Good

morning, everyone.

The

hour has come. It's clear we have

established a quorum. I'd ask all

visitors and guests to please reside

behind the rail. Thank you.

To give our invocation this morning, the Chair recognizes the Reverend Robert Paul, Pastor of the Piney Grove Baptist Church. He is here today as the guest of Councilwoman Bass.

Will all guests and visitors and members please rise.

Shall we pray.

Eternal and Gracious Father, we come now in the mighty name of Jesus. God, we thank you for Philadelphia. We thank you, God, for our illustrious Mayor and his entire cabinet. We thank you, God, for our President of the City Council and all the constituents, all of

the members. We thank you, God, for

Sister Cindy Bass and all those that you

have appointed their hands to do.

God, we pray that you will make

us cognizant and conscious of the fact

that you've given some authority, but,

Lord, you are still the chief authority.

You have all powers, and, Lord, you can do all things but fail.

So, Father, give us wisdom from on high. Help us to deliberate. Help us to be conscious and knowing that you're holding us all with accountability.

We pray for the sick and afflicted. We pray for the orphans. We pray for the destitute, Father. Make us more like thee and less of us.

And, Lord, however you do the things that you're going to do, we will surely give your name all the praise, all the glory, and all the honor.

This is our prayer. In Jesus' name, amen.

Thank you so much, Pastor.

Council will be at ease.

Thank you again, Pastor.

The next order of business is

the approval of the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, January 24th, 2013.

The Chair recognizes Councilman Greenlee.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, January 24th, 2013 be approved.

It has been moved and properly seconded that the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, January 24th be approved.

All those in favor say aye.

Those opposed?

The

ayes have it. The Journal is approved.

The next order of business is

requests for leaves of absence.

The Chair recognizes Councilman

Jones.

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

The Chair thanks the gentleman.

The Chair now recognizes Councilman O'Neill for request for leaves of absence.

On behalf of the republicans, there are no requests for leave of absence.

Thank you, sir.

The Chair will dispense with the regular order of business to welcome and thank all of the individuals who

chose to come down to City Council today.

We hope that your experience today will

be a pleasurable one so you feel like

coming back again. So I want to thank

all of you. We really look forward to

enjoying the wonderful experience of

having our citizens watch us in action

today. So thank you all so very much.

At this time, the Chair recognizes Councilman Kenney, who will present a resolution honoring the outstanding lifetime musical achievements of Peter Nero. Would Mr. Nero and those accompanying him please join the Councilman at the podium.

And the Councilman is joined by Councilman Squilla and Councilwoman Bass and Councilwoman Brown.

Thank you, Mr. President. This is a resolution honoring the outstanding lifetime musical achievements of Peter Nero, and recognizing his innumerable contributions to arts and culture in Philadelphia as an

award-winning pianist and the founding

conductor and Artistic Director of the

world renowned Peter Nero and the Philly

POPS Orchestra.

Whereas, born in Brooklyn, New

York, Peter Nero began his formal

training at age seven. By the time he

was 14, he was accepted to New York City's prestigious High School of Music and Art and won a scholarship to the Juilliard School of Music;

And whereas, Mr. Nero's early career included appearances on many national variety and talk shows including 11 great appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and numerous appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson; and

Whereas, Mr. Nero recorded his first album in 1961 and won a Grammy Award that year for "Best New Artist." Since then, he has received another Grammy, garnered 10 additional nominations, and released 68 albums; and

Whereas, recognized as one of

America's premier pops orchestras, Peter

Nero and the Philly POPS was founded in

1979 under his musical leadership. They

are now recognized as the official pops

orchestra of the Commonwealth of

Pennsylvania and have remained a vital

part of Philadelphia's cultural pulse; and

Whereas, Mr. Nero's long list of honors include: the American Federation of Musicians' Lifetime Achievement Award; the Abraham Lincoln Foundation of the Union League of Philadelphia's Lincoln Award; the Mario Lanza Award, in recognition for outstanding achievements in the field of music; six honorary doctorates; the prestigious International Society of Performing Arts Presenters Award for Excellence in the Arts; being named on the Philadelphia and Miami historic walks of fame; and the Pennsylvania Distinguished Arts Award; and

Whereas, Peter Nero's

enthusiastic and seemingly endless

talents have gained him invitations to

perform during numerous

nationally-televised concerts and with

symphonies from around the globe. He has

collaborated with musicians and

celebrities of every stripe, and his successful "The Summer of '42" became a million-selling single album; and

Whereas, Mr. Nero and his eponymous orchestra continue to elicit international attention while strengthening Philadelphia's cultural significance domestically and abroad. In addition to critical acclaim, their standards of excellence enrich the lives of Philadelphians through: an active role in our City's Fourth of July celebrations for over 25 years; its establishment as a resident company of The Kimmel Center for Performing Arts; and frequent performances as the Philadelphia -- and

frequent performances at other

Philadelphia landmarks such as the

National Constitution Center and

Independence Hall; and

Whereas, Mr. Nero is an active

supporter of many important causes,

including the funding of school music

programs, funding for the building of new arts centers across the country, as well as research for cancer, dystonia, and autism; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, by the Council of the City of Philadelphia, that Council does hereby recognize, honor, and thank Peter Nero for his lifetime of contributions to musical excellence and his commitment to preserving Philadelphia as a national focal point for arts and culture. We wish him and the Philly POPS continued success.

Further resolved, that an engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Artistic Director Peter Nero as evidence of the sincere sentiments of

this legislative body.

The

Chair recognizes Mr. Nero for remarks.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you,

Councilpersons. Thank you, Councilman

Kenney. Did I really do all of those things? No wonder I'm so tired.

Actually, I did all that in less time than it took for the completion of the Blue Route. I learned that when I got here, that that was the local joke. That was 1979.

Actually, I'm really energized and flattered and appreciative, and I thank you, Councilman Kenney and the rest of the members of the Council, for bestowing this honor on me.

After traveling the country on tour since 1961, which included Philadelphia by the way, the opportunity arose for another orchestra in this great city, and since Boston had the Boston

Pops, why not Philadelphia and the

Philadelphia Pops, in this case the

Philly Pops. Moe Septee, the founder,

had a vision that he was able to bring to

fruition. I got the call in 1979 to be

the music director and have been here

ever since. Made Philly my home in 1988,

leaving California to make Philly home base. On one of my concerts when I was Pops' music director of the Tulsa Philharmonic, I had the great trumpet player "Dizzy" Gillespie as guest artist. On a rehearsal break we got into a rap about where we lived. I told him I had just moved from California to Philly. He took a step back and stared at me. He said, You moved to Philly? I moved to California from Philly.

Now, I had been told by the natives here that Philly being in the shadow of New York City was a constant irritant to the locals, and it manifested itself in a civic inferiority complex. Well, it didn't take long for this city

to embrace us, and a renaissance began

here, not necessarily coincidental but it

did, with new highly rated restaurants,

renovations of historic edifices,

expansion of the waterfront, a new

convention center and new hotels. I

found a strong sense of community here

that I had never felt in other mega cities. People would stop me on the street, and it wasn't for an autograph or for any semblance of celebrity. They wanted to tell me how much they enjoyed the concerts and actually thanked me for what really amounted to me just doing my job. Sometimes I had to wonder if I was getting paid or doing a benefit. Granted, it takes 24/7 to make each series and concert better than the last one.

So I thank you, Councilman Kenney and other members of the Council, for this honor and hope I can live up to the expectations of this citation.

Mr. President, if I may, we're going to

do a little something different while we

take the official photograph. We will be

playing his Grammy Award -- Mr. Nero's

Grammy Award-winning music "Mountain

Greenery." So we'll have a little

interlude while we take our picture.

Council will be at ease.

Thank you so much. Councilman, I think you started something. I anticipate getting additional requests for music during the presentations.

Before we call for our next presentation, I would like to acknowledge and welcome a good friend of ours, State Senator Anthony Williams, who is joining us today.

At this time, the Chair recognizes

Councilwoman Brown, who will present a

resolution recognizing the 30th

Anniversary of Disadvantaged Business

Enterprise, also known as DBE, Programs

in the City of Philadelphia. Would

Angela Dowd-Burton and those accompanying

her please join the Councilwoman at the

podium.

And I see we also have Councilwoman Blackwell, Councilman Goode, Councilwoman Tasco, and Councilman Johnson joining us and also Councilwoman Bass.

Mr. President, before we move to the formal remarks and presentation of this extremely important milestone in leveling the playing field, we need to be mindful that this morning we stand here on the shoulders of champion, former Congressman, Councilman, activist Lucien Blackwell.

Thank you. Thank you.

We stand

on the shoulder of one of his partners,

the father of State Senator Anthony Hardy

Williams, Senator Hardy Williams.

So us

newbies need to be forever mindful that there were people on the front line, carrying the baton, getting the marathon done to level the playing field for women, minorities, and those that are disabled.

I'm going to ask Councilman Goode and Councilwoman Blackwell to offer remarks first also before we move to the formal proceeding.

Thank you very much. Good morning.

As always, I thank God for each day and each privilege of service as we try to perform our duties, and it is an honor for me.

As you remember, last week we mentioned

it was the 10th anniversary last Thursday

of Lucien's passing, and I'm honored that

we get a chance to mention him again

today.

Yes, it was he given the

information by John Macklin when he

introduced the legislation that minorities were getting less than one-tenth of one percent of all contracts let in the City of Philadelphia, and that started it. And even though we're not where we could be and should be, we're not where we were.

So we thank God for his service. We thank God that we realize that we have to champion the causes of all people who live, work, and visit our city. And, again, thank you very much.

My colleague is a bit modest about his father's accomplishment, but we would be remiss without stating, memorializing, and

documenting that a courageous Mayor by

the name of W. Wilson Goode took this

cause upon his shoulders and moved this

important public policy issue to its

forefront, and $583 million under his

watch later, minorities and females made

progress in this town.

A huge thank you as well to every person on this stage who played some role in this thread of trying to level the playing field.

Recognizing the 30th Anniversary of Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Programs in the City of Philadelphia.

Whereas, in 1980, a small group of Philadelphia business people formed the BrainTrust, selected Beverly Harper as President, and set as its goal the passage of legislation in Philadelphia that would guarantee minorities and women a share of City contracts; and

Whereas, Dr. Edward Robinson,

working under then Managing Director

Wilson Goode, produced documentation that

minorities and women were being awarded

less than one percent of City contracts;

and

Whereas, City Councilman Lucien E. Blackwell introduced legislation that amended Chapter 17-500 of The Philadelphia Code, thanks to the work of John Macklin who gave us the information, and Council overrode a mayoral veto by a vote of 16:0, and the Administration promulgated regulations and guidelines; and

Whereas, the Minority Business Enterprise Council (MBEC) was in service from 1982 to 1989 to ensure that minority, women and disabled owned enterprises are afforded equal access and opportunity to compete for and secure contracts within the City of Philadelphia; and

Whereas, the

first MBEC Council consisted of

Dr. Lorraine Brown, Barbara Daniel Cox,

Kemel Dawkins, Angela Dowd-Burton, John

Smith, Geri Swift and Joe Young; and

Whereas, past Executive

Directors of the Office of the Minority

Business Enterprise Council and Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) are Melvin LeGrande, Al Childs, Curtis Jones, Jr., Marla Hamilton, James Roundtree, Mike Williams, Carolyn Nichols, Michael Bell, Curtis Gregory and the current director, Angela Dowd-Burton; and

Whereas, in 1990 until 2003 MBEC existed under several executive orders; and

Whereas, in 2008, the Office of Economic Opportunity was created through executive order and the legal/legislative framework established Section 6-109 of the Charter in Chapters 17-1500 and 17-1600 of the City Code; and

Whereas, Mayor Michael A.

Nutter signed Executive Order 3-12 in

September 2012, regarding

Anti-Discrimination related to DBE's

participating in City contracts; and

Whereas,

Michael A. Nutter -- I'm sorry. Whereas,

the Office of Economic Opportunity seeks to promote economic development through its certification program, contract review and monitoring activities, and ongoing interaction with other City departments, quasi-public agencies and the local marketplace; and

Whereas, the Office of Economic Opportunity works with the Philadelphia business community to build internal and external alliances with minority business enterprises, women business enterprises, disadvantaged business enterprises and disabled business enterprises; and

Whereas, over the past five years, more than one billion dollars has been awarded to

minority, women and disadvantaged

business enterprises, due in no small

part to the efforts of the Office of

Economic Opportunity; and

Whereas, Philadelphia has

benefited tremendously from the

incalculable efforts of legislative and

executive action over the last 30 years which has encouraged increased DBE participation in City contracts; now, therefore, be it resolved

By the Council of the City of Philadelphia that we hereby recognize on this day the 30th Anniversary of Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Programs in the City of Philadelphia, the legislation that created it, the many minority business people who worked tirelessly to make it happen as a reality in our city.

Further resolved, that an engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to the representatives from the Office of Equal Opportunity as evidence

of the sincere sentiments of this

legislative body.

Let's congratulate every single

person on this stage.

Ms. Angela Dowd-Burton.

MS. DOWD-BURTON: Thank you so much. I have to tell you, we did serious business in the sandbox 30 years ago, because we were all about five or so.

So good morning, President Clarke, Councilwoman Reynolds Brown, members of City Council, elected officials, City administrators, former MBEC legacy leaders, I'll call you, friends, and guests. It is an honor to accept this resolution on behalf of those who served MBEC and OEO over 30 years ago.

Thirty years ago, City Council built an intersection between public policy and the business imperative. They knew that when businesses rise, employees

thrive and families flourish. When

businesses rise, our youth find hope in

the role models of their communities and

seek education to pursue attainable

dreams. When disadvantaged businesses

rise, our region prospers.

To the ancestors recognized in

this resolution, we thank you for your vision.

To the legislators that guide the spirit of economic inclusion today, we thank you for your focus and your tenacity.

To Mayor Michael Nutter, his Economic Opportunity cabinet, leadership team, and City employees who engage in our mission every day, we appreciate your dedication and your commitment.

And to our alliance partners, many who serve on the OEO Advisory Board, the Mayor's Advisory Commission on Construction Industry Diversity, and the Economic Opportunity Review Committee, we are grateful for your investment in the

vision of OEO and your assistance in

adding to the transparency of City

government.

Today the OEO staff, the OEO

officers and colleagues within City

government, and our predecessors can be

proud of this milestone and celebrate the

achievements thus far. Today we collectively reaffirm our commitment to building businesses and putting people to work.

Time will not allow me to acknowledge all of you for the contributions you've made to the success of the MBEC and OEO. However, I would like to publicly thank members of the OEO team, and they're somewhere around here. Where are they? They're all behind me in here, cloaked in the spirit of economic opportunity.

I want to thank them publicly for their dedication to our effort and the recent transformation of this organization. The Commerce Department is

a great fit for OEO, thanks to Alan

Greenberger, Kevin Dow, and the Commerce

team and their staff.

I would also like to mention

just two people who have made OEO their

life's work. Michelle Flamer, our

attorney, has provided us with invaluable

legal guidance and helped us navigate over the past few decades. And Julie Simmons, a specialist on the OEO staff, has provided continuity to this organization over the last 30 years.

When small businesses rise, we are uplifted, invigorated, and inspired. And with the help of this august body, they will continue to rise and one day reach that pinnacle where business relationships will be driven by innovation, collaboration, and a competitive spirit far beyond the intersection of public policy and the business imperative.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you. To

Council President Clarke, Councilperson Reynolds Brown, and all of the City Council, it's hard for me to believe that it's been 30 years since an extraordinary group of minority business people came together. Among them, Greg Wheeler, Earl Pace, who is here today, Wayne Levy, Doris Burrell, Walt Hutchins, Dan Winoker, and many others. Many of us are still in business. I've been in business in Philadelphia for 43 years.

I can't say enough about the work that Councilman Lu Blackwell, the role that he played in making this legislation a success.

In the early days,

almost every city that tried this kind of

legislation was challenged. We had so

many challenges, and the amazing thing

was that this city, this Council, and the

Administration met every challenge. If

part of the legislation was knocked down,

they went around it and put something else in place. Atlanta used to be the gold standard for this kind of legislation and making sure that the playing field was somewhat level for minority and women-owned businesses. Philadelphia has the longest-running track record in this, and we continue to go strong today and continue this effort to help minority firms, because we employ people, we pay taxes, and we're in Philadelphia. It's gratifying to know that you remember the history and that you honor it.

I'd like now to introduce State Senator Anthony Hardy Williams to make a few remarks. I've known him and his

father for a very long time.

Great supporter.

Thank you very much.

I want to

thank the President for allowing me to

interrupt this process, but I cannot tell

you how much my heart is touched by the opportunity to express what I saw as a child, and, that is, not politicians, because frankly there were not a lot of African American or Latino or frankly Asian politicians at that time. There were people who were huddled in communities across the City of Philadelphia who felt it most appropriate and fair that all Philadelphians should have an opportunity to participate in the economic climate and activity of the City of Philadelphia.

Certainly while I'm proud of my father, Bill Gray, there's a whole legacy, Wilson Goode, there's a whole generation that participated. Lucien

Blackwell singularly designed, fought,

struggled -- and, by the way, Council did

not look like it looks today -- and

struggled with Council with its

conscience and drove them to the point of

when they signed a document that frankly

many in the public didn't understand at

that time.

The older I get -- I'm 55 years old -- the more history is no longer distant memories, but frankly a blueprint for the activities that provide a course of action. And I will tell you for as far as you've come, for every time an unfortunate set of circumstances where a young boy is shot down in the City of Philadelphia because he may be doing something that he doesn't know anything else, a young girl decides to make an inappropriate decision about her life or an ex-offender comes home, they look to one body; that is, government, maybe fairly or unfairly. But they look to the body government to define how the course

of their life can change to become

better.

This piece of legislation has

done multiple levels of good for

generations of people that have gone in

the past, but frankly for generations who

will not get the opportunity to meet Lu

Blackwell in person but only will feel the benefit of his good and blessings through the work that he has done on this earth.

God bless you and God bless Philadelphia.

Thank you.

Council will be at ease.

Folks, thank you very much.

Folks, I'm going to ask you to please keep your voices down as you leave. We have one more presentation. Thank you very much.

Thank you. At this time, the

Chair recognizes Councilwoman Sanchez,

who will present a resolution recognizing

and honoring Philadelphia's leading

Spanish-language newspaper, Al Dia, on

the occasion of its 20th Anniversary, the

publication of its first book "200 Years

of Latino History in Philadelphia." Would Hernan Guaracoa and those accompanying him please join the Councilwoman.

And I see we have Councilman Jones, Councilwoman Brown, and Councilman Oh also joining the Councilwoman.

Good morning. It is only fitting after that last presentation around how we celebrate milestones that we continue with this particular recognition. Many folks don't realize how long Latinos, Puerto Ricans have been in Philadelphia.

On this particular occasion, we want to pay tribute to an important part of documenting our history so that we can

celebrate our victories and, more

importantly, remind us of the challenges

still in front of us.

So I want to thank my

colleagues for joining me this morning.

Many of them have traveled the streets of

my district, of my neighborhood. They

have visited my homeland and understand the culture and the struggle by which Puerto Ricans and Latinos come to the United States, and therefore I've asked them to join me today.

Recognizing and honoring Philadelphia's leading Spanish-language newspaper, Al Dia, on the occasion of its 20th Anniversary and the publication of its first book "200 Years of Latino History in Philadelphia." I want especially highlight the artistic work of my good friend David Cruz as part of this.

Whereas, Al Dia was founded in 1992 by Hernan Guaracoa, a journalist who was told he was overqualified to work in

existing community newspapers; and

Whereas, Hernan and his wife,

Elizabeth, started Al Dia in their second

floor apartment in the Olney

neighborhood; and

Whereas, Hernan and Elizabeth

quickly distinguished their paper with an

uncommon level of professionalism and deep commitment to the principles of journalism; and

Whereas, Al Dia quickly grew in popularity, establishing itself as the most trusted source of news in the Latino community. By 2000, the growing paper moved its offices to Center City; and

Whereas, Al Dia has grown from humble beginnings into a premier news organization, recognized nationally for its coverage of Latino issues, and distinguished locally by its success in expanding the political discourse to include issues of importance in Philadelphia's Latino community; and

Whereas, Hernan's contributions

have been recognized by his peers and he

has served as the former president of the

National Association of Hispanic

Publications; and

Whereas, Al

Dia has distinguished itself with

coverage of immigration reform issues, with exceptional coverage of events of national importance such as those in Shenandoah and Hazleton, PA, and mass immigration demonstrations in Philadelphia; and

Whereas, on August 8th of 2011, Al Dia was one of only five Spanish-language newspapers invited to the White House to interview President Barack Obama; and

Whereas, Al Dia has created the national Felix Varela award, known as "The Spanish Pulitzer Prize," to recognize and support exceptional Spanish-language journalism; and

Whereas, Al Dia

is by far the leading Spanish-language

newspaper in the region; and

Whereas, Al Dia provides the

Latino community with coverage of both

local and national news, as well as

coverage of news events in Puerto Rico

and throughout Latin America; and

Whereas, Al Dia has published its first book, "200 Years of Latino History in Philadelphia"; and

Whereas, this 229-page book is divided into four sections: "Our Shared History," "Putting Down Roots: 1940 to 1980," "Eye on the Community: 1980 to 1992," and "Al Dia: 20 Years, 1992 to Present"; and

Whereas, the first section chronicles the arrival of the first Latino settlers to Philadelphia, including Felix Varela, a Cuban priest and journalist who came to Philadelphia in 1824 and founded the El Habanero newspaper; and

Whereas, "Putting Down Roots"

documents in images the Latino families

who came over in major waves of

immigration to Philadelphia in the 1940s

and made the City their home; and

Whereas, the "Eye of the

Community" depicts the photography of

celebrated photojournalist David Cruz, as

he captures images that chronicle the diverse aspects and events that make up Philadelphia's Latino life in the 1980s and 1990s; and

Whereas, Al Dia captures the defining images -- that "Al Dia: 20 Years" captures the defining images of the coverage of 20 years of the Latino community; and

The 20th anniversary of Al Dia and the publication of this historic book were celebrated in the ceremony gala at the Constitution Center last November.

Be it resolved, that the Council of Philadelphia recognizes the incredible achievements of Al Dia newspaper and its founder, Hernan

Guaracoa. Your contributions to the

Latino community, Philadelphia and the

field of journalism have been truly

exceptional. We wish you many years of

continued success with both your paper

and future publications.

Further resolved, that an

engrossed copy will be presented to Mr. Guaracoa. This is signed, introduced by Councilwoman Sanchez and sponsored by all members of City Council.

Thank you.

The Chair recognizes Mr. Guaracoa for remarks.

Well, I'm here to say gracias, first of all. Thank you so much for this recognition. I think it's the recognition of myself, the recognition of the staff that have believed in the mission of Al Dia that have been simple over the past 20 years.

For those who don't know much

about Al Dia, you know, know just the

paper that you see in the streets and the

car that drive around in the City, this

was yet another idea born in the

neighborhood 20 years ago. This, for

those who don't know, was a one-man

operation, homemade business 20 years

ago, putting out of our home, which used to be my home in North Philadelphia, a newsletter that evolved to be, through many efforts, the publication that you know today.

So I'd like to recognize the people that are here standing with me who are part of our staff or part of the staff that put together that book, which was a true labor of love, where we attempted to put together in the covers of -- hard cover of a book like this the work that we did for 20 years. But beyond that, to record the history of the Latino community that have been part of the City of Philadelphia for the past 200 years. We found the photo albums of the

family that lived here before even any

Hispanic media existed in the '40s and

the '50s and the '60s and the '70s.

There's no Hispanic media. Now we have

media that is beginning to tell that

story that is largely in the shadows.

We have to -- I want to thank

Councilwoman Maria Sanchez for buying the book for each one of you. I encourage you to take a look at that and find the very beginning of this experience, started the very birth of the republic in 1780 when we had the first Latino who came to Philadelphia and was part of the life in the City for a couple of years. And we have other name that you will find in the book who attempted to put together basically the reality that have been in the shadows in this city. Now it turns out we have a media, and the work is largely undone, Maria. I think we have just begun to show, and this book is simply a modest punctuation to enlightenment on Latino issues. Where

these people that continue to be in a big

question mark in the City and in the

country and our immigration reform is

been discussed, I think it's for all of

us to have a better understanding of what

the Latino experience has been.

I'm personally grateful for the

recognition, and to us it's a challenge to continue in the work that we need to do.

I just want to say thank you so much for the support we have received so far. And keep in mind that we are a media that was born in the neighborhood as a disadvantaged business. We are not corporate-owned media. We're media that was born in the neighborhood. It's a truly grassroots media that attempts to say what their distinct goal is what the Latino experience is in the City and what are the Latino perspective on the issues of the City.

So thank you so much. And to Maria, thank you, Council President

Darrell Clarke and all you members of

City Council. And, of course, I would

like to highlight the people that went

through the big challenge of putting that

work together. I have here with me David

Cruz, who is the photographs of Al Dia

for the past ten years.

I also have the person that helped me craft the words, the imaginary Sabrina Vourvoulias.

And then the person that put the torch of the sign on the art, our art director, Yesid Vargas.

I have here with me also for those that I met in the North Philadelphia many years ago and he was before David the one who was taking the pictures for us working part time with paper picture. So Peter Fitzpatrick is here with me. He's a friend of Al Dia and also a contributor to the book.

Thank you so much.

Council will be at ease.

Thank you so much.

The next order of business is communications. The Chair requests that the Sergeant-of-Arms deliver the messages from the Mayor to the Chief Clerk.

Mr. Decker, do you have any messages?

There are no messages from the Mayor, Mr. President.

Thank you.

The next order of business is the introduction of bills and resolutions.

Councilman, do you want to be recognized now?

The Chair recognizes Councilman Green.

Thank you,

Mr. President. I must leave on business

and ask that I be recorded as voting aye

on all bills.

Thank you, Councilman.

And

resolutions.

Leave shall be granted. Thank you.

Councilman, all bills and resolutions, correct?

Yes, Mr. President.

Thank you, Councilman.

The next order of business is the introduction of bills and resolutions.

The Chair recognizes Councilman Kenney.

Thank you, Mr. President. I offer two resolutions, which I would like to be considered

today.

Thank you, Councilman.

Mr. Decker.

A privileged

resolution authorizing the Committee of

the Whole to hold public hearings to

examine the current state of gun violence in the City of Philadelphia, and review how effectively the City spends its resources combatting the issue.

That resolution will be on today's Final Passage Calendar.

And a privileged resolution honoring the Philadelphia School on its forty-year anniversary for continuing its unique commitment to excellence in education and cultivating lifelong learners with pride in their city and country.

That resolution will also be on today's Final Passage Calendar.

The Chair recognizes

Councilwoman Blackwell.

Thank

you, Mr. President. Today I introduce

one resolution co-sponsored by everyone,

and this is one of the leaders of MBEC

and the minority program in our city.

Thank you, Councilwoman.

A privileged resolution honoring and recognizing Kemel W. Dawkins, Sr. for his extraordinary service and dedication to the development of the minority business community in Philadelphia.

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

The Chair recognizes Councilman Greenlee.

Thank you, Mr. President. Today I offer one bill and one resolution on your behalf.

Thank you, Councilman.

An ordinance

amending Title 6 of The Philadelphia

Code, entitled "Health Code," by adding a

new Chapter providing for the regulation

of tanning facilities; amending Section

6-102, by adding definitions; and making

technical changes.

That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And a non-privileged resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, without consideration, deeds conveying conditional fee simple title to certain City-owned lots or pieces of ground with the buildings and improvements thereon, situate in the Twenty-Eighth, Twenty-Ninth, and Thirty-Second Wards of the City of Philadelphia.

That

that resolution will be placed on next

week's Final Passage Calendar.

The Chair recognizes Councilman

Henon.

Thank you,

Council President. Today I offer one

bill co-introduced with Councilman Kenney

and Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown and one non-privileged resolution co-introduced with Councilman Kenney.

Thank you, Councilman.

An ordinance amending Chapter 10-700 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Refuse and Littering," by requiring the recycling of construction and demolition debris.

That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And a privileged resolution authorizing City Council's Committee on Labor and Civil Service to hold hearings on the actions of the Civil

Service Commission as it pertains to

terms imposed on AFSCME Local 2186

District Council 47.

That

resolution will be referred to

committee -- that will be placed on

today's Final Passage Calendar. Thank

you, Councilman.

The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco.

Thank you, Mr. President. I have no bills or resolutions today.

Thank you, Councilwoman.

The Chair recognizes Councilman Johnson.

Mr. President, I have one privileged resolution.

Thank you, Councilman.

A privileged resolution honoring, recognizing and

commending 100 Black Men of America,

Inc. - Philadelphia Chapter for its

extraordinary service focused on

mentoring, education, health and

wellness, and economic development.

Thank you. That will be placed on

today's Final Passage Calendar.

The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Sanchez.

Thank you, Mr. President. I have two resolutions and one bill.

Thank you, Councilwoman.

An ordinance providing for the submission to the qualified electors of the City of Philadelphia of an amendment to Article VIII, Chapter 5 of The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter, entitled "Referenda Approved by the Voters," by adding a new section providing that the citizens of Philadelphia urge the United States

Congress to propose, and the Pennsylvania

General Assembly to ratify, an amendment

to the United States Constitution that

would defend democracy from the

corrupting effects of undue corporate

power by overturning the decision of the

United States Supreme Court; fixing the

date of a special election for such purpose; prescribing the form of ballot question to be voted on; and authorizing the appropriate officers to publish notice and to make arrangements for the special election.

That will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And a resolution proposing an amendment to the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter, entitled "Referenda Approved by Voters," by adding a new section providing that the citizens of Philadelphia urge the United States Congress to propose, and the Pennsylvania General Assembly to ratify, an amendment

to the United States Constitution that

would defend democracy from the

corrupting effects and undue corporate

power.

That

resolution will also be referred to

committee.

And a non-privileged resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, without consideration, deeds conveying conditional fee simple title to certain City-owned lots or pieces of ground with the buildings and improvements thereon, situate in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Wards of the City of Philadelphia.

That resolution will be placed on next week's Final Passage Calendar.

The Chair recognizes Councilman O'Brien.

Thank you,

Mr. President. I have no bills or

resolutions today.

Thank you, Councilman.

The Chair recognizes Councilman

Goode.

Thank you,

Mr. President. I offer no bills or resolutions today.

Thank you, Councilman.

The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brown.

Good morning, Mr. President. I offer one resolution this morning.

Thank you, Councilwoman.

A privileged resolution honoring the African American Children's Book Project on the occasion of the 21st Annual African American Children's Book Fair.

That

resolution will be placed on today's

Final Passage Calendar.

The Chair recognizes Councilman

Jones.

Thank you,

Mr. President. Four bills, one

privileged resolution.

Thank you, sir.

An ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Belmont Avenue, Monument Avenue, Ford Road, and Edgley Avenue (extended).

That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And an ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Overbrook Avenue, 54th

Street, Woodbine Avenue, Wynnefield

Avenue, and 56th Street.

That

bill will be referred to committee.

And an ordinance

to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by

changing the zoning designations of

certain areas of land located within an area bounded by City Avenue, Cardinal Avenue, Overbrook Avenue, and 59th Street.

The bill will be referred to committee.

And an ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by City Avenue, 52nd Street, Overbrook Avenue, and 54th Street.

That bill will be referred to committee.

And a privileged resolution honoring and celebrating Philadelphia's living legends, Henry

Nicholas, Nellie Reynolds, Madeline Dunn,

John White, Jr., Reverend Albert F.

Campbell, Acel Moore, Audrey

Johnson-Thornton, Will Daniels,

Dr. Bernard Anderson, and Emma Chappell

in the areas of government, business,

labor, journalism, religion, academia,

athletics, and activism, as part of the commemoration of Black History Month.

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

The Chair recognizes Councilman O'Neill.

Thank you, Mr. President. I have no bills or resolutions.

Thank you, Councilman.

The Chair recognizes Councilman Squilla.

Thank you, Mr. President. I offer one bill.

Thank you, Councilman.

An ordinance

amending Section 6 of an Ordinance (Bill

No. 120396) approved September 13, 2012,

entitled "An ordinance authorizing

Northern Liberties Auction to construct,

use and maintain various encroachments

within the right-of-way on the north sidewalk of Spring Garden Street between North Third Street and Bodine Street."

Thank you. That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Bass.

Thank you, Mr. President. I have two bills and one privileged resolution today.

Thank you.

An ordinance amending Title 16 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Public Property," by providing for a prohibition on firearms

and deadly weapons in or around

City-owned or City-occupied facilities.

Thank you. That bill will be referred to

the appropriate committee.

And an ordinance

amending Title 17 of The Philadelphia

Code, entitled "Contracts and Procurement," by providing for an online publication of concession agreements and related information, and by requiring the preparation and distribution of certain reports concerning concessions.

That bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And a privileged resolution honoring, recognizing and commending Philadelphia Police Officer Kimberly Lyons, Officer Antonio Soto, Officer Gregory Giacomelli, Officer Michael McCormick, Officer Jerome Joseph, and Officer Evelyn Reyes for their extraordinary acts of bravery and courage

resulting in all being named 39th Police

District Officers of the Month for

December 2012.

Thank you. That resolution will be

placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.

The Chair recognizes Councilman

Oh.

Thank you, Mr. President. I offer no bills or resolutions today.

Thank you, sir.

That concludes our introduction. The next order of business is reports from committee.

The Chair recognizes Councilman Greenlee for a report from the Committee of Rules.

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

Thank you, Councilman.

Mr. Decker, please read the

report.

To the President

and members of the Council of the City of

Philadelphia, the Committee on Rules, to

which was referred Bill No. 120958,

entitled "An ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Allegheny Avenue, American Street, Lippincott Street, Second Street, a railroad right-of-way and 5th Street"; and

Bill No. 121033, entitled "An ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Grant Avenue, Lavender Street, Primrose Road, Holyoke Road and Academy Road," respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bills

to Council with a favorable

recommendation.

Thank you.

The Chair again recognizes

Councilman Greenlee.

Thank

you, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading this day of Bill Nos. 120958 and 121033.

Thank you. It has been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended this day to permit the reading of Bills No. 120958 and 121033.

All those in favor say aye.

Those opposed?

The

ayes have it. Those bills will be placed

on the First Reading Calendar today.

The next order of business is

the consideration of the Calendar. I

note that the bills just reported from

committee with suspension have been

deemed to have had a first reading.

These bills will be on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar at our next session of Council.

As there are no additional bills on the First Reading Calendar, the Chair now recognizes Councilman Jones for the purpose of calling up bills and resolutions for today's Calendar.

Thank you, Mr. President. The following resolutions and bills are being called up for Second Reading and Final Passage Calendars today: Nos. 121013 and 121039. All other resolutions and bills are being held.

Thank you so much, Councilman.

Before considering these

resolutions and bills on the Final

Passage Calendar, we will have public

comment. The public comment will go as

follows:

There will be a podium placed

in the middle of the Council. You will

have three minutes to speak. We have these guidelines in place to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to speak. The bills and/or the resolutions that you speak of today must be on the Final Passage Calendar. So we ask you to please adhere to those particular rules.

At this time, Mr. Decker, can you please read the name of the first witness.

Mr. Ed O'Donnell, commenting on 120232.

Good morning, sir.

Yes; the resolution on reducing crime in the

Philadelphia Housing Authority. And,

first, if you read St. Matthew on what

we're judged on, helping the people at

the bottom of society, the poor, the

prisoner, the homeless, mentally ill,

unemployed, sick, I want to thank

Councilwoman Blackwell for always working

to help the people at the bottom of society. She's doing what Martin Luther King and the late Senator Robert Kennedy did, and I've come to see she gets this commitment from an unshakeable faith in God and her church, and I appreciate that.

Now, Philadelphia Housing Authority, reducing crime. The police have a saying "gateway drugs," meaning cigarettes, alcohol, caffeine, pills can lead to illegal drugs. We had a beautiful seminar in Wilmington at the Grand Opera House creating livable communities. If we make Philadelphia Housing Authority litter free, you know, immaculate, clean, beautiful outside,

inside, if we have everybody be friendly,

we eliminate rudeness, if we eliminate

the second-hand cigarette smoke making

people sick; in other words, if we create

a livable community at Philadelphia

Housing Authority and throughout the

City, cleanliness, friendliness, help,

when people feel good physically and mentally, they don't commit crimes. So let's work to create the pre-conditions that make people healthy and happy. Then they don't want to commit crimes. So this hearing would be very important to do that, create a livable community.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir, for your testimony.

Robert Taylor, commenting on 120340-AAA.

Good morning, sir.

Good morning, President Clarke, members of Council,

ladies and gentlemen. I'm Robert Taylor,

President of Local 700 with the Transport

Workers Union. I'm also a commentator on

WPEB 88.1, the Jasper Jones Show. I am

commenting today on Bill No. 120340-AAA.

I want to thank Councilmembers

Jones, Clarke, Oh, Goode, Tasco,

Greenlee, Kenney, Henon, Johnson, Blackwell, O'Brien, Sanchez, O'Neill, Brown, Squilla, and Bass. This is an ordinance that is going to amend The Philadelphia Code authorizing and granting of tax exemptions to longtime owner-occupants of certain properties in Philadelphia.

I'm in favor of all tax relief, especially relief to homeowners. It is terrible to see anyone put out on the street because they couldn't afford to pay their taxes. So I think that this is great. Of course, I would like to go further to say that I hope that these lower taxes can be extended generally, for the power to tax is also the power to

destroy. We should, of course, as a city

be enabling our people to create new

businesses and to hold on to their

properties.

Thank you.

There are no

other speakers on the public comment

list, Mr. President.

Thank you so much, Mr. Decker.

We will now have our Calendar. Mr. Decker, can you please read the title of Resolution 121013.

A resolution approving the redevelopment contract of the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority for the redevelopment and urban renewal of a portion of the Models Cities Urban Renewal Area, identified by house numbers and street addresses as 1415 North Fourth Street and 1419 North Fourth Street.

Thank you.

The Chair recognizes

Councilwoman Sanchez for a motion.

Thank

you, Mr. President. I move the adoption

of the resolution.

It

has been moved and properly seconded.

All those in favor?

Those opposed?

The ayes have it. 121013 has been adopted.

Mr. Decker, would you please read the title of Bill No. 121039.

An ordinance amending Chapter 19-2600 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Business Income and Receipts Taxes," by further revising the "Special Tax Credit Opportunity for Job Creation."

This bill having been read on two separate

days, the question is shall the bill pass

finally.

Mr. Decker, please call the

roll.

Councilwoman

Bass.

Aye.

Councilwoman Blackwell.

Aye.

Councilman Goode.

Aye.

Councilman Green is voting aye.

Councilman Greenlee.

Aye.

Councilman Henon.

Aye.

Councilman Johnson.

Aye.

Councilman Jones.

Aye.

Councilman

Kenney.

Aye.

Councilman

O'Brien.

Aye.

Councilman

O'Neill.

Aye.

Councilman Oh.

Aye.

Councilwoman Quinones-Sanchez.

Aye.

Councilwoman Reynolds Brown.

Aye.

Councilman Squilla.

Aye.

Councilwoman Tasco.

Aye.

Council President Clarke.

Aye.

The ayes are 17; the nays are

zero. A majority of all members present

having voted in the affirmative, the bill

passes.

Mr. Decker, do you have any

additional resolutions?

A privileged resolution authorizing the Committee of the Whole to hold public hearings to examine the current state of gun violence in the City of Philadelphia, and review how effectively the City spends its resources combatting the issue, introduced by Councilman Kenney.

The Chair recognizes Councilman Kenney.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move the adoption of the resolution.

It's been moved and properly seconded.

All those in favor?

Those opposed?

The

ayes have it. The resolution is adopted.

And a privileged

resolution honoring the Philadelphia School on its forty-year anniversary for continuing its unique commitment to excellence in education and cultivating lifelong learners with pride in their city and country, introduced by Councilman Kenney.

The Chair again recognizes Councilman Kenney.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move the adoption of the resolution.

It's been moved and properly seconded.

All those in favor?

Those opposed?

The

ayes have it. The resolution is adopted.

And a privileged

resolution honoring and recognizing Kemel

W. Dawkins, Sr. for his extraordinary service and dedication to the development of the minority business community in Philadelphia, introduced by Councilwoman Blackwell.

The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution.

It's been moved and properly seconded.

All those in favor?

Those opposed?

The

ayes have it. The resolution is adopted.

And a privileged

resolution authorizing City Council's

Committee on Labor and Civil Service to

hold hearings on the actions of the Civil

Service Commission as it pertains to terms imposed on AFSCME Local 2186 District Council 47, introduced by Councilman Henon.

The Chair recognizes Councilman Henon.

I move for the adoption of the resolution.

It has been moved and properly seconded.

All those in favor?

Those opposed?

The

ayes have it. The resolution is adopted.

And a privileged

resolution honoring, recognizing and

commending 100 Black Men of America,

Inc. - Philadelphia Chapter for its

extraordinary service focused on

mentoring, education, health and

wellness, and economic development, introduced by Councilman Johnson.

The Chair recognizes Councilman Johnson.

Mr. President, I move for the adoption of the resolution.

It has been moved and properly seconded.

All those in favor?

Those opposed?

The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted.

And a privileged

resolution honoring the African American

Children's Book Project on the occasion

of the 21st Annual African American

Children's Book Fair, introduced by

Councilwoman Reynolds Brown.

The

Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brown.

Mr. President, I move for a motion.

It's been moved and properly seconded.

All those in favor?

Those opposed?

The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted.

And a privileged resolution honoring and celebrating Philadelphia's living legends, Henry Nicholas, Nellie Reynolds, Madeline Dunn,

John F. White, Jr., Reverend Albert F.

Campbell, Acel Moore, Audrey

Johnson-Thornton, Will Daniels,

Dr. Bernard E. Anderson, and Emma

Chappell in the areas of government,

business, labor, journalism, religion,

academia, athletics, and activism, as

part of the commemoration of Black History Month, introduced by Councilman Jones.

The Chair recognizes Councilman Jones.

Mr. President, I move for the adoption.

It has been moved and properly seconded.

All those in favor?

Those opposed?

The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted.

And a privileged

resolution honoring, recognizing and

commending Philadelphia Police Officer

Kimberly Lyons, Officer Antonio Soto,

Officer Gregory Giacomelli, Officer

Michael McCormick, Officer Jerome Joseph,

and Officer Evelyn Reyes for their

extraordinary acts of bravery and courage resulting in all being named 39th Police District Officers of the Month for December 2012, introduced by Councilwoman Bass.

The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Bass.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution.

It's been moved and properly seconded.

All those in favor?

Those opposed?

The

ayes have it. The resolution is adopted.

There are no

other resolutions on the Final Passage

Calendar, Mr. President.

Thank you so much.

Are there any speeches on the part of the minority?

Are there any speeches on the part of the majority?

The Chair recognizes Councilman Jones.

Thank you so much, Mr. President. Most of us watched in horror the news when the five-year-old young lady Nailla Robinson was abducted. We also sat riveted in terror when we watched the young lady that was thrown from the platform at 8th and Race.

What these two seemingly

unrelated incidences have in common, what

was the common denominator? Surveillance

cameras. Fortunately we were able to

apprehend one and are still on the trail

of the other perpetrator. But I want to

make that common denominator note,

because you took a delegation of

Councilmembers down to Baltimore a couple of weeks ago to look into how we can use those technological tools to help law enforcement, to help police work, to not circumvent what good citizen and good police work should do, but to aid it in its swift delivery.

Your leadership, along with Councilman Greenlee, Councilwoman Bass, myself, and more recently intriguing conversations by the freshman Councilman Johnson on public-private partnerships with cameras is encouraging in that effort. I applaud you for having hearings that will discuss how we roll out a comprehensive strategy to use that.

What we learned in Baltimore

was that through the use of cameras,

through networking, through Department of

Defense, Department of Transportation

cameras, they were able to reduce crime

in Baltimore by 25 percent. And one of

the key ways they did that was eyes on

criminal activity, communications to law

enforcement who had boots on the ground. And that was a critical component of their success.

Working with partnerships is fine. Having stagnant cameras is not as good as having good police work using technology in a well-thought-out manner.

So I look forward to working with you and our colleagues in Council to help the Administration, to assist the Administration, to work along with the Administration to use this tool to deal with Philadelphia's problem. So, again, thank you for your leadership in taking us down there, and I look forward to the results of that endeavor.

Thank you, Councilman. It was a very

productive road trip, and thank you all

for coming along and providing

much-needed input. We look forward to

continuing such road trips to ensure that

we can enhance the City of Philadelphia

at its lowest possible cost.

The Chair recognizes Councilman Johnson.

Thank you, Mr. President. I want to commend and I look forward to the hearing that was introduced, resolution introduced for a hearing on the issue of gun violence in the City of Philadelphia by Councilman Kenney, and really -- although we are a local government and we can't have so much impact on state-related laws relating to gun violence in the City of Philadelphia, I still think it's important to make sure that rather it's the Administration or us as a body really take a hard look at what we're doing in the City of Philadelphia as it relates to

preventing gun violence and also making

sure when acts of gun violence takes

place, we are addressing it

appropriately.

Last night when I was on one of

my favorite apps, which is the CNN app, I

know it noted that Philadelphia is in the

top three of African American young men being murdered by homicide, and the number one tool in their homicide is a gun.

And so I'm looking forward to that discussion to make sure that we keep this issue on the forefront, we keep it on the burner as it relates to making sure we keep our young people safe, but also giving young men other options regarding picking up a gun. And I think that's a real conversation that needs to take place, but I'm also interested in looking at when we do -- when the Philadelphia Police Department confiscates a gun in a homicide, in a shooting, what happens after those guns

go into the department? Do they do the

CSI work and kind of trace where the gun

come from, or it's just a homicide and

it's a shooting and then nothing happens?

So I'm looking forward to actually see

what's the followup with these guns,

because I think the assault weapons ban,

I understand that policy, but the majority of homicides that take place in the City of Philadelphia and the majority of shootings that take place in the City of Philadelphia are by handguns. And so my biggest concern is choking that pipeline of illegal guns that come through neighborhoods throughout the City of Philadelphia.

And so I wanted to acknowledge that hearing that will be taking place and look forward to that discussion.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you, Councilman, and thank you for those very, very creative ideas that you gave to us a couple of days ago during

our discussion about ensuring public

safety measures across the City of

Philadelphia, and we look forward to

adopting that and implementing that in

the City of Philadelphia.

The Chair recognizes Councilman

Kenney.

Thank you, Mr. President. I just wanted to say a few words relative to Councilman Johnson's comments. First of all, I want to thank you and thank Councilman Jones and Councilman Johnson for all the work you've been doing over the years relative to gun safety, gun violence, crime, and gun control, and I admire all that you've done. One of the things that I would like to accomplish in this resolution is that while we wait for the national debate on gun control, assault weapons, multi-clip magazines, and background checks and the like and mental health issues, is that while we're waiting for that and while we're urging it and while

we support it, we still have resources

here that the District Attorney employs

and that the Police Commissioner employs

and that the mental health community

employs. And while we're waiting for the

changes, I think going into our budget

cycle, I think we need to examine what's

successful, things like GunStat, the 2.0 program. Those kinds of issues may need to be bulked up a bit while we wait for national assistance or state -- I doubt state assistance, but we'll always hold out some hope for that.

So that's where I want to concentrate on that particular hearing as to what our law enforcement, mental health folks need to do a better job within the confines of the existing laws that we have to live with. So I appreciate your help with that.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you, Councilman. Thank you for your continued good work.

There are no other speeches.

At this time, the Chair recognizes

Councilwoman Brown for a motion for

adjournment.

Surely,

Mr. President. I move that Council stand

adjourned until Thursday, February 7th,

2013 at 10:00 a.m.

It has been moved and properly seconded that the Council stand adjourned until Thursday, February 7th, 2013, 10:00 a.m.

All those in favor?

Those opposed?

The ayes have it. Council shall stand adjourned.

Thank you so much.

(Stated Meeting adjourned at 12:05 p.m.)