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What’s Happening in Philadelphia City Council: Week of June 18 - June 22

06/15/2012

City Council is inching closer to summer recess, with its last session before break scheduled for Thursday, June 21. Council President Darrell Clarke has dropped hints about Council “officially” working in July and August (they are due back on Thursday, September 13, 2012), but we haven’t heard any specifics.

PUBLIC MEETINGS AND HEARINGS IN CITY COUNCIL THIS WEEK:

Monday, June 18 at 10:00 a.m.: Committee on Law and Government    

Bill No. 120531 and Resolution No. 120540: A proposed amendment to the City Charter to give preference in civil service entrance exams, from time to time as required by statute or ordinance, to grandchildren of police officers and firefighters who were killed or who died in the line of duty. (Preferences already exist for children of deceased officers and firefighters.)

Bill No. 120108 and Resolution No. 120119: A proposed amendment to the City Charter that would authorize City Council to require by ordinance the submission of certain financial information by the city’s Finance Director (along with the submission of the annual operating and capital budgets and capital program by the mayor’s office), including, not limited to, information about the cost of performing specific functions, the effectiveness of such functions, and the costs versus benefits of proposed expenditures.

Monday, June 18 at 2:00 p.m.: Committee of the Whole

Public hearing on property taxes and the city schools. For the latest on these highly charged issues that have dominated Council’s budget season, read the two latest installments of Seventy’s HOW PHILLY WORKS: The Philadelphia Idiot's Guide to Property Taxes and the Public Schools:Part I (June 5, 2012) and Part II (June 15, 2012).

Tuesday, June 19 at 10:00 a.m.: Committee on Rules    

Bill No. 120397: Renewing a Neighborhood Improvement District in Port Richmond where residents would continue to pay additional taxes in exchange for extra city services. The district covers Allegheny Avenue to Venango Avenues between Frankford and Tulip Streets.

Tuesday, June 19 at 1:00 p.m.: Committee on Public Safety

Resolution No. 120263: Public hearing on the juvenile court system to study and develop policies to reduce violence and bullying in city schools and reduce incarceration and recidivism among young people in the city.

Wednesday, June 20 at 9:00 a.m.: Committee on Finance

Bill No. 120562: Proposed question for the November 6 election ballot to issue up to $122 million in municipal bonds to cover capital costs for the following departments: Transit ($3.3 million), Streets and Sanitation ($31 million), Municipal Buildings ($44 million), Parks, Recreation and Museums ($30.7 million) and Economic and Community Development ($12 million).

Bill No. 120483: Removal of properties from a Keystone Opportunity Zone (KOZ) in North Philadelphia’s Brewerytown neighborhood. Properties developed in KOZs are exempt from most state and local taxes.

Wednesday, June 20 at 10:00 a.m.: Joint Committees on Licenses & Inspections and Public Safety

Resolution No. 120179: Public hearing to discuss negligent landlords and negative effects on surrounding neighborhoods. The resolution states that the Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) is filing an increased number of complaints and that mapping of the Sixth Councilmanic district shows 2,000 properties with multiple L&I violations.

Wednesday, June 20 at 1:00 p.m.: Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities

Bill No. 120561: Authorizing the city to complete a purchase agreement for electricity to power buildings owned or leased by the city in 2015. Philadelphia has purchased its electricity supply at market rates since 2010.

Thursday, June 21 at 10:00 a.m.: Regularly scheduled Council of the Whole Meeting

The Clerk’s office is still assembling the final schedule for bills that will go up for final passage at this final scheduled legislative session before Council’s summer recess. Trust us, there will be a lot. We’ll let you know what they are early next week. However, you can at least expect City Council to pass the city’s annual budget for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1.

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