Stated Meeting, October 29, 2026

COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA STATED MEETING Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Thursday, October 29, 2026 10:00 a.m. PRESENT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT KENYATTA JOHNSON COUNCILWOMAN NINA AHMAD COUNCILWOMAN CINDY BASS COUNCILWOMAN KENDRA BROOKS COUNCILMAN MICHAEL DRISCOLL COUNCILWOMAN CINDY GAUTHIER COUNCILWOMAN KATHERINE GILMORE RICHARDSON COUNCILMAN JIM HARRITY COUNCILMAN CURTIS J. JONES, JR. COUNCILWOMAN RUE LANDAU COUNCILWOMAN QUETCY M. LOZADA COUNCILMAN BRIAN J. O'NEILL COUNCILMAN NICOLAS O'ROURKE COUNCILMAN ANTHONY PHILLIPS COUNCILMAN MARK SQUILLA COUNCILMAN ISAIAH THOMAS COUNCILMAN JEFFREY YOUNG, JR. ELIZABETH McCOLLUM NAZARIO, CHIEF CLERK - - -

Members, please take your seats. All visitors, please retire to the seats outside the rail. Good morning, everyone. (Good morning.)

Good morning, everyone. (Good morning.)

I will ask for all sidebar conversations please be taken outside of the Council chambers. I note that the hour has come and that a quorum of this Council is present. Before proceeding, I will ask all those present to please set your cell phones to silent and/or vibrate. Thank you. To give our invocation this morning, the Chair recognizes Bishop Stephen Poyser, Sr., Senior Pastor of the New Testament Church of God. He is here today as guest of Councilmember Jamie Gauthier. I will ask all members and guests to please rise. (Councilmembers, visitors and guests rise.)

Good morning, everyone.

Good morning.

Let us pray. Almighty and Everlasting God, our Heavenly Father, we come before you, your divine presence today with grateful hearts, acknowledging that you alone are God. And beside you there is none other. We thank you for the privilege of life, for the blessings of liberty and for the opportunity to gather in this great city of Philadelphia, a city founded upon the principles of brotherly love. Heavenly Father, your word reminds us in Psalms 127, Verse 1, Unless the Lord build a house, they labor in vain that build it. And so today, Lord, we recognize that human wisdom alone is not sufficient to meet the challenges of our time. We need your divine guidance, your understanding and your direction. We lift before you the Honorable Mayor of Philadelphia, the President and members of City Council and all those entrusted with the responsibility of leadership and public service. Grant them wisdom to govern, courage to do what is right, humility to listen and compassion to serve. May their decisions not be merely guided by political interest or personal ambition, but by a sincere desire to advance justice, preserve peace and improve the lives of those whom they have been called to serve. Father, we pray for the citizens of this great city. Remember our children, our young people who represent the promise of tomorrow. Remember our seniors whose sacrifices have helped build the communities we enjoy today. Remember the struggling families, the homeless, the sick, the forgotten and those who feel that their voices are not being heard. And, Lord, today we lift before you the immigrants and strangers amongst us. Remember that this nation has been shaped by generations of people who have journeyed from distant shores seeking freedom, opportunity, and a better life for their families. Your word reminds us in Leviticus 19, Verse 34, that we are to love the strangers who dwell amongst us as ourselves. Father, look with compassion upon the families living in uncertainty, upon parents concerned for their children and upon those seeking safety, stability and a place to call home. God grant wisdom to those who make and enforce our laws that justice may be administered with fairness, that authority may be exercised with compassion, and that the dignity of every human being may never be forgotten. Help us to remember, O God, that we are that before we are separated by nationality, language, or borders of nations. We are all members of the human family created in your image. Where there is violence, Lord, let there be peace. Where there is division, bring unity. Where there is hopelessness, restore hope. And where there is injustice, let righteousness prevail. Remind us, O God, that the true measure of a city's greatness is not found only in its buildings and its institutions or its accomplishments, but in how it cares for the least, the lost and the most vulnerable amongst us. As this governing body conducts the business of the city. May every discussion be marked by respect, every deliberation by wisdom, and every decision by integrity. Help us to remember that leadership is not merely a position of authority, but a sacred responsibility of service. And now, Lord, may your blessings rest upon the City of Philadelphia. May peace dwell within its borders, prosperity flourish in its communities and may brotherly love be more than the name by which the city is known. May it become the spirit which its people live by. We commit this gathering, its leadership and its proceedings into your hands. To You be all the honor, glory and praise, now and forever, in the mighty and matchless name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we pray Amen. (Amen.)

The Chair thanks the Bishop for the invocation. Council will now be at ease. (Council at ease.)

Members, please take your seats. Can we please take all sidebar conversations out of the City Council chambers. The next order of business is the Approval of the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, October 22, 2026. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Cindy Bass. Coun --

It's Jamie's fault -- thank you, Mr. President. I move that the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, October 22, 2026 be approved. (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and properly seconded that the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, October 22, 2026 stand approved. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)

Anyone opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it and the Journal is approved. The next order of business is the request for leave of absence. And the Chair recognizes Councilmember Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson.

Thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of the Majority, there are no requests for leave of absence today.

The Chair thanks the Majority Leader. Chair recognizes Councilmember Kendra Brooks, Minority Leader.

Thank you, Council President. On behalf of the Minority, there are no requests for leaves of absence today.

Thank you very much. The Chair thanks the Minority Leader. The Chair now recognizes Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson for a motion concerning certain legislative matters that may arise during the course of today's session of Council, and that were not listed on the Calendar circulated prior to today's Council session.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move that any of the following matters, if considered today, may be added to the agenda for this session of Council and, as required by law, subsequently published on an amended agenda after the consideration of those matters: resolutions authorizing hearings, amendments to bills on first reading, the reconsideration of a bill vetoed by or re-called from the Mayor, amendments to bills re-called from the Mayor resolutions taking substantive action to be voted on in this session, a motion to withdraw a bill or resolution that is not on the Calendar and a motion placing a bill or resolution on or returning a bill or resolution from the Suspension Calendar that is not listed on today's Calendar. The purpose of this motion is to provide the public with notice concerning possible actions by Council that arose too late to be included on the Calendar that was published prior to today's session. (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and properly seconded that the legislative matters stated by Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson may be added to the agenda for today should those matters arise during the course of this session of Council. All in favor signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Anyone opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it and the motion carries. The Chair will dispense with the regular order of business to recognize the guests and visitors joining us in chambers this morning. On behalf of all members of City Council, I welcome you to our Council session. We appreciate your taking the time to join us as we attend to the legislative affairs of our great city. We certainly invite you to come again. I want to take a moment to also welcome the 17 Community College of Philadelphia students who are shadowing each Councilmember today. We also have students who are a part of CCP Votes and CCP staff in the audience today. So everyone is watching democracy in action and learning how policies are made and debated and how decisions are made and how community voices help shape our city. I also want to welcome the student who is shadowing myself today. She is Jackie Mitchell Pennington, who lives in the 2nd Councilmanic District. Her major is psychology. She graduates in 2028. She is part of the CATTO Scholarship Program at Community College of Philadelphia. She is interested in learning more about violence prevention, grief and trauma programs. I want to welcome all of them to City Council. I want to also acknowledge my shadow Jackie Pendleton. Let's give our young people a big round of applause please. (Applause.)

I also want to take a moment of personal privilege to acknowledge the best, if not the greatest Police Commissioner in the United States, I would also say globally. That will be Mr. Kevin Bethel. Thank you for joining us here today as we kick off a presentation later on acknowledging the 50 years of women in law enforcement. We thank all of you and your staff and members of the law enforcement community, particularly the Philadelphia Police Department and others for joining us today. (Applause.)

At this moment, the Chair recognizes Councilmember Jeffrey Jay Young.

Thank you, Mr. President. Today I would also like to welcome Mr. Dwayne Washington as my CCP legislator for the day. We're excited to have him join us to get a firsthand look at how City Council works. He's a behavioral health student at CCP. I also want to welcome all the students and student legislators here today, along with the staff and faculty of CCP. We're proud to have CCP in the 5th Council District in the City of Philadelphia, and it's a pleasure to welcome all of our neighbors to City Hall. This annual opportunity has become one of my favorite events because it gives us a chance to engage the next generation of civic leaders here in the city. So I want to welcome you all again, the Community College of Philadelphia to City Council chambers. (Applause.)

Thank you. Chair recognizes Councilmember Dr. Anthony Phillips.

Well, good morning, Council President. I want to thank the Community College of Philadelphia for today's Legislator for the Day program. As you know, people are like, why is Community College getting this particular privilege. People may not be aware, but the Community College of Philadelphia is the college of Philadelphia that's supported by the city government. So before I begin, I just want to recognize Kakakdar Lim, who has joined us today through our Community College program. Kakakdar came to the United States from Cambodia three years ago and now lives in the 19138 zip code. He is studying general business and is involved in the Student Government Association. He is also a part of the Economic Club. His interest in government began through his conversations with his father and uncle about the economy and ways it can be improved. He is passionate about environmental justice and economic mobility and hopes to work with the Federal Reserve after graduation. So we want to say welcome. Thank you for being here. (Applause.)

And then also, I want to also welcome one of my mentors from Triumph Baptist Church who is here today. When I was a young man thinking about leadership and civil rights, I knew the Rev. William Gibson. And the Rev. William Gibson used to be an administrator at the University of Pennsylvania. Thank you for coming, Rev. Gibson. And then lastly, I also want to recognize are the students from Philly Bolt here today? All right. Can the Philly Bolt students stand up? (Applause.)

So for all of our Philly Bolt students that are here today, they are from Olney High School. And these are the young people -- (Applause.)

These are the young people that brought to my attention the issue with school lunches. And I have nothing but love and thanks for them for trying to help us solve the school lunch problem here in the city of Philadelphia. So welcome to all of the young people from Philly Bolt. Thank you, Council President. (Applause.)

I don't think that clap was satisfactory. Can we give our young people a real big round of applause? (Applause.)

We thank our young people for being in the right place at the right time. Because if they were downstairs doing a teen takeover outside our chambers, we would get all these types of phone calls to the Commissioner saying, what are we going to do about it. So they're in City Hall witnessing democracy at work. So we acknowledge our young people for making the right choices as it relates to getting involved in the civics. At this time, the Chair recognizes Councilmember Cindy Bass, who will present a resolution 16 on my behalf celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Philadelphia Police Department's Women in Patrol and honoring five decades of women's service and leadership in law enforcement. Would the Women in Patrol being recognized and those accompanying them please join Councilmember Cindy Bass at the podium. Joining Member Bass at the podium will be the following Councilmembers: Councilmember Jim Harrity, Councilmember Mike Driscoll, Councilmember Anthony Phillips, Councilmember Mark Squilla, Councilmember Dr. Nina Ahmed, Councilmember Quetcy Lozada, Councilmember Rue Landau and Councilmember Nicolas O'Rourke. (Councilmembers and guests approached podium.) Member Bass, as you embark upon your presentation, I just want to note briefly that it was critically important that we take time out of our schedule to honor women in law enforcement, because these are officers throughout their career who are not guaranteed the opportunity to go back home to their family on their tour of duty. And so, they have sacrificed their lives and their well-being to the greater good of serving the people here in the city of Philadelphia as it relates to public safety. And so, the floor is yours, Member Bass. And thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. President. And I want to just add to that, last week we had the funeral of one of our police professionals that we lost in the line of duty. And so, as we were discussing it in the office, I asked all of my staff to attend the funeral service because if not for this gentleman's profession, he would likely still be alive today. And so, when we talk about folks who serve our city, being on the front lines and being in patrol is critically important to the safety of our city. We need to recognize the people who are taking that challenge head-on and who are doing the job -- listen, when somebody's breaking into your house, breaking into your car bothering you on the street, these are the people who are on the front lines who are coming to our aid and to our rescue and we ought to give them a big round of applause and say, thank you so much for all that you do, for all of your service. And really for putting yourself in harm's way. (Applause.)

You know, there's something to be said about people who will run into a dangerous situation when the rest of us are really running away from it, as we are trained to do from children. You run away from danger, you run away from a scary situation. And these are the people who are running forward into it. And particularly when we think about women, women in patrol and how much women give to our society, to our communities not just as workers in the neighbor, you know, workers on their jobs or mothers in their households, but really just giving above and beyond as being women in patrol and keeping our city safe and doing an excellent job at that. And so, we want to take this day to recognize the important milestone in the history of the Philadelphia Police Department. It's the 50th anniversary of Women in Patrol and five decades of women's service and leadership in law enforcement. 50 years ago women had to fight for the opportunity to serve on street patrol. These women entered a profession where they had to challenge assumptions, overcome barriers and prove themselves in an environment that was not always welcoming to them. Their courage and perseverance opened doors for generations of women who followed. And while there is still work to do to ensure women have opportunities to advance and lead in law enforcement, we should still celebrate. The progress we recognize today is for the women who refuse to accept that the way things had always been done was the way that they would remain. I want to thank Council President Kenyatta Johnson for bringing forward this resolution 1 and ensuring that we take time to recognize the contributions and sacrifices of these women. Honoring this anniversary is more than looking back at history. It is about acknowledging the trailblazers who challenged the department, celebrating the women who served today and inspiring the next generation to see themselves in positions of leadership and in service. And so, today we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Philadelphia Police Department's Women in Patrol and honoring five decades of women's service and leadership in law enforcement. Whereas, in 1974 a 10-year police veteran officer, Penelope Brace, filed a discrimination suit against the City, alleging they would not promote her because of her gender; and

Whereas, the United States Department of Justice filed a case arguing that discriminatory policies excluding women in the police force were unconstitutional. And after the cases were consolidated, culminated in a trial; and

Nice job, Councilwoman Bass. Whereas, upon completion of a two-year study, the judge rejected the city's argument that women were unable to competently serve as police officers, and a decree was issued ending hiring policies that would discriminate against women and ordering the City to hire 100 female officers; and

Whereas, in 1976 those first 100 women were hired by the Philadelphia Police Department to serve on street patrol; and

Whereas, Brace went on to become the city's first female detective, serving as a sergeant in Kensington's East Detective Division in 1982; and

Whereas, these reforms paved the way for other trailblazers like Maureen Rush, one of the first 100 women who went on to serve as Vice- President for Public Safety and Superintendent of Police at the University of Pennsylvania; and

Whereas, women currently make up 22% of the Philadelphia police officers, above the national average of 12%; and

Whereas, the Philadelphia Police Department has committed to the 30x30 Pledge, a national initiative to increase the representation of women in policing to 30% by year 2030; and now, therefore, be it. Actually, it should go to 50%.

Resolved, by the Council of the City of Philadelphia, Hereby honors and celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Philadelphia Police Department's "Women in Patrol" and honoring five decades of women service and leadership in Philadelphia law enforcement. Further resolved, that an Engrossed copy of this resolution presented to the Philadelphia Police Department's "Women in Patrol" as evidence of the sincere appreciation and gratitude of this legislative body. Congratulations. (Applause.)

Can we give them another real big round of applause, y'all. (Applause.)

The floor is yours. First, we're going to have former Philadelphia Police Officer Sergeant Maria Watson, please come on up, Haverford Campus security now. Okay. We'll continue to keep moving forward.

Hello, everybody. I'm one of the 100, along with my twin sister, and Maureen Rush --

Twin cops, how about that.

-- and a few other women that's behind me. I'd like to thank City Council for giving us the citation, and I'd like to thank my police family that are still going strong. I told you the first three years was really hard when we were in the police department because that was the pilot program, and they were trying to show that we were not able to do the work, but we showed them that we could do the work. And I thank everybody -- (Applause.)

Yes. And I thank everybody for their enthusiasm towards us. I really appreciate it. And, everybody, have a blessed day. Thank you. (Applause.)

Next, we'll have former Philadelphia Police Officer Maureen Rush.

City Councilmembers, thank you. Council President Johnson, thank you for honoring us today. I can assure you 50 years ago, all of us would never have been here being honored by anyone. And so, this is more impactful than you'll ever know. 1976 when we left the police academy, we went to seven districts. We didn't have partners. We didn't have GPS. We had a little map that was mimeographed and the colors were all together. In spite of that, we answered calls and we took care of the citizens of Philadelphia. Along the way, the citizens of Philadelphia saw what was going on and they wanted to help us more than sometimes the people who should have been training us. But in all of it, the story the 50th anniversary and the 100 women, many of whom are not with us today, who have passed on, but we take them with us as we celebrate this. But it is a story of grit, it is a story of determination, and it is a story that had to be written, even though we had no idea that 50 years ago this was going to be what it is today. So on behalf of all the women that are here today, many of whom have many more stories, we just want to thank you and thank you for acknowledging the hard work, the grit, the labor and the love that went into this. And at the end of the day, I think we could all say that we had a great time. And it was the greatest show on earth, serving the citizens of Philadelphia. So thank you so much. Appreciate it. (Applause.)

I want to recognize one of our women, Pat Fox, who's very reluctant to be recognized. Pat Fox rose to the level of First Deputy Commissioner in the City of Philadelphia. (Applause.)

When we were at the police academy, Pat had no 14 idea she would be at that rank, but she was terrific at it. And we appreciate all the leadership that you did, Pat. (Applause.)

Next we have retired Corporal from Philadelphia Police Department, Harriet Farr.

Hello. I'd like to tell you how we got here. This has been a project or a brainchild of the twin sisters, Margie and her sister Maria. And they remembered that this has been the 50th year of women in policing. And they thought that something should be done about it and that people should know about it and something should be done to recognize and honor the women who've been working for 50 years in the Philadelphia Police Department. We've been having meetings and those meetings have been held -- in fact, they were Zoom meetings that Margie and her sister had been having every Monday night at 7:00. And people took time to come to those meetings. And it's been about 15 of us who've been meeting every Monday night so that we could do something to recognize and honor the women who worked in the police department for 50 years. Now, as a result, we certainly have a date set for a banquet to be given on December 17th. It's on a Thursday night at the Fraternal Order of Police here in Philadelphia. And we've been working hard. As I said, there's at least of us. And I'd like to 12 make mention of those women who 13 have been working diligently to 14 make certain that we have a 15 successful event on the 17th of December. Now, the first person who agreed went along with this program was Deputy Commissioner -- I'm sorry, was Commissioner Kevin Bethel. He thought it was a good idea --

An enlightened man.

He thought it was a good idea. And what he did, he allowed his two female Deputies to work with the committees that we've established so that we could have -- so that this endeavor would turn out to be a great endeavor. Now, those who've helped in planning this event is retired. Chief -- I'm sorry. Carla Sawicki, she's with the Audio Visual, the Philadelphia Police Department, who's been very helpful; Sandra Russell, who's a retired Police Lieutenant from the Philadelphia Police Department, she's in charge of our plaques and awards; Crystal Williams, who's not here, she's with the President of the Guardian Civic League, she's in charge of tickets and outreach and engagements. We have Doreen Dean, retired Sergeant, who's a Chairperson. She lives in Virginia now. She's done a great deal of work living in Virginia and she's been making contact with many people here in this city almost every day so that this event can be successful. She wished she could be here, but it was a short notice and certainly she couldn't catch a plane overnight to get here. We have also Jacqueline Slaughter, who's a retired Police Officer who's in charge of the media. In addition, we have Doreen Napper, who's in charge of logistics and venue; Gina Williams and Sergeant Courtney Smith, who's in charge of the fundraising. We've been working very hard and diligently raising money. Those who came up with the fundraisers, we have shirts, we have cups, we have coins, memorable coins so that we could have funds to purchase items that are needed for this upcoming event. Now, it is our wish, it is our wish that you all -- excuse me, I'm sorry. It is our wish that you all can make it to our event and that we have a fruitful event, and we wish that all of you be blessed. Thank you. (Applause.)

Now, we have Deputy Commissioner of Organizational Services, Krista Dahl-Campbell. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER DAHL-CAMPBELL: Good morning, everyone.

Good morning. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER DAHL-CAMPBELL: I want to thank Council President Johnson for arranging this and bringing us all together. I also would be remiss if I didn't thank Commissioner Bethel, who you can see has his entire executive team here. He likes to have a culture and create space so that everyone in his department knows they have a voice, and we're very grateful for that. So 50 years ago, a historic chapter began for the Philadelphia Police Department when women took to the streets on patrol for the very first time. They didn't just answer a call to serve. They broke barriers. They redefined possibility and they set a new standard for policing in our city. To the trailblazers behind me here, who first stepped onto our streets because these women were put on foot patrol in the hopes that their spirit would break, the thought was they could get them to quit, but instead it planted a seed of resolve and fight that I personally am so grateful for because it paved the way for every woman in uniform that you see today. Eventually, they went into patrol cars, wagons, special units and took supervisory tests moving up the ranks. But that path began five decades ago. I want to thank them for their courage, their resilience and their unwavering resolve. You blazed a trail through uncharted territory so that generations after could walk and ride with pride. Some of the women before you became the first in many different categories on this job, including First Deputy Commissioner and running police departments of their own. We also have women behind us that continue to support the police department today in various roles, including working with the Foundation and being a Police Chaplain. They are all an inspiration to the women in uniform today. We all carry that legacy forward every single shift. So 50 years of courage is a big deal, 50 years of service, 50 years of excellence. I want to congratulate these remarkable women of the Philadelphia Police Department's First 100. You are a proud past, our guiding present, and our inspiring future. Thank you for the service to our city. (Applause.)

And bring us home. I'm probably going to steal her because she hails from the Northwest and she's Councilmember Dr. Phillips' favorite person, but she's my favorite person as well. That's Deputy Commissioner Myesha Massey, Community Partnerships. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER MASSEY: I had to look at my boss in the background. I drive him crazy every day, but I love him to death. Good morning, everyone. Council President Johnson, I would like to say thank you and to the members of City Council and of course, my supervisors and my boss, Police Commissioner Bethel and First Deputy Commissioner Stanford, for supporting us in this. As I stand with you, I am the Deputy Commissioner of Community Partnerships at the Philadelphia Police Department. But I penned a letter to the ladies. I stand before you today with immense pride as we celebrate a monumental milestone in the history of our department and of our city, the 50th anniversary of Women in Patrol. First, I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Council President for acknowledging this and his vision. I spoke to him a couple of months back, and he remembered, and he had this vision and every time I seen him, he said something about it. So I want to say thank you, Council President, for the vision honoring -- I heard clapping. I'm sorry. (Applause.) DEPUTY COMMISSIONER MASSEY: Thank you for the vision in honoring our women and the members. Thank you for this resolution and taking the time to acknowledge the five decades of women in service, the courage, the leadership in Philadelphia and law enforcement. Your recognition means the world to our department and the generations of women who have worn the badge and for future generations to come. 50 years ago in 1976, the first 100 trailblazing women were hired to serve on street patrol in Philadelphia. They didn't just step into our streets. They broke down barriers, redefined public safety and paved the way for every female officer who has followed in their footsteps. Women today make up 22%, as the Councilmember, said of our workforce well above the national average, which is phenomenal. These women created a space, a department in an organization with no ceilings. They tore the roof off this department with their transformational public service leadership encouraged to be great, allowing people such as myself to stand in this position and serve the great citizens of this city. I love this city. The historic legacy deserves to be remembered, and we would not be standing here commemorating it in this way without the vision of two very special women. I want to personally thank the Watson sisters, Margie and Maria. They had the brilliant idea to bring this commemorative to life, ensuring the sacrifices, the triumphs and the history of our female pioneers are never forgotten. Margie and Maria, thank you for your dedication in preserving this legacy. To all the women of the 50th anniversary of Women in Patrol, both those who paved the way, those who have transitioned and those who will continue to lead our communities today. Philadelphia thanks you. We have made our department stronger, our community safer and our city better. Thank you again. (Applause.)

Council will be at ease. (Council at ease.)

The next order of business is communications. The Chair requests that the Sergeant- at-Arms deliver the messages from the Mayor to the Chief Clerk. Would the Chief Clerk please read the messages from the Mayor and any other communications in his possession.

To the President, the members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, pursuant to Sections 4-604 and 2-307 of the Home Rule Charter, I am today transmitting to the Council the recommendation of the City Planning Commission on the following bills: Bill No. 260759, Bill No. 260760, Bill No. 260795, all for approval. Bill No. 260796, not for approval. Bill No. 260800, Bill No. 260801, Bill No. 260830 for approval. The Commission voted to extend its review 45 additional days on the following bills: Bill 19 No. 260764 and Bill No. 260832. I'm submitting herewith for the consideration of your honorable body the following proposed: An ordinance approving the amendment of the Fiscal Year 2027 Capital Budget providing for expenditures for the capital purposes of the Philadelphia Gas Works (including the supplying of funds in connection therewith) subject to certain constraints and conditions and acknowledging the receipt of the Revised Forecast of Capital Budgets for Fiscal Years 2028 through 2032, as amended. An ordinance authorizing the Director of the Department of Aviation to acquire, on behalf of the City, fee simple title or a lesser interest by purchase, amicable negotiation, dedication, donation, condemnation, agreement in lieu of condemnation, or otherwise, in and to all or portions of certain parcel of land known as 8400 Enterprise Avenue in Philadelphia County, under certain terms and conditions. A resolution 3 re-appointing Jay S. Feldstein, D.O., to the Board of Directors of the City Avenue Special Services District of Philadelphia and Lower Merion. I'm pleased to advise you that on October 27, 2026, I signed the following bills which were passed by Council at its session on October 15, 2026: Bill 13 No. 250649, Bill No. 260566, Bill 14 No. 260609, Bill No. 260758 and Bill No. 260762. I must advise you that I'm returning the following bills unsigned, which were passed by Council at its session on October 15, 2026: Bill No. 260298, Bill 21 No. 260342-A, Bill No. 260343-A, Bill No. 260344-A and Bill No. 23 260345-A. There are no further communications in my possession, Council President.

Thank you very much. The messages will be presented to the Journal. Council will be at ease. (Council at ease.)

The next order of business is the introduction of bills and resolutions. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Northwest Philadelphia, Councilmember Dr. Anthony Phillips.

All right. So following protocol here today, good morning, Council President. I have three bills and I have three privileged resolutions, one which is on your behalf.

Thank you very much. Chief Clerk, please read the titles of the bills and resolutions.

An ordinance 8 amending Section 14-500 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Overlay Zoning Districts" amending Section 14-520, entitled "/NDO, Ninth District Overlay District," by making technical changes, all under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And an ordinance amending Section 14-500 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Overlay Zoning Districts," by amending Section 14-520, entitled "/NDO, Ninth District Overlay District," by making technical changes, all under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And an ordinance amending Section 14-500 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Overlay Zoning Districts," by amending Section 14-520, entitled "/NDO, Ninth District Overlay District," by making technical changes, all under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And a privileged resolution 24 congratulating JEVS Human Services on their 85th anniversary, and commending the organization for its longstanding commitment to expanding opportunity, strengthening communities, and helping Philadelphians pursue independence and economic security.

This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.

And a privileged resolution authorizing the Committees on Children and Youth and Education to hold a joint hearing examining the School District of Philadelphia's school meal policies and practices, including meal quality and nutrition, food preparation and procurement, kitchen infrastructure, student participation, and the school dining experience.

This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.

And a privileged resolution honoring and recognizing the Senior Council of Golden Age Living Accommodations (GALA), Melvin Price, Betty Johnson, Claire Higgins, Dale Hunter, Corinne Days, Joy Humbert, Denny Samen, and Sandy Moore, for their advocacy on behalf of the residents of GALA, and for demonstrating that having a voice matters, civic engagement matters, and no Philadelphian should ever be afraid to voice their concerns.

This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. Chair recognizes the Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson.

Good morning, Council President. Good morning, colleagues. Today I offer two privileged resolutions and one bill 11 on your behalf.

Thank you very much. Chief Clerk, please read the title of the resolutions and the bill.

An ordinance 18 authorizing encroachments in the nature of a sidewalk cafe in the vicinity of 1638 West Porter Street, under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And a privileged resolution recognizing November 2026 as National Adoption Month in the City of Philadelphia.

This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.

And a privileged resolution authorizing City Council’s Committee of the Whole to hold the public hearings required pursuant to Chapter 17 17-2300 of The Philadelphia Code (“Public Hearing Prior to Execution of a Labor Agreement Concerning Police Employees Represented by the Fraternal Order of Police”), which Code Chapter requires that the Council hold a hearing in connection with the City’s contract proposal in anticipation of collective bargaining between the City and the Fraternal Order of Police.

This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. Chair recognizes Councilwoman Jamie Gauthier.

Thank you, Council President. Today I have one bill 15 and one non-privileged resolution 16 and one non-privileged resolution 17 on your behalf. 18

Thank you very much. 20 Chief Clerk, please read 21 the titles of the bill and 22 resolutions. 23

An ordinance 24 naming and designating the 34th and Brandywine Street Park, located at 520 North 34th Street as "Timothy Darrell Sapp Sr Garden."

This bill will be 7 referred to the appropriate 8 committee. 9

And -- 10

Thank you. I was 12 thanking my Majority Leader. 13 Please resume. 14

And a non-privileged resolution 16 authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 1306 South 28th Street located in the 2nd Councilmanic District in accordance with the terms of Chapter 16-700 of The Philadelphia Code.

This bill will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at the next session of Council.

And a non-privileged resolution also naming the 600 block of North Preston Street as "Richard Saadiq Jones Way" to recognize Richard Saadiq Jones for his lasting positive impact and service to his community.

This resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration.

Council will be at ease. (Council at ease.)

Just for the record, the prior bill will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at the next session of Council. Chair recognizes Councilmember Isaiah Thomas.

Thank you, Council President. On behalf of Councilmember Thomas, he is offering no bills or resolutions today.

Thank you very much. Councilmember Jones.

I offer one bill, one privileged, one non-privileged resolution on your behalf.

Thank you very much. Chief Clerk, please read the title of the bill and resolutions.

An ordinance 24 to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Ridge Avenue, Sunset Avenue, Harner Street, Port Royal Avenue, Hagys Mill Road and Cathedral Road.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And a privileged resolution honoring Share Food Program on the occasion of its 40th anniversary and recognizing four decades of extraordinary service addressing hunger, advancing food security and food justice and ensuring access to nutritious food for individuals and families throughout the Philadelphia and the surrounding region.

This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.

And a non-privileged resolution 7 re-appointing Jay S. Feldstein, D.O., to the Board of Directors of the City Avenue Special Services District of Philadelphia and Lower Merion.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee. Chair recognizes Councilmember Rue Landau.

Good morning, Council President. Good morning, colleagues. First, I wanted to take a moment to introduce Shanie Davis from Community College, who wants to focus on digital forensics. And I got some nice contacts for her today. And second of all, I have one bill to introduce this morning.

Thank you very much. Chief Clerk, please read the title of the bill.

An ordinance 10 amending Title 9 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Regulation of Businesses, Trades and Professions" by adding a new Chapter 9-7000, entitled "Cancellation of Re-Occurring Memberships" to establish restrictions on businesses offering automatic renewal or continuous service offers to consumers.

This bill will be placed on the appropriate committee. Just for the record, although we have guest members, just introduce your bill. You can acknowledge them, but you introduce your bill. Chair recognizes Councilwoman Quetcy Lozada.

Good morning, Council President. Good morning, everyone. I have no bills and resolutions today.

Thank you very much. Chair recognizes Councilmember Jeffrey Jay Young, Jr.

Good morning, Council President. One bill today.

Thank you very much. Chief Clerk, please read the title of the bill.

An ordinance 1 authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property, on behalf of the City of Philadelphia, to enter into an amendment to a sublease agreement with the Philadelphia Municipal Authority, for use by the City of a portion of the premises located at 1600-26 John F Kennedy Boulevard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be 15 referred to the appropriate 16 committee. 17 Chair recognizes 18 Councilmember Kendra Brooks. 19

20 Thank you, Council President. 21 I move that the rules of 22 Council be suspended to amend -- 23

One second. After she reads it, then I --

I got you. I got you.

Yep, absolutely. Chief Clerk, please read the title of the resolution please.

A privileged resolution authorizing the Committee on Finance to conduct hearings on the Housing Opportunities Made Easy (H.O.M.E.) Plan.

Chair recognizes Councilmember Brooks for a motion.

Thank you, Council President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit the consideration of this privileged resolution that was just read into the record by the Chief Clerk at today's session of Council, as it was circulated after noon 4 deadline on Wednesday, October 28, 5 2026. 6 (Duly seconded.) 7

It has been moved and 9 properly seconded. 10 All those in favor 11 signify by saying aye. 12 (Aye.)

Anyone opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. The motion carries. The resolution 19 will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. Chair recognizes Councilmember Jim Harrity.

Thank you, Council President. I have one bill today.

Thank you very much. Chief Clerk, please read the title of the bill.

An ordinance 8 amending Title 19 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled “Finance, Taxes and Collections,” by adding a new Chapter 19-4800, entitled “Automated Services Displacement Tax,” to impose a tax upon certain services performed within the City of Philadelphia by automated devices in place of services formerly performed by human beings, including delivery services and transportation services; all under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee. Chair recognizes Councilmember Nicolas O'Rourke.

Thank you, Mr. President. Good morning, Philadelphians, all. I have one non-privileged resolution 10 co-introduced with Minority Leader Brooks today.

Thank you very much. Chief Clerk, please read the title of the non-privileged resolution.

A non-privileged resolution calling upon the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to enact Senate Bill SB906, the “Family Care Act,” which would establish a statewide paid family medical leave program, and recognizing the passage of parental leave legislation in Allegheny County.

This bill will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar during the next session of City Council. Chair recognizes Councilmember Mike Driscoll.

Good morning, Mr. President. I'm with Will Ortiz today and we have no bills or resolutions to introduce today.

Thank you very much, sir. Chair recognizes Councilmember Brian O'Neill.

Thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of Brian, he has no bills today. And for myself, I offer no bills also.

Thank you very much, sir. Chair recognizes Councilmember Cindy Bass.

Thank you, Mr. President. Today I offer two privileged resolutions and one non-privileged.

Thank you very much. Chief Clerk, please read the title of the resolutions please.

A privileged resolution honoring the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) on their 20th Anniversary and recognizing their dedication to life-saving work and leading role in transforming animal welfare in Philadelphia.

This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.

And a privileged resolution 8 congratulating Imhotep Institute Charter High School football team on winning the Philadelphia Public League Championship and recognizing the coaches, school leadership and student athletes whose hard work and perseverance highlight the power of team sports in strengthening young people and communities.

This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.

And a non-privileged resolution 24 authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 1715, 1717, 1745, 1747, 1749 Belfield Avenue, 4556, 4558, 4560 N. Bouvier Street, 1820, 1822 W. Rockland Street, 1604, 1606, 1608 W. Mentor Street, 1732, 1734, 1736 W. Courtland Street located in the 8th Councilmanic District in accordance with the terms of Chapter 16-700 of The Philadelphia Code.

This resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at the next session of Council. Chair recognizes Councilmember Dr. Nina Ahmad.

Thank you, Council President. First, I'd like to acknowledge Tiffany White from CCP, a sophomore. Her major is criminal justice and she's Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. And we're happy to have her here.

I'm clapping for that. (Applause.)

Yes. And I have two non-privileged resolutions and one privileged resolution on your behalf.

Thank you very much. Chief Clerk, please read the resolutions please.

A privileged resolution authorizing the Committee on Public Safety to hold a hearing to examine the City of Philadelphia's strategies, laws and policies for protecting victims of abuse and domestic violence within the justice system, including the courts, the Sheriff's Office, the District Attorney's Office and the Philadelphia Police Department.

This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.

And a non-privileged resolution proposing an amendment to the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter, providing for the creation of the Philadelphia Child Welfare Commission; and providing for the submission of the proposed amendment to the electors of Philadelphia.

This resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration -- this bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And a non-privileged resolution 24 authorizing the Committee on Public Health and Human Services to create a task force to study the future of the Academy of Natural Sciences, including options to re-open the public museum, long-term funding options, the Academy's role in science education for Philadelphia’s children, and its contribution to public health and community well-being.

This resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at the next session of Council. The next order of business is reports from committee. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Cindy Bass for a report from the Committee on Rules.

Thank you, Mr. President. The Committee on Rules reports out bills, all with a favorable recommendation.

Thank you very much, 6 Majority Deputy Whip Bass. 7 Will the Chief Clerk 8 please read the report. 9

The 10 Committee on Rules to which was 11 referred the following bills: Bill 12 No. 260516, an Ordinance Amending 13 Title 14 of The Philadelphia Code, 14 entitled “Zoning and Planning” by 15 amending certain provisions of the 16 CMX-1, Commercial Mixed Use, zoning district regarding uses, dimensional requirements, and parking, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260686, an ordinance amending the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Wyncote Avenue, Ogontz Avenue and 68th Avenue, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260687, an ordinance amending the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by 65th Avenue, 3rd Street, Chelten Avenue and 5th Street, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260690 as amended, an ordinance amending Section 14-504 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "/NCO, Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District" by creating a new Southwest Center City Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District, and by revising the boundaries of Section 14-502 /CTR, Center City Overlay District, and making related changes, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260694, an ordinance amending Section 5 14-503(4) of The Philadelphia Code entitled "/NCA, Neighborhood Commercial Area Overlay District. Main Street/Manayunk and Venice Island" by revising boundaries, restricting additional uses, and replacing illustrative maps, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260695, an ordinance amending Section 14-601 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Use Categories," to revise the definition of adult cabaret. Bill No. 260703, an ordinance amending Chapter 14 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Zoning and Planning," by defining self-service storage facilities and prohibiting them in certain locations and making related technical changes, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260704, an ordinance amending Section 14-500 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Overlay Zoning Districts" by combining the /FNE, Far Northeast Overlay District and the /NE, Northeast Overlay District into a new /TEN, Tenth District Overlay District, and making related changes, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260709, an ordinance amending Section 14-530 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "/EDO, Eighth District Overlay District," by restricting additional uses and making technical changes, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260710 as amended, an ordinance amending Chapter 9-645 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Eighth District Commercial Business Hour Restriction," to provide a limited exception to the curfew for a specific area in the Eighth Councilmanic District, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260711, an ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Roberts Avenue, Germantown Avenue, Cayuga Street, 17th Street, Saint Paul Street, Germantown Avenue, Brunner Street and Wayne Avenue.

Bill No. 21 260759, an ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Wharton Street, 28th Street, Reed Street and Newkirk Street. Bill No. 260760 as amended, an ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Wharton Street, Broad Street, Reed Street and Carlisle Street. Bill No. 260795, an ordinance to approve amendments to the University of Pennsylvania Master Plan in the area bounded by Walnut Street, 32nd Street, South Street and 33rd Street, related to the David Rittenhouse Laboratory at 3200 Walnut Street. Bill No. 260796, an ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Lancaster Avenue, 62nd Street, Lebanon Avenue, 63rd Street and Malvern Avenue. Bill No. 260800, an ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Map by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Lehigh Avenue, Belgrade Street, Aramingo Avenue and Miller Street, respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bills to the Council with a favorable recommendation. There are no further bills to report out from the Committee on Rules, Council President.

The Chair recognizes Member Bass for a motion.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit first reading this day of the bills just read into the record by the Chief Clerk. (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit the consideration of the bills just read by the Chief Clerk at today's session of Council. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. The motion carries. These bills will be placed on our First Reading Calendar for today. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Mike Driscoll for a report from the Committee on Licenses and Inspections.

Thank you, Mr. President. I have one report to submit today.

Thank you very much. Chief Clerk, please read the report.

The Committee on Licenses and Inspections, to which was referred the following bill: Bill No. 21 260702, an ordinance adding a new Chapter 21-3800 to The Philadelphia Code, entitled “Sound Amplification Devices on Public Bodies of Water,” to establish certain restrictions related to the use of sound amplification devices and provide for remedies for violations, all under certain terms and conditions, respectfully reports that it has considered the same and returns the attached bill to Council with a favorable recommendation. There are no further bills to report out from the Committee on Licenses and Inspections, Council President.

Chair recognizes Councilmember Mike Driscoll for a motion.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit first reading this day of the bill 24 just read into the record by the Chief Clerk. (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit the consideration of the bill just read by the Chief Clerk at today's session of Council. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. The motion carries. This bill will be placed on our First Reading Calendar for today. The next order of business is the consideration of 2ND READING the Calendar. I note that the bills just reported from committees with the suspension of rules have been deemed to have had a first reading. These bills will be placed on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar for the next session of Council. The Chair recognizes Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson for a motion concerning resolutions on the Final Passage Calendar and bills on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar.

Thank you, Mr. President. The following resolutions are being called up from the Final Passage Calendar and the following bills are being called up from the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar today: 2ND READING Resolution Nos. 260903, 260904, 260905, 260906, 260907 and Bill 4 Nos. 260567, 260638, 260763, 260798 and 260799. The following resolutions and bills on the Calendar are being held: 260872, 260908, 250768, 250807, 260076 and 260462.

Before considering these resolutions and bills, we will consider public comment as follows: Your public comment must concern matters on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar for possible action at today's Council session. All speakers must sign up in order to testify. If you have not already signed up for today's Council session, please do so now by giving your name to Ms. Hasson at the table outside the rails to my left. Once you have signed up, you will be called in the order in which your name appears on the sign-up sheet. Under ideal circumstances, public commenters each will have three minutes to speak. However, this time limit may vary from session to session. Today the time limit will be two minutes. In order to be fair to all those wishing to speak, I intend to hold faithfully to the two-minute limit. When you begin speaking, you will see a green light on the podium. When there are 30 seconds remaining to your time, the light will turn yellow, which is your reminder to please conclude your remarks. Once two minutes have passed, the light will turn red and the Sergeant-at-Arms will disconnect the microphone. At that point, please yield the podium to the speaker who was next. If you have not already done so, please respect the Sergeant-at-Arms. He's only doing his job. I also reserve the right, pursuant to our rules of City Council, to limit repetitious comments on the very same subject matter. The right to comment does not mean the right to disrupt proceedings. I ask that all commenters refrain from using profanity to disrupt the meeting so we can maintain order in this forum through respectful discourse. I will now ask the Chief Clerk to please read the names of our speakers for public comment today.

Will Desjay Graham, Elvin Mezquita, Kayla Montgomery, Jose Moses, Canaan Bey, Jeremy Blatstein, John McAuley, Lynn Landes, please make your way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.)

Good morning, City Councilmembers. I support the resolution of our school lunch. My name is Desjay Graham and I go to a very fun school called Olney High. I feel like our school is not being treated like other schools. Some people say our school is dirty and it stinks and it's not very nice. But all I need is a place where good things are happening and teachers and students still try to make the most of it. One of the reasons why I came up here today is to talk about our funding and our lunch with our budget cut. There are so, so many few things that our school can do for us. In the past, we also had staff reductions. We have lost about 15% of our staff due to school district budget cuts, taking away impactful people that we look to for support. The reductions threatened to eliminate most of college prep programs and we lost many advancement placed teachers. Now, as you can see, our school has struggled, but we are improving each day. However, getting in the way of our growth each day is our school district providing lunch. In May of last school year, we invited Councilmember Anthony Phillips to check out the cafeteria and discuss improving school meals. We also asked school district employees from the Food Services Department to this meeting. Our students surprised the adults in the room by gathering that day's ordinary school district food from the cafeteria. We wanted them to try what we are forced to eat each day and see why. Many of us sadly choose to go hungry instead. At the first meeting at Olney, SDP employees were asked one question, would you feed this food to your children this year. Again in early October, we invited Councilmember Anthony Phillips back to check out the cafeteria and discuss improving school meals. (Applause.)

Thank you for your testimony.

Good morning. My name is Deja Hein and I am a senior at Olney High School and Philly Bolt coach. I rise here today in support of Resolution 4 2603872. I really appreciate that the school lunch staff are here today, for staying in the kitchen for the whole day, feeding every student as well as my concerns. My concern is for the lunch. The reason why I'm here to speak upon this is because the lunch are unappetizing sometimes. Often the lunch is edible or somewhat good. What I mean by good is it doesn't look stale, discolored, sad or disgusting. My concern is the students wasting food and making a mess. When living in a lower middle class family, food can be struggles, so seeing students throwing away food really doesn't sit well with me. I want to share my thoughts with City Council that the food is not very good to some students. The change I want to see in my school and for other future students is to enjoy more quality meals and understand that students would want to enjoy their food. I would want to include health concerns as in expired beverages, proper health inspections, better food, sanitation, hygiene and to hire more staff in the kitchen. All students request to be able to enjoy better quality and have more options on lunch and breakfast. Thank you, City Councilmembers and Councilmember Phillips, for letting us speak, for our voices and for the community, for all of you. Good morning, City Councilmembers. (Applause.)

My name is Kayla Montgomery and I'm a senior at Olney High School and a Philly Bolt coach. I rise today in support of Resolution 260872. My experience eating the school lunch has always been bad. Even in middle school, the school lunch was usually bad quality, not prepared with 100% effort and just overall looked very unappetizing. One time I was eating lunch with my friend, she opened up her sandwich and there was mold inside. It made her sick. Another example is the school milk. Usually the school milk is expired or spoiled, and it even says it on the expiration date. It even gets to the point where I just don't eat lunch at all. I haven't fully eaten school lunch since freshman year. Something I think could be better about our school lunches is the quality of the ingredients and the variety of different foods. It can be very tiring eating the same low-quality foods that aren't made with a lot of effort. I personally believe that it would be very nice if we had more choices for lunch and the food was better prepared so more people would eat and food wouldn't get thrown out and put to waste. Thank you, Councilman Phillips and the rest of the Council, for taking action to support our school lunches. In conclusion, I believe students deserve a school lunch that is well-prepared and enjoyable to eat so they don't have to go a whole day without eating. (Applause.)

Good morning, City Councilmembers. My name is Jose Moses. I'm in 12th grade at Olney High School and I'm a Philly Bolt coach. I rise today in support of Resolution 260872. I think school lunch is important because I know there are a lot of students who don't eat the school lunch for multiple reasons. One is that it doesn't look appealing. Second, the pizza is cold and there's not enough options or any of the appealing food left when this food isn't up to par. Students wouldn't want to give it a second chance because of the first bad experience. This is important to me because not every student can afford school lunch and rely on school meals during the day for energy and focus in class. When we don't get enough to eat, it's hard to concentrate and stay awake because we're hungry. Not everyone has the opportunity to eat at home, so school is sometimes the last resort for students when there's nothing at home, when there's nothing at home for them. I feel that in order to get students to enjoy school lunch more, better equipment should be provided for the meals to be cooked better for students. The students can enjoy lunch and not slack off in school because they're hungry all day. I would like to thank all the City Councilmembers for this opportunity to make a change in my community. I would also like to thank City Councilmember Phillips for this opportunity to be heard and fight for this act. (Applause.)

Good morning, City Councilmembers. My name is Caanan Bey, a 12th grader at Olney High School and a Philly Bolt coach. I rise today in support of Resolution 260872 as a student athlete. My nutrition is very important to me. So before my football games and track meets, when I grab lunch to feel my body for peak performance, I rely on school lunch. It doesn't help having to eat food that was warmed up from frozen packets that are shipped from God knows where. I feel as though these meals do not properly nourish me. As a student athlete who values good meals, it is essential to have a school district that will fight and come through for all students, especially on a matter like this. As an example, right before my district's race, I was served a cheesesteak and broccoli. The cheesesteak was dry and the bread was still in. The broccoli was wet and soggy. This made the low-quality lunch tray weak and wet from the moisture. And that wasn't just one time. That was a daily. Meals are in school -- and not just mine, schools all over Philadelphia received the same lunches and I think that is just unacceptable. The daily school lunch experiences and even the breakfasts are not up to the standards the school district says they are. And the Philly Dawg Food Services section, it says, "Our programs ensure that students are nourished and ready to learn by providing healthy, high-quality meals every day." But students who go through the everyday experiences with the food know that this statement from the Philadelphia school district's page is false and unrealistic. However, in Resolution 260872, it says "Students should have meaningful opportunities to inform menu development and meal improvements through accessible feedback, taste tests, student advisory groups and other forms of direct engagement." So students should have to be able to choose between being hungry and eating a meal that they don't enjoy. We are asking for better quality, more variety in meals that students can actually look forward to eating on a regular basis. I would like to thank Councilmember Phillips and City Council for giving us the opportunity to have voices heard on this issue. Lastly, I assure you, Councilmembers, to hear our voices heard, to have our voices heard and remember to not settle for anything you even let your own kids eat. Thank you. (Applause.)

Powerful stuff, powerful stuff. Hello. My name is Jeremy Blatstein. I'm here to talk about all bills and resolutions. As a point of information, right, when bills and resolutions are put up on the same day, it makes it difficult for people to testify on them. But today, there was things that were brought up and put on the hearing, like the H.O.M.E. hearing that was put on to be passed today. That's great, right. Where's the money going? Spend the money, spend the money. We're also talking about the sheriff's office. Hold the hearing, hold the hearing. $20 million. I know this might get some people excited with Halloween. I know, I know, you might get excited about this, but this Philadelphia Sheriff's Office found $20 million. I just came from upstairs from the Contempt hearing, the Contempt hearing. The Sheriff didn't show up to. But at this hearing, it was said that deeds were improperly signed. The Philadelphia City Council needs to do their job and hold a hearing. You want to hold hearings on this or that. Hold a hearing on the Philadelphia Sheriff's Office. The next Philly Sheriff should be the last Philly Sheriff. It is completely unacceptable that this body likes to talk about $1.2 million here, $3 million there. But they found $20 million. And that's just the start. If we're going to be serious about spending money in the city of Philadelphia, like from the H.O.M.E. Fund, we need to get serious, right. The H.O.M.E. money revolving loan fund, a revolving loan fund will build more housing. That is the demand side of this whole thing. And the last but not least, we're talking about SEPTA. I know none of the City Councilmembers rode SEPTA this week, but it functioned well after the Monday Night Football game. Let's grow Philly to 2 milly. Disband the Philadelphia Sheriff's Office and hold the hearing.

Council -- can you hold your testimony for one moment? Council will be at ease. (Council at ease.)

Thank you for stepping forward. You may start your testimony, sir. MR. McAULEY: Good morning, everyone. My name is John Alonte McAuley. I'm with a grassroots organization called Flip Philly Red. We're here to offer you something different because you've been voting Democrat for the Mayor's office for the past 70 years in regard to Resolutions 260872 and 260907. It's not that Republicans want to see kids starving, it's just that for generations Democrats created the conditions for mental illness, poverty and broken homes. And then as responsible people to bail them out if Democrats couldn't keep you in poverty, then they wouldn't have nothing to run on. If Democrats forced lazy parents to be responsible for feeding their own children, then the school district would have more money to feed the truly less- fortunate children better quality food. These people have money to feed their children better food. They have money for weed, vape pens, fake hair, FanDuel every week and designer clothes. Every week we watch you present these frivolous, symbolic resolutions, like interfering in private negotiations with the Hilton Garden Inn and its workers. If you really cared about the wages these workers are asking for, you would deport illegal aliens that undercut their wages. Illegal aliens like Haitian Destino Jean- Louis, who murdered his ex, 45-year old Latasha Ann Cooper, a Haitian who overstayed his expired visa. Same kind of illegal Haitian that Councilwoman Gauthier rallied for on August 6, 2026. The same people crying about affordability and wages are the same people who wanted to stop President Trump's tariff negotiations to bring manufacturing jobs back to places like Philadelphia and America. You can't even do your basic job of making it feasible for private companies to do that. When Philadelphia was ranked fifth for least safest city in America, Robyn Byrd for state representative and Stacy Garrity for governor in Pennsylvania.

Good morning. I'm Lynn Landes at Philly's Republican Network, and I support 260872 for high-quality school meals. I do want to make two points. One, this food should be nontoxic. It should be organic. It should be healthy. And also something my own family is dealing with is a family member who went vegan. And I think there needs to be a lot more information for students about their choices, because veganism and vegetarianism can result in vitamin and nutrition deficiencies over the long-term. So they need to really know what they're doing. I'm a big supporter of meat and fish. I'm low on dairy, low on glutens. And that has to be a discussion. Just not how the food tastes, but is it good for you. And in terms of absorbing things and nutrients in your bodies, also what you put on your body goes into your bloodstream. So the makeup, the nail polish, hair dye, all of that makes its way into your bloodstream and into your brain. So consider everything you do to your body inside and outside as affecting your health. Along those lines, I also want to add about food packaging and that's to do with plastics. The average person in the United States now consumes enough plastic to constitute a credit card every week. We have -- most of the plastic goes through our body, but some is lodged in our brain. 100% of the placentas tested, tested positive for plastics. So it's not just the quality of the food, but it's what it's wrapped in. So you really do want to avoid plastics. And last but not least, as far as the election goes, please vote Republican. Voting is a sacred process. You should have to show up to vote. Even if it's early, you should be there. We should not have mail-in votes and we should not be using voting machines. Thank you very much.

Will William Small, Ogbonna Paul Hagins, David Jenkins, Rev. Chris Micklewhite, Kelly Ohlert, Candace Roberts, Kathy Bell, Abdul Williams, Luke Horton and Juniper Sweeney, please make your way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.)

Good morning, everybody. My name is William Small and I'm a member of Flip Philly Red. Before I start, I just want to say I thank the children. They did great speaking here earlier. But with that being said, I do want to oppose Resolution 260076. That's about the elections and the Charter, and that's Councilwoman Ahmad's resolution. But I think if we're going to put any resolution forward with this Election Board, and especially since we have these high school kids, we should revisit Councilman Isaiah Thomas's Resolution 260473, which called for us to hold elections for our school board. I mean, these people are making almost 300,000 a year and they're chosen by the Philadelphia Mayor. But we have children here saying that the food is disgusting. I mean, it's a slap in the face. And I'm quite sure that the children that are here do not fall into the bad proficiency levels in math and reading that most of the children are plagued with in the Philadelphia school district. So I'm thinking if we really care about these children, if we really want to do something, we're going to do things that make sense, not the political theater that you guys did the other day with the Academy of Natural Science. We want to really get things done. I'm from Philadelphia. My children, all four of them were educated in the Philadelphia school district. So I believe that we can get this done. So the meeting in September was canceled. Let's revisit that. Let's hold elections for the school board, who seems to be incapable of doing anything. 2012 we shut down 20 schools. This next year they're shutting down 17 schools. This is a habit. We shut down rec centers, we shut down libraries, we shut down schools, and we really don't care about the children. Now, I'm not saying the Councilmembers. I'm saying if we're going to hold this school board accountable, let's really hold them accountable because their time needs to be up. Thank you.

Good morning, everyone. My name is Ogbonna Hagins. I'm a fourth- generation chattel slavery survivor. Trying to find my speech here. All right. My name is Ogbonna Hagins, fourth-generation chattel slavery survivor. I'm speaking on Bill 260462, which proposes changing zoning designations throughout the city. Well, it's in an area in I think Roxborough. Residents have spoken with me about smoke shops in terms of zoning designations in regards to that. The Philadelphia Reparations Coalition for American Freedmen, which I'm the President of, we have identified serious constitutional issues in a recent zoning legislation by Councilwoman Kathleen Gilmore Richardson. And we feel that by having a community of interest for the descendants of chattel slavery, we cannot only rid new smoke shops from being in our communities, but we can eliminate the existing smoke shops that are in our communities. And that's what the citizens of Philadelphia have told me. So with that in mind, I would like to ask Councilwoman Kathleen Gilmore Richardson if she would meet with us again, because we previously met on this issue to really rectify this constitutional issue that we think will come up because of the legislation?

Thank you. It'll be taken under consideration. It'll be taken under consideration. Thank you.

She can't answer the question?

She'll get back to you. Someone will get back to you. Thank you for coming.

Madam Bass, David Jenkins and I rise for Resolution 260872. Philadelphia once was home to a penniless 14-year-old immigrant named Samuel, a day laborer whose housing and meals were provided through his employee institutions, which taught him to speak English. Today, Temple University is home to the Hope Center for Student Basic Needs, a research framework structured around the principles Samuel's son, Abraham laid out, which we now know today as Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Abraham Maslow in 1943 visualized a five-tier pyramid where basic human needs must be satisfied at the bottom before an individual can focus on higher-level growth needs at the top. The resolution before us, at its core, begs on an overhaul of school lunch policies and a direct structural attempt to satisfy the lowest tier of Maslow's pyramid physiological needs. The fundamental physical requirement for human survival needs which include, but are not limited to, food. Alas, what is true today is that the food provided by the Philadelphia school system is subpar, even to that which is provided within the city's prison system. This is not casual hyperbole. The city, the Center for Science and Public Interest, the Eating Behind Bars study by Impact Justice notes that food standards in Philadelphia school at times have been found unfit for human consumption. Unfit for human consumption in 1943, Maslow noted that without these basic needs met, a person was relegated to reality, rendering them anxious, tense and distressed. This is known as the amygdala hijack. In short, your body's smoke detector takes over, completely bypassing the prefrontal cortex, which handles logic learning, long-term planning. And in order to deal with the mortal threat, say, lack of food, shelter and safety, Philadelphia we again have created conditions that render our very own physical, unable to learn. Unsurprisingly, the Nation's Report Card replaces Philadelphia at near the bottom of the country's large urban school districts in reading, math and science, with 52% of adults in Philadelphia comprehending below a 5th grade reading level. This resolution is not just about high- quality, dignified meals. It's not just about comfort and warm feelings. It's a mandatory neurological intervention to turn off a child's fight-for-flight response so their brain can actually operate and learn. ) MR. McELROY: Good morning. My name is Chris McElroy and I'm a member of Power Interfaith. I hope you've taken note of all the purple t-shirts over here in the gallery. I also serve as the priest of Gloria Dei (Old Swedes'), the oldest church in Philadelphia and in Pennsylvania. And I'm here today to testify in support of Resolution 15 260907. I fully support UNITE HERE Local 274 in their contract negotiations. And I'm passionate about creating a more just and equitable city for all Philadelphians. Thank you, Councilmember Landau, for introducing this resolution. We are in an affordability crisis, which I see even in my historic Center City congregation. I've heard recently from parishioners and community members who struggle to afford basic necessities. It is a failure of our society that some families have to choose between health care and putting food on their tables. It's a failure when our students aren't eating proper food. By God's grace, I've had the opportunity to provide funds for some of these families to afford groceries, but that is not a sustainable solution, especially when even my church is struggling under increasing costs and huge gas bills. That is why we need your support for this bill and for Power's larger We make Philly agenda, which calls for property tax relief, a gas bill freeze and a fair wealth tax. Thank you, Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, for leading the way in this agenda, which will give necessary support to people and churches in Center City and beyond, while also strengthening the city's budget.

We look forward to continuing to work with all of you to make this agenda real. Thank you. )

Will Steven Wilhite please make your way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.) UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Coming after my priest is a tall order, but I'll do my best. I, too, am testifying here in support of Bill 260907. I also fully support UNITE HERE Local 274 in their contract negotiations, and I thank Councilmember Landau for introducing it. I also want to thank Councilmember Isaiah Thomas for leading our agenda and I look forward to working with all the members of Council. So I might be a member of a Center City congregation, which sounds great, but I live in 19148 and I was born and raised in 19148. But when I was growing up, we had city assistance. We needed it. My grandparents paid my parents heating bills more often than they did not. But they believed in the city and they said they were going to raise me in the city, K through 12 Girls' High, all of that. And they did one Philadelphia Mayor scholarship and 30 years later, I lead the life that my parents hoped that I would be blessed to lead. Now, it's my turn to give back. A lot of my neighbors still live the lives that my parents were trying to get me out of. So I look around and I see what I have and I say, yeah, I need to pay my fair share. I need to do this so that 30 years from now, the kids of my neighbors can be standing in front of you and hopefully not begging for money or for food or for basic needs, but to turn around and say, we are Philadelphia success stories and we are not leaving this city. We are here. We are part of this city. We're not running out. We're doing our fair share. Thank you. (Applause.)

Good morning. My name is Candace Roberts. I'm a member of Power Interfaith and a member of Gloria Dei Church in Queen Village. I am testifying in support of Bill 3 260907. I fully support the UNITE HERE Local 274 in their contract negotiations, and I thank Councilmember Landau for introducing this bill. Every Philadelphian deserves a living wage and to be able to live here comfortably. I also support this resolution as it ties into our larger campaign of We Make Philly. In 1983, my husband and I opened a graphic design business in South Philadelphia. Over the years we employed well over 100 Philadelphians and five from New Jersey. We paid the Philadelphia wealth tax in the 1980s and in the 1990s, we bought a house in Society Hill that we live in today and we raised our three daughters. We explored a move to the suburbs for their education, but we could not bring ourselves to leave. We love Philadelphia and our life here. Paying the wealth tax did not change our lifestyle or lessen our savings. What it did accomplish is that it provided revenue that Philadelphia needed to make this city a place that we love and could not leave. We want Resolution 13 260907 to pass, and we want City Council to pass the We Make Philly agenda for property tax relief, gas bill freeze and a fair wealth tax. And I too want to thank Councilmember Isaiah Thomas for leading our agenda. And I look forward to working with the rest of city's members of City Council. Thank you. (Applause.)

Hello. My name is Kathy Bell and I am testifying in support of Bill 4 260907. I am a member of Power Interfaith and also a member of First Unitarian Church in Center City where I live. In fact, my family has lived in Center City since 1850 when they escaped the Irish famine. We are in support of UNITE HERE Local 274 and their contract negotiations and thank Councilmember Landau, as did others, for introducing it. Every Philadelphian deserves a living wage and to be able to live here comfortably. When I moved to Center City to my affordable housing building in 2013, the waitlist to get into John Fox Apartments was nine months. Now, it takes years to get into the building. It's a great place to live, and everybody who is eligible should be able to get in, not have to wait multiple years to get there. Well, I once was able to get a week's groceries for about $60. It now cost about $100. And every month I have to choose whether I'm paying rent, paying off my medical bills or credit card debt. But I can't afford to pay all three. And without financial help from family, I would be impoverished. I also want to thank Councilmember Isaiah Thomas for leading in our agenda, and I hope the rest of City Council will join us in supporting this bill. Thank you very much. (Applause.)

Good morning. I'm Abdul Williams. Proud citizen of this city. I'm a member of the Power Interfaith initiative and part of the Homeless Street Team Philly Union. At the same time, I support the bill of 260907. And I need this and I support -- excuse me. I support Local 274 of making affordable wages. I grew up in the city. I went to Frederick Douglass before they were Mastery. And how can y'all do the community too bad if y'all won't do it too good. Everybody should be able to have an affordable thing. Everybody should be able to live in this community. Everybody should have a place to be able to have access. And if Council is going to close off access, then that will raise the criminality rate. Stop making these schools look like the prisons. Stop feeding them like they're in them prisons. Now, I'm a small business owner and I'm out here every other night going around seeing the homeless because I'm part of the Philadelphia Street team and I'm part of these good memories right here. And we love our community. But if you will not sit there and help the community and make access possible means to us, then why is y'all sitting here. This is criminal. That's all I got for y'all. (Applause.)

Hi. My name is Luke Horton. I'm testifying in support of Bill 19 260907. I fully support UNITE HERE and there are negotiations. I'd like to thank Councilmember Landau for introducing this bill. I'm a member of Power Interfaith as represented by all these purple shirts, and I'm also a member of First Unitarian Universalist in Center City. I've never known what it's like to not survive off of multiple part-time jobs. On top of being a student in a rigorous education in social work, I should add a field which I'm really passionate about because it allows me to serve Philadelphia and serve my community. But seeing people who are much older than me, who aren't even able to survive with this field makes me feel hopeless. I'm wondering, is this the future that I'm signing up for, that I'm pursuing an education in. I'm only one of many in this situation. Being a student, I should be able to dream and dream about the future and dream about the Philadelphia that I'd like to be a part of. So I would like to relieve the financial burdens by fighting for the We Make Philly agenda that would allow a utilities freeze that would allow property tax relief and would also allow a wealth tax that would be able to serve our community and allow us to build a Philadelphia to be able to dream together. I'd like to also thank Isaiah Thomas for being a champion in this agenda as well. Thank you so much for your time. (Applause.)