproductive health discrimination, and Bill No. 220665, establishing legal protections related to reproductive services. The Committee will also take testimony regarding expanding Philadelphia’s mobile crisis response capacity to develop strategies and best practices for non-lethal de-escalation, crisis intervention, and restraint of individuals experiencing mental or emotional distress