City Hall Roll Call: October 27th, 2022
Council calls for lawsuit against Commonwealth regarding conditions at the Juvenile Justice Center
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:
Once again, City Council’s weekly stated meeting was dominated by the public comment portion of the agenda. Following up on last week’s testimony regarding overcrowding conditions at the City’s Juvenile Justice Services Center (PJJSC), numerous advocates spoke out on the resolution. Many advocates, who testified about the time they spent working with the city’s incarcerated youth, told Council that the framing of the issue was incorrect. In short, the advocates argued that the issue was not that there wasn’t enough space for the incarcerated juveniles, but rather that there were far too many juveniles being incarcerated in the first place. One advocate stated that the outcome of the resolution would just “shuffle” kids from one under-resourced facility to another, putting them further away from home and community support.
Councilmembers responded to the testimony stating that they appreciated “the input and objections of the advocates today, because they are absolutely right.” Council noted that the current conditions were a symptom of a host of underlying causes, including underfunding in our education system, and vowed to continue to work on addressing the concerns raised by advocates today.
In terms of introductions, the vast majority of bills and resolutions were routine land transfers with the exception of a Charter Change proposal from Council President Clarke. The Charter Change proposal, if approved by voters, would create a division on Workforce Development and require the City’s Commerce Department to provide annual reports on the efficacy of the City’s Workforce Development efforts.
Council stands adjourned until Thursday, November 3rd, 2022. Council will not meet on November 10th because of Election Day on November 8th.
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.
🗺️ Land Disposition / Acquisition
Resolution authorizing the land Bank to dispose of property located in the 7th Councilmanic District. (Clarke)
Resolution authorizing the land Bank to dispose of property located in the 7th Councilmanic District. (Clarke)
Resolution authorizing the land Bank to dispose of property located in the 7th Councilmanic District. (Clarke)
Resolution authorizing the land Bank to dispose of property located in the 7th Councilmanic District. (Clarke)
Resolution authorizing the land Bank to dispose of property located in the 7th Councilmanic District. (Clarke)
Resolution authorizing the land Bank to dispose of property located in the 7th Councilmanic District. (Clarke)
Resolution authorizing the transfer of land located in the 5th Councilmanic District from Public Property to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority. (Clarke)
Resolution authorizing the transfer of land located in the 5th Councilmanic District from Public Property to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority. (Clarke)
Resolution authorizing the Land Bank to dispose of property located in the 1st Councilmanic District. (Squilla)
Resolution authorizing the Land Bank to dispose of property located in the 1st Councilmanic District. (Squilla)
📜 Charter Change
Bill proposing a Charter Change creating the Division of Workforce Development. (Clarke)
Resolution submitting to the electors the charter change for the the Division of Workforce Development. (Clarke)
💼 Business Regulation / Economy
Bill adding a chapter to the Philadelphia Code related to Workforce Development, requiring the Commerce Department to provide regular reporting on Workforce Development efforts. (Clarke)
🚦Streets
Bill providing for no truck parking for a street located in the 4th Councilmanic District. (Jones)
Bill authorizing the installation of various encroachments at 435 North Broad Street. (Squilla)
💸 Finance / Budget
Bill amending the Capital Program ordinance. (Clarke)
Bill amending the Capital Budget. (Clarke)
Bill authorizing a transfer in appropriations. (Clarke)
Bill authorizing a transfer in appropriations. (Clarke)
⚖️ Privileged Resolutions (Authorizing Hearings / Urging Action)
Resolution authorizing the Committee on Public Safety to hold hearings on the true cost of crime to Philadelphia residents. (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 Mark Squilla (D-1st)
Bill - Authorizing the installation of various encroachments at 435 North Broad Street.
Resolution - Authorizing the Land Bank to dispose of property located in the 1st Councilmanic District.
Resolution - Authorizing the Land Bank to dispose of property located in the 1st Councilmanic District.
Councilmember Curtis Jones, Jr. (D-4th)
Bill - No truck parking for a street located in the 4th Councilmanic District.
Resolution - Authorizing the Committee on Public Safety to hold hearings on the true cost of crime to Philadelphia residents.
Council President Darrell Clarke (D-5th)
Bill - Charter Change creating the Division of Workforce Development.
Bill - Adding a chapter to the Philadelphia Code related to Workforce Development, requiring the Commerce Department to provide regular reporting on Workforce Development efforts.
Resolution - Companion Charter Change resolution to the Division of Workforce Development.
Bill - Amending the Capital Program ordinance.
Bill - Amending the Capital Budget.
Bill - Authorizing a transfer in appropriations.
Bill - Authorizing a transfer in appropriations.
Resolution - Authorizing the land Bank to dispose of property located in the 7th Councilmanic District.
Resolution - Authorizing the land Bank to dispose of property located in the 7th Councilmanic District.
Resolution - Authorizing the land Bank to dispose of property located in the 7th Councilmanic District.
Resolution - Authorizing the land Bank to dispose of property located in the 7th Councilmanic District.
Resolution - Authorizing the land Bank to dispose of property located in the 7th Councilmanic District.
Resolution - Authorizing the land Bank to dispose of property located in the 7th Councilmanic District.
Resolution - Authorizing the transfer of land located in the 5th Councilmanic District from Public Property to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority.
Resolution - Authorizing the transfer of land located in the 5th Councilmanic District from Public Property to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority.
Bills and Resolutions Passed by City Council at Today’s Session
Resolutions:
🗺️ 220849 (Clarke): Authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 1510, 1512, 1514, 1520-26, 1530, 1532-34, 1538, 1540, 1542, 1548, 1552, 1554, 1556, 1558, 1563 N Darien Street, 1526, 1528, 1540 N. 8th Street, 1501-13, 1529, 1545, 1549, 1551 N. 9th Street located in the 5th Councilmanic District.
🏆 220851 (Jones): Declaring October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in the City of Philadelphia.
🗣️ 220853 (Jones): Encouraging the Law Department to file a lawsuit against the State of Pennsylvania seeking injunctive relief for their refusal to take custody of juveniles sentenced to state facilities who are currently housed at the Philadelphia Juvenile Justice Services Center (PJJSC).
🗺️ 220856 (Squilla): Authorizing the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Land Bank deeds conveying title to 2843 2861 Janney street and 2842-2860 Weikel street located in the First Councilmanic District.
🗣️ 220857 (Bass): Urging Drexel University, as the recipient of the Atwater Kent Collection to ensure adequate stewardship of the collection and protect the interest of donors, art lovers, and the residents of Philadelphia.
🏆 Res 220### (Gilmore-Richardson): Celebrating Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. on the occasion of the centennial of their founding.
🏆 Res. 220### (Thomas): Recognizing October as Black Male Educator's month.
🏆 Res. 220### (Jones): Honoring the Phillies for winning the 2022 NLCS.
⚖️ Res 220### (Jones): Authorizing the Committee on Public Safety to hold hearings on the true cost of crime to Philadelphia residents.
🏆 Resolution 220### (Jones): Welcoming the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission to Philadelphia for the CROWN Conference to address hair bias and discrimination.
🏆 Res. 220### (Brooks): Recognizing October 2022 as Blindness Equity Month.
🏆 Res. 220### (Bass): Celebrating October as Mural Arts Month.
🏆 Res. 220### (Bass): Recognizing October as National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month.
📆 Upcoming City Council Public Hearings
(Click on the Committee listing to download the full agenda of bills and resolutions for the meeting.)
Friday, October 28th
Committee on Streets and Services, 10:00 AM - the committee will take testimony on twenty-eight (28) bills related to streets, including parking regulations, street strikings and encroachments.
Tuesday, November 1st
Committee on Rules, 10:00 AM - the committee will hear testimony on Bill No. 220418, clarifying certain Zoning Code provisions and making technical changes; Bill No. 220769, authorizing Animal Husbandry Use on a certain location in Fairmount Park; and, Bill No. 220776 changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within the Far Northeast.