CITY COUNCIL DID NOT HAVE A SESSION ON OCT 3 IN HONOR OF ROSH HASHANAH, COUNCILMEMBERS REMAINED BUSY, HOLDING COMMITTEE HEARINGS
City Council's Committees on Public Safety and Streets & Services held a hearing on October 1 on Resolution #240482 (sponsored by Jeffery Young, Jr.) investigating illegal street racing meetups in Philadelphia.
The street racing hearing happened just one week after so-called "drifting" drivers and spectators took over parts of Philadelphia streets and parking lots on September 21-22 resulting in viral videos and drawing international attention. Several people have been arrested in connection with the series of events and police expect to make more arrests in the coming days and weeks.
Philadelphia Police Deputy Commissioner Frank Healy testified that the Police Department is exploring the use of drones, spike strips, and automated plate readers in its response to illegal street racing and car meet-ups. Healy says the drones could be in use within the next few weeks and be used to track suspects without involving a possible dangerous chase in a police car. Spike strips could be used around the area of a meet-up to prevent cars from escaping.
Members of the public testified at the hearing that Council should do more to deal with racing motorcycles, loud cars, and racing meetups.
It was not clear if new legislation would come out of City Council as a result of the hearing.
The joint committee also hear testimony on Resolution #240715 (Young) to investigate Philadelphia Police Department precinct policies and practices for approving and denying block party permits, and exploring methods to increase the number of block party permit applications.
On September 30, Council's Committee on Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs held a hearing to discuss Resolution #240392 (sponsored by Isaiah Thomas, At-Large) which looked at ensuring Recreation Centers have the full complement of staff needed to respond to the diverse challenges of Philadelphia neighborhood and Bill #240422 (sponsored by Curtis Jones, Jr.) that would have the city enter into a multiyear agreement with Cosmic Catering, LLC, for the management and operation of the Lloyd Hall Recreation Center Café.
Also on September 30, Council's Commerce & Economic Development Committee discussed Resolution #240314 (Young), which investigates the market viability of commercial office buildings in Center City; Bill #240098 (Young), amending Chapter 17-1600 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Economic Opportunity Plans," to define development projects and providing for additional requirements for Economic Opportunity Plan approval; and Bill #240582 (Young), amending Chapter 9-4400 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Responsible Business Operations," by amending the definition of critical nuisance businesses and further clarifying an obstruction of an investigation.
Bill #240422 was voted out of Committee this week and are expected to have a first reading at the October 10 Council session with a possible final passage vote as soon as the October 17 Council session. Bills #240098 and #240582 were held in committee, according to the Chief Clerk's Office.
Members of City Council spent a second week reviewing the 11 proposed bills or ordinances Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker has given to them in order to try and make the proposed new Sixers Arena (76 Place) in Center City a reality before the end of this year.
The 11 proposed bills or ordinances are available to the public for review.
Since September 25, Mark Squilla (1st District), whose District includes the proposed site of the Sixers arena, has been gathering feedback from Philadelphians before any possible introduction of the 76 Place legislation in Council. The earliest the legislation could be introduced in Council is Thursday, October 24. It will be up to Squilla to ultimately decide if and when he presents the legislative package.
Councilmembers offices have been receiving telephone calls and emails from residents either urging Councilmembers to vote yes or no concerning 76 Place.
If or when the Sixers Arena legislation is introduced, it will be assigned to a yet-to-be-determined City Council Committee by Council President Kenyatta Johnson (2nd District). The Committee will then have a series of public hearings on the bill, which would be expected to be held sometime in November.
No dates have been set for the hearings, nor have the number of hearings been determined yet. Bills and Resolutions are voted out of committee by a simple majority of committee members.
After a bill or resolution is voted out of committee, it needs to be read aloud at two different City Council sessions before a final vote is taken. The final City Council session for this year is scheduled for December 12.
A bill or resolution just needs nine of Council's 17 members to pass. After a bill passes, it goes to the Mayor for her signature or veto.
Cindy Bass (8th District)Anthony Phillips (9th District) were the latest Councilmembers to host property tax relief workshops in their districts this week to give the public important information about the various Tax Relief Programs designed to help residents stay in their homes and relieve financial burdens.
At each workshop, representatives from the Office of Property Assessment (OPA), the Revenue Department, Community Legal Services, the Register of Wills, and the Recorder of Deeds will be on hand to answer questions and sign people up for programs on the spot. Citizens are asked to bring their ID, proof of income, and property tax assessment letter, if available.
The workshops started in early September and more workshops are coming throughout the city in the next few weeks. All of the workshops are open to anyone living in Philadelphia.
The next workshops will take place on Wednesday, October 16 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at West Kensington Ministry, 2140 North Hancock Street in the Kensington section of Philadelphia. This will be hosted by Quetcy Lozada (7th District) and Council President Johnson.
The City of Philadelphia's Revenue Department also announced this week that applications are now available for the newly created assistance program, the Low-Income Tax Freeze. The Low-Income Tax Freeze program "freezes" real estate tax bills for eligible owner-occupied properties in Philadelphia. The deadline to apply for the program is Friday, January 31, 2025.
Council has kicked off a public campaign to inform Philadelphians about the property tax relief programs including billboards that are up in neighborhoods now, radio ads in English and Spanish, and letters and postcards that will be sent to homes citywide within the next few weeks.
The Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Department, in collaboration with Mural Arts Philadelphia and City Jamie Gauthier (3rd District) hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony and community block party this week to celebrate the newly renovated Tiffany Fletcher Recreation Center, formerly Mill Creek, and a mural installation featuring a portrait of Tiffany Fletcher.
In June 2023, the Mill Creek Recreation Center was renamed in memory of Tiffany Fletcher, a devoted Parks & Recreation employee who tragically lost her life to gun violence while working on-site at the recreation center in September 2022. In addition to renaming the center, Gauthier allocated $2.5 million to upgrade the facility into a state-of-the-art resource for the community.
The renovations include:
The mural, designed by the Teacup Collective in collaboration with the Mural Arts recreation crew, features a portrait of Fletcher and a poem written by a former recreation crew member who knew her and her family. The artwork incorporates various mediums including painting on mural cloth, glass mosaic butterflies, and ceramic tiles.
The dedication featured remarks from Fletcher's family members, local officials, and community leaders.
Congratulations to Philadelphia City Councilmember and Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson (At-Large) for being named by City & State Pennsylvania Magazine as one of the inaugural 40 in Their 40s statewide. The list features power players throughout the commonwealth. Gilmore Richardson was the lone City Councilmember on the list.
All of the winners were honored at an event in Center City Philadelphia this week. City Council President Johnson attended the event to show support for his colleague.
Check out the full list here.
