City Hall Roll Call: September 17, 2021

Session Recap:

City Council returned from its summer recess a day later than planned due to the Yom Kippur holiday. At its rare Friday Stated Meeting, Councilmembers introduced a number of resolutions authorizing hearings related to a variety of issues, including tangled titles, school building remediation and the trauma services.

A hallmark of the Clarke Council Presidency has been the elevation of City Council as a body against the strong mayor form of government laid out in the City’s Home Rule Charter. Continuing this trend, Council President Clarke proposed a Charter Change that would overhaul the makeup of the Zoning Board of Adjustment, the agency charged with reviewing zoning and development variance requests. As reported by WHYY, Clarke noted that “The board has flagrantly violated the law by granting zoning variances without any demonstration of hardship by the developer. Far too often, the board is condescending to the community and dismissive of legitimate issues raised by neighbors.”

Currently, the ZBA is made up of five members appointed by the Mayor. Clarke’s bill would expand the number of seats to seven, require two of the seats to go to community members and require City Council sign-off on the Mayor’s appointees.

While some community members have expressed support for Clarke’s bill, the Laborers’ Union has already publicly stated that it has serious concerns about the measure. It is unclear whether other trades will join in opposition to the proposal. Ultimately, the voters will decide whether City Council should have an even bigger role in zoning and development in the City.

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.

🚦 Streets

• Bill revising the penalties for parking on a sidewalk. (Henon)

• Bill prohibiting city streets to be used for sale or storage of motor vehicles. (Henon).

• Bill regulating parking in the 4th Councilmanic District. (Jones)

• Bill allowing vending on 49th Street. (Jones)

• Bill changing direction of traffic for street in 8th Councilmanic District. (Bass)

• Bill prohibiting tractor trailers from being parked on city streets. (Bass)

💼 Business Regulation

• Bill modifying food delivery fee cap (Parker)

• Bill requiring certain businesses to provide info regarding tangled title. (Gilmore-Richardson)

• Bill revising what constitutes nuisance behavior for a business. (Henon)

💸 Finance and Taxes

• Bill continuing a Hospitality Business Improvement District. (Green)

• Bill authorizing continuance of sale of gas work notes. (Green)

• Resolution initiating action to continue Hospitality BID. (Green)

🏗️  Zoning and Construction

• Bill prohibiting certain bonuses in the 5th District (Clarke)

• Bill extending Strawberry Mansion Overlay (Clarke)

• Bill revising the composition of the Zoning Board of Adjustment (Clarke)

• Resolution, charter change revising the composition of the Zoning Board of Adjustment (Clarke)

• Bill allowing for the conversion of storm water lines to public ownership. (Henon)

• Bill converting certain water lines from private to public. (Henon)

• Bill modifying when notice must be given for a demolition permit. (Jones)

• Bill enhancing building requirements for educational occupancy. (Green)

• Bill changing zoning by 9th and Walnut. (Squilla)

• Bill changing zoning by Tulip Street. (Squilla)

• Bill amending the CTR Overlay District. (Squilla)

• Bill changing zoning near Old York Road. (Bass)

🚓 Public Safety

• Bill revising the qualifications for appointment to the Police Oversight Commission. (Jones)

⚖️ Privileged Resolutions (Authorizing Hearings / Urging Action)

• Resolution authorizing hearings on relationship between public safety and commercial corridors. (Parker)

• Resolution authorizing hearings on tangled title. (Gilmore-Richardson)

• Resolution calling on Congress to pass Build Back Better Act. (Gilmore-Richardson)

• Resolution authorizing hearings on plan to fund comprehensive remediation of school buildings and adapt to changing climate. (Gym)

• Resolution authorizing hearings on construction site safety and workload of L&I Inspectors charged with enforcing laws. (Henon)

• Resolution authorizing hearing on public safety. (Jones)

• Resolution authorizing hearing on rebuild initiative. (Jones)

• Resolution authorizing hearings to examine the shortage of trauma counseling services. (Johnson)

• Resolution calling on Congress to enact the Able Age Adjustment act. (Green)

• Resolution urging Congress to pass Joint Resolution 21 to strike the slavery clause from the 13th amendment. (Brooks)

• Resolution authorizing hearings on Philadelphia Promise Trust Fund. (Bass)

• Resolution authorizing hearing on asbestos clean up history of Philadelphia schools. (Oh)

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 - Changing zoning by 9th and Walnut.

• Bill - Changing zoning by Tulip Street.

• Bill - Amending the CTR Overlay District.

Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson (D-2nd)

• Resolution - Authorizing hearings to examine the shortage of trauma counseling services.

Councilmember Curtis Jones, Jr. (D-4th)

• Bill - Modifying when notice must be given for a demolition permit.

• Bill - Regulating parking in the 4th Councilmanic District.

• Bill - Allowing vending on 49th Street.

• Bill - Revising the qualifications for appointment to the Police Oversight Commission.

• Resolution - Authorizing hearing on public safety.

• Resolution - Authorizing hearing on rebuild initiative.

Council President Darrell Clarke (D-5th)

• Bill - Prohibiting certain bonuses in the 5th District

• Bill - extending Strawberry Mansion Overlay

• Bill - Charter change revising the composition of the Zoning Board of Adjustment

• Bill - Authorizing Citizens Bank to provide payroll banking services (Administration)

• Resolution - Charter change revising the composition of the Zoning Board of Adjustment

• Resolution - Approving Neighborhood Preservation Initiative’s 1st Year Budget.

Councilmember Bobby Henon (D-6th)

• Bill - Prohibiting city streets to be used for sale or storage of motor vehicles.

• Bill - Allowing for the conversion of storm water lines to public ownership.

• Bill - Revising what constitutes nuisance behavior for a business.

• Bill - Revising the penalties for parking on a sidewalk.

• Bill - Converting certain water lines from private to public.

• Resolution - Authorizing hearings on construction site safety and workload of L&I Inspectors charged with enforcing laws.

Councilmember Cindy Bass (8th)

• Bill - zoning change Old York Road.

• Bill - changing direction of traffic for street in 8th Councilmanic District.

• Bill - prohibiting tractor trailers from being parked on city streets.

• Resolution - Authorizing hearings on Philadelphia Promise Trust Fund.

Councilmember Cherelle Parker (9th)

• Bill - Modifying food delivery fee cap.

• Resolution - Authorizing hearings on relationship between public safety and commercial corridors.

Councilmember Kendra Brooks (I-AL)

• Resolution - Urging Congress to pass Joint Resolution 21 to strike the slavery clause from the 13th amendment.

Councilmember Katherine Gilmore-Richardson (D-AL)

• Bill - Requiring certain businesses to provide info regarding tangled title.

• Resolution - Authorizing hearings on tangled title.

• Resolution - Calling on Congress to pass Build Back Better Act.

Councilmember Derek Green (D-AL)

• Bill - Continuing a hospitality Business Improvement District.

• Bill - Authorizing continuance of sale of gas work notes.

• Bill - Enhancing building requirements for educational occupancy.

• Resolution - Initiating action to continue Hospitality BID.

• Resolution - Calling on Congress to enact the Able Age Adjustment act.

Councilmember Helen Gym (D-AL)

• Resolution - Authorizing hearings on plan to fund comprehensive remediation of school buildings and adapt to changing climate.

Councilmember David Oh (R-AL)

• Resolution - Authorizing hearing on asbestos clean up history of Philadelphia schools.

Bills and Resolutions Passed by City Council at Today’s Session

Resolutions:

• 🏆 210642 (Gilmore-Richardson): Recognizing the School District of Philadelphia for becoming the first Pennsylvania School District to acquire electric school buses.

• 🗣️ 210645 (Gym): Calling on Mayor James F. Kenney and his administration to work collaboratively with City Council, as well as business, labor, and diverse community stakeholders, to establish a Commission on Tax Equity and Growth, which would examine and assess the City’s tax structure and advance a tax plan that centers racial equity and inclusive growth.

• 🗺️ 210656 (Gauthier): Authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority deeds conveying fee simple title to properties in the Third Councilmanic District.

• 🏆 210658 (Thomas): Honoring and congratulating Champion of the Week, Central High School Baseball and Softball teams, for their successful 2020-2021 season and winning their respective Public League Championship games.

• ⚖️ 210### (Parker): Authorizing hearings on the relationship of public safety and the economic vitality of commercial corridors.

• ⚖️ 210### (Gilmore-Richardson): Authorizing hearings on tangled titles.

• ⚖️ 210### (Gym): Authorizing hearings on plan to fund comprehensive remediation of school buildings and adapt to changing climate.

• ⚖️ 210### (Jones): Authorizing hearings on the status of the Rebuild initiative.

  📆 Upcoming City Council Public Hearings

  (Click on the Committee listing to download the full agenda of bills and resolutions for the meeting.)

Wednesday, September 22nd

• Committee on Public Safety, 1:00 p.m. - The Committee on Public Safety will hear testimony related to the maintenance and reporting of information related to vehicle stops (210635) and an ordinance clarifying the appropriate methods and circumstances of enforcement of traffic violations (210636).

Tuesday, September 28th

• Committee on Rules, 10:00 a.m. - The Committee on Rules will hear testimony on an ordinance approving an amendment to the Articles of Incorporation of the City Avenue Special Services District of Philadelphia and Lower Merion to extend the term of existence of the District to December 31, 2042. (210549)