Let me call up Mike 444 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET Nardone. But, in the meantime, let me try to tell you what the process is. And you are essentially right, that when the police encounter someone who is laying across the sidewalk or otherwise blocking public access, the routine is that they call an outreach worker, who does come to talks to the person. My understanding at that point is that there is every effort to convince the person to leave that spot. Not just walk across the street or just to pretend to move, but to really get the person off that spot, to go with them somewhere. They may return, that part is true. But to get them to physically move. If they do physically move, and they go away and they come back an hour later, the process is repeated. But let me have Mike fill in. MICHAEL NARDONE: My name is Mike Nardone, and I am Deputy Managing Director for Special Needs Housing. And basically I think the process that Estelle outlined is basically correct. I don't know that there is much more to fill in. I would just say, though, that generally 445 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET the outreach teams, when they have been called, have had a very high success rate in terms of getting placed into shelter. And over the course of last year, when the outreach teams were responding to a call, they were placed somewhere in the order of 55 to 60 percent in shelter upon that call. So I think that the system of the police working cooperatively with outreach has worked very well. And I think that as we are able to reduce the population -- and we have seen, according to both Sister Mary's count, as well as police count -- we witnessed somewhere in the order of a magnitude of a 50 percent reduction of people on the street. I think as we get down to lower numbers, we are going to be able to intensify the outreach that those folks who are left on the street can get to convince them to a shelter. I don't think that we are going to be able to snap our fingers and get this problem to go away. But I think we are gradually making progress in the right direction. 446 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET
I think the city has made tremendous effort in really dealing with the problem. However, my certain is for that other 50 percent, 40 percent of the homeless male population. Do we have a number? I know we used to have a census of how many people we had on the street, as high as 600-some at the worse. And I think --
This will be your last question on this go-around, please.
Once we have looked at all of this, and we have done everything we possibly can, what is that ultimate solution for that 80?
Well, I think what we have to do is begin to move the people -- I think we have a good system of entry-level housing along the model developed by Sister Mary in terms of the safe haven approach. So I think we have the kind of structure 447 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET in place. And now I think that the next step is to begin to move some of the people from entry-level housing, into more permanent housing opportunities, and therefore support the infrastructure that we put in place and be able to continue to move people into those entry-level facilities, and to continue intensively working with the clients from the outreach perspective. There have been very few tickets that we have instituted. It has really been working more in terms of an outreach police cooperative model.
The tickets are kind of a silly kind of thing to begin with.
One of the things we do know is we are getting to a very resistant population, which is going to take some intensive work in putting teams to have that have the expertise to deal with them. And that we will do more frequent continual contact. The frequency of contact seems to be the variable that determines when we get people off the street.
Point of order. Mr. Nardone, would you remain. Thank you. Certainly I think the city, everybody is doing a great job in this regard. And I am glad we did it in kind of a friendly way, as you mentioned, without doing tickets and without being heavy handed. Because victims shouldn't be punished twice. They are already victims to begin with. And our understanding is that we are down to maybe 70 people a night. And I know I mentioned this to the Mayor and I mentioned it to you. And certainly we would hope that, Secretary Richman, that you and Mr. Nardone, and certainly the Mayor, if we are so close, I think we are -- I pray every night. I think we are at that point where we should be able to say in Philadelphia that we really don't have people on the street at night. 70 is so close. We can absorb them somewhere in the system. And certainly we are asking that that commitment be made, that we can 449 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET absorb this last group of people, whether they be male or female or women with children, such that the city can stand up and say we finally have gotten there. Maybe by the time you come back, Mr. Nardone, and testify in your own right, that we will have a commitment from on high to certainly have it done.
Well, I would just say that the question isn't actually absorbing people into the system. Because I think we have the capacity. It is really a question of getting them to accept shelter and to come in. And I think that's where the resources that have been put on line with the sidewalk ordinance have really been helpful in that regard. And we are just going to have to continue to work with those folks to ensure that they are willing to come in.
So you are saying, then, that we do have a commitment to remove all of those people, even those 70 who are left, they are just the more resistant folks; is that it ?
Then that's excellent. Because certainly Sister Mary and Horizon House and our own city outreach people really have done a great job and have the experience and know these people and know how to deal with them and who they are. Thank you all for your efforts.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Cohen.
Just one general question, Mr. Nardone. Is there any reconsideration in professional circles about the policy of having mentally ill people -- and I understand the general thinking is that most of the homeless that are actively on the streets for long periods of time do suffer from some form of mental illness. Is there any reconsideration of the policy which says they all ought to go out into the mainstream, rather than to have them 451 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET institutionalized -- not warehoused, but institutionalized -- with a program of care?
No. Essentially, both the national policy and the state policy and the city policy is fairly consistent, that people do better in integrated settings than any kind of segregated setting. And the difference of how well they do is based on how much support they receive. In other words, if there is support on a continual basis, whether it is called case management or a variety of other names, people tend to do well in communities. The largest portion of population here that we see continually on the street happens to be people who still have addictions, as opposed to mental illness. Although you can determine that addiction is a mental illness. But it is people with addictions. Most of the people with mental illnesses we tend to be able to get off the street a little sooner. Those that still have no commitment for a clean and sober lifestyle continue to want to stay 452 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET on the street, and tend to be the ones that are most consistently resistent to shelter.
Well, the peripheral problem that seems to be a very severe one affects not so much the particular homeless person or the person with the mental illness, but the family, which often is in no position whatever to control a situation. For example, I am thinking of a mother who lives in the Phillip Murray House up on York Road and Stenton Avenue, who has an adult son in his late 30s who seems to have -- we are not sure of the drug addiction, but clearly a mental problem. He is often on the streets. But when he is not, he is even a worse problem to the mother, because he makes her life impossible. She gets threatened constantly with eviction because he comes banging at the doors of the apartment building. And that's been repeated many times. And I am wondering whether there is any consideration in the treatment of those who themselves are mentally -- you know, suffer mental problem or have a drug addiction, is there any 453 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET thought given to the impact on the immediate families?
Yes. And if you could give me the name of that mom, there are a lot of supports on what moms should do when that happens, rather than let the child that has the mental illness continue to abuse them in that way. There are a variety of supports, who she can call, and placements that can be done to get him into a safer setting, where he won't be begging and won't be homeless. Most of the families that have been worked with permit that to happen because they don't want to see their family member on the street, because they understand how dangerous the street is. But, at the same time, they know that they can't cope at home, they can't offer the support, and they can't offer the treatment that is needed. There is a treatment system that needs to be sought, and that can provide the kind of both support and housing arrangement for him, within a community and treatment environment.
Thank you. One 454 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET further, more in the nature of a comment. In my rather lengthy history with the city, there have been a number of managing directors who have done very fine work. But I have to say that the current managing director is on a totally different level. During the day, Council Members are pretty much protected by their staffs, their problems. There is an ability of the staff to begin dealing with it. We get involved sometimes, sometimes the staffs are successful. But I have been calling the managing director ever since he has been in office at the hours when the Council member is not protected by the staff because the staff may be home, but calls come in to the home of the Council member for services. And I have called him at 6:00 in the evening, I have called him at 10:00 in the evening, I have called him at midnight, I have called him Saturday during the day, and I have called him just this past weekend on a Sunday morning. And I have to tell you, that in all of these calls -- and there are many numbers of them 455 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET that have occurred -- I can't remember a single occasion in which the managing director was not readily available. If not immediately, within minutes, a call would come back, and the problem would be addressed, and generally resolved very satisfactorily. And it is a level of performance I guess like these superstars in sports do. You think other people do extremely well, and then somebody comes along as the superstar. And I just wanted to express publicly. Because it is quite a relief when you are at home, and your wife is asking for a little bit of time, finally, and a problem comes up, and you feel guilty, somebody is without heat, or without light or there is some other kind of an emergency somewhere going on, it is just such a great relief to be able to call somebody in city service and get the problem solved. And so I wanted to just make this public expression of thanks to the managing director.
Councilman, I am sure that we all share your comments. 456 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET
I am listening about all hours of the night and day. He lives around the corner from me, and I can't find him. I can't get him. He never answers the calls.
He hides when he sees me coming. I am going to remember that.
Now I am going to get calls from Councilwoman Krajewski at night.
Councilman, everything I have learned, I have learned from Councilwoman Krajewski, my life-long friend. She has taught me everything about constituent service.
I know she shares the feeling I have, and all the members of Council have, about the wonderful service we get from our managing 457 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET director.
Madam President, before Mr. Nardone leaves, let me certainly, we thank you, too, for your help during a holiday dinner where the Striped Bass, La Famiglia, and Avenue B sponsored all the food. And we focused it in our newsletter. So I will ask the Sergeant At arms to give you a few newsletters that we put out periodically to let everybody know. And it made a big difference and it lets our city know, and everyone involved know, that people from all walks of life in our city care about one another. And when we work together, I believe all problems are solvable. Thank you.
Councilwoman, that was a truly incredible event. And I want to thank you for your leadership on the homelessness issue during my tenure here.
Thank you, Madam Chair. My first question -- I have a couple -- 458 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET is, I guess, to Estelle Richman. I know the Health Department will be here later today. In the previous Administration, we funded an organization known as Prevention Point, where we give, at the city's expense, syringes to intravenous drug users --
Is that the proper way to say it? Do you have a current position of this Administration? And could you just describe what we are doing to support Prevention Point in the distribution of these syringes in Philadelphia? I would like to know how much money we are spending and exactly what Prevention Point does.
The Health Department still has a contract with Prevention Point. I do not have the exact numbers, but they will be within the Health Department testimony. And I will be able to get you those exact dollars that are being spent prior to that testimony. And I believe that the testimony is on Friday, as opposed to this afternoon. But I will make sure you have those. 459 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET The Prevention Point mission is to be able to decrease HIV within an injection drug population, where the incidence of HIV is the highest in most populations within a city. In Philadelphia, it has been a successful endeavor. The number of needles that return -- and the process, as you know, is that people bring needles that have been used to get new needles that are clean. And the exchange rate in Philadelphia has basically been somewhere between 95 and 98 percent needles returned. The effort there -- I believe there are four sites, exchange sites, in Philadelphia at this point; one in West Philadelphia, three in North Philadelphia, Kensington area. The sites are monitored very closely by CODAAP, the Coordinating Office of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Programs. I believe they are monitoring even tighter the exact -- all the activities that Prevention Point is engaged in. As you know, Prevention Point at different points in time has either put out 460 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET literature or other information that hasn't been necessarily preapproved by the Commissioner's office or at this point by my office. We have them on a fairly tight leash now. But, at the same time, we are still concerned about continuing to bring down the incidence of HIV disease in the injection-drug-use population. The other related piece is that we do feel that we are having an impact at getting people off injection drugs. In other words, there is a continuing education process that goes on, in trying to make sure people are aware of what injection drugs are doing to their body, alternatives, treatment programs, and trying to do as much education to try to give them other choices and make sure they know treatment choices when they come in to the needle exchange program.
So I assume, then, the executive order that a previous Mayor signed to put this program in place is going to be supported by the current Mayor?
As far as I know, the current Mayor has supported this at this point in 461 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET time, but we haven't specifically talked about it lately.
Even though -- maybe you could just answer a question for knowledge purposes -- even though this is good, according to the Health Department and you, is this legal?
State? Pennsylvania? Are you allowed to distribute needles the way that we do legally, or is it just being overlooked?
I'm not sure I know all the legal implications of that, Councilman. I just am not sure. I am not the person who can answer the legal question.
The Health Department is going to be asked that question again when they come. So would they be prepared to answer that question.
I will make sure either they can answer it or that a member of the City Solicitor's staff will be here to answer it.
Thank you. Now I 462 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET switch to my second question, which, Managing Director Martz, maybe you can answer or you need to draw someone from L & I. From yesterday's testimony, we discussed the delinquent receivables of the Board of Revenue Department, the Water Department, that there's a significant amount of money on the street that hasn't been collected. And we learned yesterday that it might be just counting, because we have debt we have been carrying 30, 40, 50 years that's still in the numbers of receivables. I have received a letter recently from a constituent. And Water Revenue passed the buck to the department of L & I, so I will tell you what the situation is. We have what we call permits, where contractors, lawn maintenance companies, et cetera, et cetera, that need water can go to a hydrant, fill a 2000, 3000 gallon tanker to do weed control, to do construction. And I was told yesterday by Water Revenue that they don't involve, they don't bill; that the bills come from the department of L & I. 463 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET I just asked a member of L & I about that. And I was basically told, will have to look into it, and get back to me. But, from what I understand, contractors and again these lawn maintenance companies, consume a tremendous amount of water from hydrants. Police stop to see if that activity is appropriate. They will show them some type of a pass that allows them to take the water from the hydrant. And water revenue says, well, we don't involve ourself in this particular issue, that the Department of Licenses and Inspection does the billing. That sounded kind of strange to me, that Water Revenue wasn't in the loop on this. And we are talking a significant amount of water and a significant amount of contractors that take water from our hydrant system for profit, to spray lawns, to build buildings, and do all the things that water is required to do when it is a construction site. So could you clear up the issue? And how do these contractors get billed for this water, 464 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET since Water Revenue doesn't do it? RICHARD ROY: My name is Richard Roy. I am the Acting Water Commissioner. Councilman, people can use hydrants if they take out an appropriate permit. There is restrictions with that hydrant, there is requirements with that hydrant. They have to know how to use that hydrant. And the fee for the permit covers the cost of the water.
It varies, and I can get those numbers for you. But it varies depending on how long they have a permit for that hydrant. And I did hear your question the other day, and we are looking into whether we have any lawn-care providers with permits.
I would like to know that. Because with the potential of a water rate increase, many Philadelphians might want to get one of those permits and draw the water from the hydrant, rather than their faucet. Because I have talked to, since that 465 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET testimony, a couple contractors that said that they haven't -- and you know they are not cutting off their nose here to spite -- they told me that they haven't been billed for water forever; that they draw water, thousands of gallons a week, and basically that little piece of paper gets them all the water they want, any time they want it. And I think this is a process that really needs to be looked at, really hard.
If those would be reported to the Water Department, we can investigate those. I don't think there is ongoing permits. And these are probably illegal users of the fire hydrants.
You say to me now that you don't know of any permits you have out there for contractors to draw water? How do you monitor that, Commissioner? I mean, come on. We have to be realistic here today. You give somebody a permit and say, you can go to a hydrant any time you want, and tell them that they can only take a thousand gallons a week, give me a break. 466 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET Do you have people out there checking to see how much water they take? I mean, come on. Let's be honest with each other here.
I said at the present time I am not aware of any lawn-care providers that have permits. It may be illegal. There are 28,000 hydrants out there. And most often if your seeing a hydrant on a side street being used and a back street, it is probably an illegal use.
I am talking to a police officer that said he stopped a contractor taking 5000 -- had a truck filled with the capacity of 4500 to 5000 gallons. He produced a paper, which backed the officer off right away, indicating that, you know, he was approved to take this water from the City of Philadelphia. So I think you need to maybe send to the Chair a list of the contractors that have this permit. And I would like to know how we get paid for it.
And I will ensure that he 467 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET does that. I am interested myself in this.
Because if these little pieces of paper are flying around, 4000 gallons here, 5000 gallons there...
Thank you, Madam Chair. I have a followup question for the Water Revenue -- Director of the Water Revenue Bureau, please, sir. My question is related to educating the consumer, and particularly senior citizens. Infrequently we receive calls in the office, and again leaning on my experience at the Tax Review Board, where seniors are not familiar with the reality that they are responsible for service charges, even if the water is turned off. So my question is, what kind of efforts does the Water Department undertake to educate the consumer about financial obligations that they have with regards to the Water Revenue Bureau, and/or any 468 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET linkages you might have with the Philadelphia Corporation of Aging or other agencies that provide services to seniors, so that they don't end up at the Tax Review Board with humungus bills and then discover that the service charges is a rightful charge?
We have a number of public education programs that we have. Probably the most public contact is the bill stuffer that we put out public messages about responsibility.
I think that as we develop programs, because of the automatic meter reading system we have, when we start to see zero usage at properties, it can trigger some investigation of that property as to whether it is abandoned or if there is some reason that there is no usage. At which point we can have a discussion with that homeowner about what their obligation is 469 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET in terms of a service charge.
Okay. That goes to part of my question. When we look at the issue citywide, however, has any thought or consideration been given to a strategy so that we lessen the burden, if you will, of seniors, who we know are on limited fixed incomes and who have to get downtown to the Tax Review Board? And you're heart sick because you know they can't afford the massive bills, yet they're ill-informed or uninformed and obligated to pay the bill. Have you had a chance to just look at that citywide from a strategic standpoint in educating that particular constituency?
One of the efforts we are putting together now is a booklet on homeowner responsibility, and what the homeowner's requirements are.
I believe we have a draft of that booklet at this point in time. It is being 470 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET reviewed. And I would hope that we would be able to get it out. Our focus was to distribute it to real estate agents around the city, so that they could hand it out to people as they buy homes, and they will have a better idea of what their responsibility is when they buy that home.
But that's on the right track, I think. I would ask that you consider broadening your outreach to include senior citizen agencies, if you will, and others who are in the business of providing services. Someone has to speak up and stand up for them. And so that's my issue and concern here, and why I raise the question. Okay?
Thank you. I have two final questions around the issue of standards and the Mayor's Children's Initiative. I know that last year the process started, and I know that it is long. I guess the good news is that a lot of cities around the country 471 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET are taking a serious look at standards as relates to after-school programs. Where are we currently, what barriers are you experiencing, and where do you see the end of the line? Where do you see a period at that particular initiative?
We have actually put out standards on after-school programs now. I will make sure you get a copy of those. We are in the process now of working with all the programs in the City of Philadelphia that we funded during this past year to determine whether they can meet the standards. And, if they can't, what do we have to do to help them. And that's where we are now. While we have put out standards, putting out standards, having people agree that the standards are appropriate, and then having the providers either have the resources or the knowledge to meet those standards is an entirely different process. So we are going provider by provider, looking, talking to them, visiting their programs, determining what is it in the standard that they 472 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET can't meet, the reason they can't meet it, and what we can do. With the money coming into the after-school programs for the new fiscal year starting in July, some of the money will be for new programs. But we have made the commitment that probably at least half of that money needs to be spent to bring the programs that are existing up to the standard.
You addressed my followup question, which was, is technical assistance being provided.
We actually have a contract. Not only we are doing, but we have a contract through United Way that are providing the technical assistance. The first sessions of that started in January. And I believe there have already been four sessions that have taken place, and there are more being planned on an ongoing basis.
I will look forward to that standards document. Finally, as best as I can understand, 473 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET there are two banner initiatives that the Administration has established. And they would be the NTI and Improvement of Quality of Life For Children and Youth; is that a fair assessment? Would you agree on your end? Who are the designated experts, if you will, or leaders that speak on those two issues?
And let me -- not paraphrase; footnote. I care about NTI. I am more concerned about the children and youth piece. So who do we look to in terms of leadership, aside from the Mayor, on that particular issue?
I think for the initiatives that involve children and social services and all the things that happen with children, I am probably the spokesperson for the Administration on this, through the managing director, back to the Mayor. There are a variety of activities in the ways we do it. One of the first things, as you remember, that the Mayor did in the new 474 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET Administration was to a point a Commission on Children. And the Commission on Children, as a group -- and I head that, I am part of the commission and head of the commission -- actually begins to look at policy and acts sort of as a steering Committee on that. But in terms of who in the Administration is putting this into operations, monitoring it, and make sure that the things we say happen, that probably falls under my level of responsibility.
Okay. Then let me follow up. You said from -- correct me -- from the managing director, back to the Mayor. What does that mean.
And the managing director becomes the spokesperson in the Mayor's Office on Children and Youth; is that accurate?
I think that anybody who knows Estelle realizes that she doesn't need anybody 475 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET to be a spokesperson for her.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Ortiz.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Estelle, in terms of the health centers, I have been told that there are vacancies that are going unfilled. And I would like to find out, what is the current state of staffing at the health centers, and what is the current vacancy rate, and what positions are vacant?
I will make sure that is included in the Health Commissioner's testimony on Friday.
Okay. And also I spoke to you the other day, and there has been a shifting of directors of centers.
I know that usually we transfer captains and other officials in the police department, usually because we fear 476 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET corruption developing, and that's one way of keeping the flow moving. I would like to find out, what's the rationale for the shifting of the different center directors across the board. And is this going to be a policy of yearly shifting? And what impact does it do to continuity of service, if that is the case?
I do have that explanation now. I will also make sure both the explanation is shared with you individually and to have it before the testimony.
For the record, also, you know that we had hearings on the prison health system.
There are questions that are still not answered. And you know that we asked those things. And perhaps those answers that we requested at the hearing, they might be available by the time the Prison Commissioner comes before us?
We will try to make sure we do that. He comes before you in a couple of 477 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET hours.
Okay. I will try to figure out which one of those questions you haven't received. I thought they had all been done right now, but I will double-check. They should be able to get that to you quickly.
Also, the contract for the health system is a four-year contract.
It is a one-year contract, with an ability to renew it in three subsequent years.
It is a four-year contract in order to get around the ability of City Council to be able to approve it or not approve it. Okay? It is a four-year contract with an option for a fifth year. I think that given the nature and the controversy that has ensued over the quality of health service in the prison, and the magnitude of the contract, which is above $25 million, I think that we need to have a real look into it, this body, 478 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET look into the process of -- bidding process, and how it was awarded, and so on down the line, for the record of the whole Council, and not just the Committee on Public Safety as we had it. So if we can have that also ensued, I would really appreciate that.
Okay. We will make sure we get that, that explanation of how the bidding process proceeded and how recommendations, decisions were made, to you.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter.
First let me say, Mr. Martz, it is good to see you this morning, and you look very nice today.
Let me ask you 479 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET about -- I know you have talked about a couple of these earlier. I wanted to get a little better understanding. On of your testimony, the $10 million for the Neighborhood Transformation Initiative, obviously this is separate from the $250,000,000 bond issue.
And you will correct me, I am sure. I mean, this is, I guess, a way of at least getting some portion of the initiative started, obviously, on something that we all care about. And as NTI is put together, I mean, to some extent, I guess, it is a recognition that life must go on and the government must continue to function and operate.
I think, quite honestly, it is just more an issue of what qualifies for longer-term debt service and what doesn't. I mean, these are clearly more operational in nature.
Maintenance type. 480 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET Okay. We had some discussion, I guess, on Monday in the Appropriations Committee about a transfer ordinance related to lot cleaning, which testimony was that portion of the program is anticipated to start in April. And this $10 million, I guess, is the continuation of the $960,000 that was proposed in the transfer ordinance?
As you know, this stuff is really challenging. And we have to do a few things. We have to kind of try out different technologies. We are trying to find the right mix of equipment and manpower. And based on what I learned from the abandoned car program, we have a sense of what it is going to cost us to do it. But we need to work our bugs out before we jump into this thing with both feet in July.
Okay. Tell me, as a part of this program -- and I think you know from earlier conversation, I have adjusted, to some extent, a lot of my thinking as it relates to vacant lots and what should go on in different 481 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET neighborhoods and different techniques and strategies. But, just for the record, and because of my ongoing concern, tell me a little bit about where fences or other protective measures for these lots fit into this particular program, and what happens after we clean them all.
And I know how strongly you feel about them, and you know how I feel about them. I think the ordinance does the best it can by stating that these things can be looked at on a case-by-case basis. Because clearly they work in certain places and they don't in others. Our goal is to find ourselves in a situation where we can do this one-time cleanup, and then to get into a situation where we can come back periodically and maintain them at a certain level. In certain places it is going to make some sense to have things fenced, and we realize that, and in other places it just doesn't because we know what happens behind those fences. So, again, I would like to stay along the terms of the ordinanance and start reviewing these things on a case-by-case basis, through the L 482 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET & I Commissioner, with me and you and members of Council, and where it is appropriate to do it. And, look, there are going to be times when we disagree on whether or not it makes the best sense to do it there. But I think that's the best vehicle to do it.
When you used the phrase "ordinance," were you making reference to Ordinance 25 in the fence bill that was passed last year?
And is that being utilized? I mean, is that being implemented presently?
I am not sure that -- I can't answer that right now from the perspective of whether or not we have appropriately funded that ordinary. But I will tell you that it is part of our ongoing thinking with regard to what we want to do starting with FY '02.
Tell me, as a part of Bill 25, and I would hope that at least this portion would carry forward in the new program, tell 483 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET me about vegetation management as it relates to these lots. Do we anticipate any special treatment of these lots to keep weeds and other evasive vegetation down?
One of the things that we are actually looking at is whether or not we can go out and use some of the citywide contracts that we have for things like turf maintenance in Fairmount Park, and kind of piggyback off of those for these small lots. A lot of that is going to depend on whether or not there is an appetite for it in the private sector. But, yes, that's exactly why we are looking at it. And that's why we are looking at the right tools. I mean, certain lots are just dirt, other ones have grass on them, some of them have trees. All of those things, vegetation maintenance is a very important part of the whole program.
Reuse strategy. In many instances the next-door neighbor wants to get 484 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET the lot, maybe they want to park their car, do whatever they want to do, the block wants to get it, nobody wants to get it. What are we going to do with all this? And do we have a list? Do we know where they are? Is it broken out by census tract, Council district, ward, I mean?
We have the list by census tract. We just met with VRT to cross-reference that list to make sure that all the lots kind of line up with their proper addresses. We have provided the census tract list to the Council President. She has passed it along to your office. We are going to come back and give you a more detailed list that actually gives you addresses and wards, so you have a better sense of where all these lots are. Our goal clearly is to get these lots into community hands. And we have had some successes in some models, like up in the Empowerment Zone, where we are working with community groups to king of manage them through PHS. And those are the kinds of programs we want to do. 485 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET Clearly, clearly it is not our intention to keep these lots in our jurisdiction for long periods of time. We want to get rid of them.
Most of them aren't, anyway. We have our own inventory. What is it, about 70/30, 65/35?
I know the raw number now, but I don't know what the splits are just yet, what the new number is.
In on our ongoing effort to, I guess, kind of be as anticipatory in the government process as possible, can you get us, through the Chair, lists of -- I mean, do we know, do we have addresses for all the lots? Is that something that can be shared? In your testimony you talk about the dangerous building situation, dangerous trees. All of that information would be very helpful.
Interestingly enough, the Council President had asked me whether I can provide her with that information on a street address and ward list. And that's what we are trying to cull right now, to see if we can do it, because it would 486 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET be more user-friendly that way.
It would. Tell me about, there has been a fair amount of discussion -- I want to commend yourself and the chief of staff and the Mayor and others who have been involved in it -- you will recall some of, in the past Administration, tree wars, and the care and maintenance of trees, and primarily street trees. And we did ultimately pass legislation and got some funding. We knew it was not necessarily enough, but you have to start somewhere. A couple of initiatives that you are proposing, one is the removal of, I think you have identified, 8600, 8700 dangerous trees. And you plan this year to remove 4300; is that my understanding?
Yes. We expect to have the entire -- we actually get about 2500 trees a year into the system. So when you skew this thing all out, you end up at about a four-year life cycle in getting rid of the backlog. So our goal is to eliminate the backlog 487 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET in four years, and then turn to the a greater maintenance program for the existing trees that are out there.
And this is also with operating dollars out of that pool of 7 million? 8
It is. It would be three 9 and a half million from my budget, and the remaining 10 dollars that were already in the Fairmount Park Department's budget.
And funding may be an issue in the past, and I guess currently. One of the issues that we are always challenged with in the tree, dangerous tree, regard, is, citizens write in, they have a dangerous tree. They get a letter saying, you know, we 488 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET will send somebody out, we will take a look at it, we will get around to it. You could always take it down yourself, if you would like. We did change the law, and I thought we kind of squared that away. And, I mean, unless it is a tremendously dangerous situation or, you know, kind of phone calls get made, we never really have a sense of when it is going to happen. And we end up in some situations with some people are pleased with the service and other people are totally outraged. How are we going to make sure that we are really managing this 4300-a-year process?
I mean, what I am hoping -- because we do have some new tree management software, at least that's what I believe. Bill, do you want to come up for a second? We are going to be able to provide you with some detail on how we are performing with that 4300 number, and where we are actually doing it.
And how will all of these efforts impact our ability to continue ot 489 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET respond to requests for new trees? WILLIAM MIFFLIN: Good morning. My name is William Mifflin, the Executive Director of the Fairmount Park Commission. I am really pleased to be here this morning to talk about the street trees.
We are prepared to work from the leadership of the Managing Director's Office on this new initiative of removing 4300 trees, as the managing director indicated, for the next three, four years of the program. We are in the process of identifying all of the locations right now. We have a completion date of March 1 to having identified all those tree removals. You are right, Councilman, when you indicate that probably part of the or the majority of the problem has been funding, when it gets back to what we both agree is an unsatisfactory answer to the homeowner as to when specifically we will be able to remove that tree. As I have testified previously, we 490 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET attempt to prioritize the trees into a category of immediately dangerous, and dangerous, and those then that should be removed for other reasons. And, as you well know, the delay has been as a result of just the demand far exceeding the available resources. I think with this program, we are going to be able to give a date certain within a parameter of a period of time of a month or two as to when that tree would be removed.
Councilman Nutter, your time is up. Are you complete?
In that regard, I saved this message from one of my constituents, Irma Parker. Irma Parker called me not too long ago, and this is what she said. She has been waiting since the summer of '98 to have trees planted. She was told the fall of 2000 originally, now it has been moved to the spring of 2001. 491 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET There are some other parts of the message which I will not read into the record, they are not for a family kind of place that we have here. This is not unusual, specifically with the tree planting requests. And I guess unlike some other departments, I mean, you know, we are pretty good on time performance. I feel relatively confident that in, you know, Wynnefield on Monday and parts of West Philadelphia on Tuesday, and as you go throughout, that the trash is going to get picked up. I think I get pretty decent response if we called 911. And those are certainly emergency services, but there are other things out there. I have never been able to tell anyone with any certainty, no matter when they call, no 20 matter what they were told, that they were actually going to get a tree when they asked for it. And, you know, it is not life or death. But it is in the realm of, this is what people pay for, this is what they expect from the government. And I think, one, we should be able to 492 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET tell them with some reasonable certainty when, and then I think we should actually be able to deliver. And, if we can't, we should tell them that.
If I can, for just a second, I actually took the microphone back from Bill only because one of the reasons that we wanted to put the money in my budget is because I have been here for eight years, and I have kind of heard this over and over again, and we understand how important it is. I want to make sure that the program is set up that people feel as comfortable about our promises to deliver as they do when we go out to pick up their trash. So we will eventually end up migrating it back to Fairmount Park. But until I feel that the systems are in place that give those kinds of assurances, then it is going to stay right in my house.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Kenney.
Thank you, Madam 493 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET Chair. Secretary Richman, I recently had to take my son to an emergency room for a sports injury at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. And while we waited there for service -- obviously I have health coverage -- there were about maybe other families there, parents, young kids, 9 who were waiting to see emergency room physicians 10 for various things like the cold and flu and those 11 kinds of items. 12 Now I know you know, and myself from 13 experience understand the expense of that kind of 14 medical care being delivered that could be delivered 15 by a primary care physician or from a pediatrician. 16 The money that we spend on our health 17 centers, the money that we get from the state for 18 medical aid to people who are poor, is there some 19 way we could try to organize this in a way that we 20 wind up sending people to neighborhood physicians through some type of health maintenance organization, through some type of managed care process, so that we can reduce the cost to the hospitals, reduce the costs to the municipalities and the state that is providing that kind of help, 494 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET that kind of care, and maybe even getting to these young people and their families early in the process, prior to expanded asthma problems, kind of just get these kids to a physician on a regular basis? Is there some way to pool all these dollars and to use them in a way that better facilitates the healthcare and the cost?
You have identified a problem that I think many, many of the healthcare professionals in this country are struggling with right now. In fact, there actually is study going on at the University of Pennsylvania to look at how do we begin to get people out of the emergency rooms for nonemergencies, and to get them to either go to their primary care physician, which is ideal, but to seek the help in a different way, up to and including going to a health center? It is an education process of having people understand that the emergency rooms are not actually the best place for nonemergencies; and for them to be able to handle emergencies, they need not to be clogged with nonemergencies. 495 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET Unfortunately, even people who have primary care physicians often feel they get faster, more immediate service in emergency room, and tend to head off that way. The state is struggling with this and using all sorts of incentives with the managed-care companies to try to motivate them even more. And I think they try to work with the hospitals in their primary care physicians. This isn't something the city at this point has taken a lead on.
Does it affect our cost from a city Health Department perspective, or is it hard to quantify what those costs are directly to us?
It is probably hard to quantify that directly. And my guess is, if we made an effort to say people who use emergency rooms inappropriately should come to a health center, would probably increase the city's costs within the health centers. More appropriately it would be to say, people who need healthcare, who have a primary-care physician, should use their primary-care physician, 496 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET both preventively and in those terms. Our health centers and many primary-care physicians have phone hours to say, you know, call, maybe it is something, advice we can give you over the phone, if you are a client of ours. Other states have done other initiatives like having care centers, emergent care centers, where things aren't quite an emergency, but people want to seek that kind of care on a 24-hour basis. The other factor that plays into the high use of emergency rooms are, they are open 13 hours a day. And most of the -- whether it is our 14 health centers or whether it is the Federally 15 qualified health centers, basically are open from 16 8:00 or 9:00 in the morning until 5:00 or 6:00 at 17 night, with some evening hours. 18
Do we need to look 19 at a reevaluation of our hours? 20
Yes, I have always been in 21 favor that we look at our hours and when they are 22 open. 23 But I also think we may need -- and 24 maybe not just the City of Philadelphia -- but look at the healthcare, primary healthcare system within 497 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET the state. What are other ways to address this problem, as opposed to shifting it to another source? Many people, again, who go for emergency room care have primary-care physicians that they should be seeking help from first.
In the same area of healthcare, what are your departments or your responsibilities relative to issues of sex education, family planning, and teenage pregnancy? A lot of our problems socially, economically, family structurewise, comes about as a result of a teenager having children. It affects just about everything we deal it, from the School District, to neighborhoods stability, to everything. What are the efforts or initiatives that you're involved in now to do a better job educating our young people about sex education, about pregnancy issues and family planning issues? And, also, how does that role into the problems faced in our public schools, with outright sexual assault now of some of our students? 498 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET
We actually have identified that as a primary issue at several points. In the children's report card that we put out last June, one of the out-of-control issues for us was sexually transmitted diseases, and the, I think, to year old age group, the ensuing 9 pregnancies and sexually active teenagers. 10 We have begun, because we are going to 11 put out that report card every year, we are already 12 begun to identify initiatives that hopefully will 13 address sexually transmitted issues, sex education 14 to youth, pregnancy within teenagers, and that whole 15 range of topics that you just identified. 16 I would be very glad to provide you with 17 some of the planning efforts that are going on 18 within that framework, and how we plan to reduce the 19 percentage of youngsters that are caught up in that. We do fund agencies. And there are both federal funds, state funds, and city dollars that are going into reducing sexually transmitted disease, teenage pregnancy, where there has been some fairly significant improvement both in Philadelphia and across the country. 499 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET
Much of this is with the schools, not all of it. Some of it is independent of the schools. But we are working closely with the schools in the area of sexually transmitted disease in terms of education. We are also are working within the recreation centers, and trying to work on as many fronts as we can get the attention of both the adults and the teenagers.
And finally in this round, the SPCA contract is, I assume, an issue that we need to deal with.
What are the plans when it comes down to managing animals, especially in light of our pit bull explosion?
As you can imagine, this is actually a primary focal point for the Health Department over the next year. Actually, the major decisions on it are probably going to have to be made within the next 500 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET six months, as we then plan for a transition. The SPCA has felt that euthanizing animals is not within their mission, and that they need to be able to shift that responsibility. The city is in a planning process. This is a major task.
Are there other private agencies or private concerns that do this type of work? I mean, I am sorry to lose the SPCA, but I can understand their burn-out. I mean, their mission is one of preventing cruelty, and they are becoming a pit bull killing machine. And it is just something we have to deal with. Who else is out there?
We have contacted all of the people right in Philadelphia, or immediately around Philadelphia, who would be most likely to be able to do this. None of them are interested at this point in time. That's why it is going to take a major planning effort, and looking at other models in other cities, what are other cities our size 501 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET doing, how are they doing it, how much does it cost, what do we have to put in place, does the city do it, do we contract it out. So we are now looking at the full spectrum of animal control in the city and where we need to proceed with that.
I would hope that we would be ready to have some recommendations by September, if we have to change this contract by June of 2001.
Yes. I wanted to go back to the tree issue. Is there an overall plan where you target areas in the city to go through at one time and cut down all the dead and dangerous trees, or is it done --
It is going to be done on a citywide basis, Councilwoman. We are going to take a look at -- 502 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET because there are dead trees in every single Council district in this city that date back many, many years. So we are going to do it on, hopefully, a last -- the deadest, oldest dead tree reported to the system, and work our way back through the backlog, to try to be as fair as we can.
And you could be all over the city at different times?
And not targeted to one area? You just go through and cut them all down?
We just think it is the fairest way to do it. Because there have been so many reported dead trees in so many areas of the city, that it is blight in many places.
Thank you. Thank you very much. I have to add to my comments about what 503 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET Councilman Cohen said about the managing director. If you put a call to him, he calls you. If I can't get him, that's because he is off doing Joan Krajewski's work.
We all appreciate you, believe me. Councilman Nutter, do you care to be recognized?
It is your turn. And I would ask you to try to be somewhat brief. Because the Police Commissioner has been waiting since 9 o'clock this morning.
And we are going to have to recess our hearing for the COS hearing at o'clock.
Madam Chair, when you put it to me that way, I think that I would like to pass on by. I can hassle Joe Martz any day of the 504 2/14/01 - FY '02 OPERATING BUDGET week. And, you know, just happened to be his day today. But I can chase him down about 11:00 at tonight.
If there is something, seriously, that you want on the record --
Real quickly, a lot of our Commissioners are here today. Estelle and I have a really fine staff, and I just want, a lot of them are here today, and I just want to recognize them for the great work they do as well within the office. (Applause.)