Philadelphia City Council, April 3, 2025
Special Honored Guests
State Senator Art Haywood, Chip O’Connell, Legislative Liaison to the United States Navy, Honorable Judges Timika Lane, Thomas Street, Padilla Wright, Philips Thomas, and Taylor Smith
Introduction of Bills and Resolutions
Privileged Resolution 250294, introduced by Councilmember Dr. Anthony Phillips for Council President Kenyatta Johnson, honoring United States Senator Cory Booker for his courageous and historic 25-hour Senate floor speech, standing in defense of America’s core Democratic principles and Constitutional values. Resolution Adopted.
Privileged Resolution 250295, introduced by Councilmember Dr. Anthony Phillips, recognizes the Active People, Healthy Nation initiative, a national effort led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Heart Association, and reaffirms the City of Philadelphia’s commitment to championing policies, programs, and investments that promote physical activity (especially for children), and ensure equitable access to recreation for all residents. Resolution Adopted.
Resolution 250301, introduced by Councilmember Isaiah Thomas for Council President Kenyatta Johnson, honoring and recognizing All-Star Labor Classic and Philadelphia’s Organized Labor for thirty-seven years of charitable service to students and the community. Resolution Adopted.
Resolution 250302, introduced by Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, authorizes the Committee on Education to hold hearings investigating the current state of higher education as this pillar of the Philadelphia economy and cultural landscape undergoes generational change. Resolution Adopted.
Resolution 250306, introduced by Councilmember Rue Landau for Council President Kenyatta Johnson, recognizes April 2025 as Fair Housing Month in the City of Philadelphia and celebrates the Fair Housing Act of 1968. Resolution Adopted.
Resolution 250307, introduced by Councilmember Rue Landau, recognizes April as Arab American Heritage Month and celebrates the heritage and culture of Arab Americans in the City of Philadelphia. Resolution Adopted.
Bills and Resolutions on Second and Final Passage Calendar
Bill 240333, introduced by Councilmember Quetcy Lozada, an Ordinance amending Section 14-533 of the Philadelphia Code entitled “MIN, Mixed-Income Neighborhoods Overlay District,” to update the illustrative maps to reflect recent redistricting changes, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.
Bill 240665, introduced by Councilmember Quetcy Lozada, an Ordinance amending Title 10 of the Philadelphia Code, entitled “Regulation of Individual Conduct and Activity,” by adding a new chapter concerning vehicular mobile service providers, and providing for penalties, all under certain terms and conditions.
Bills and Resolutions on Final Passage
Resolution 250250, introduced by Councilmember Curtis Jones Jr., appointed Malika Rahman to the Citizen’s Police Oversight Commission.
Resolution 250251, introduced by Councilmember Curtis Jones Jr., appointed Gilberto Gonzalez to the Citizen’s Police Oversight Commission.
Resolution 250252, introduced by Councilmember Curtis Jones Jr., appointed Michelle Enix-Kenny to the Citizen’s Police Oversight Commission.
Resolution 250253, introduced by Councilmember Curtis Jones Jr., appointed LaTanya Whitehead to the Citizen’s Police Oversight Commission.
Resolution 250254, introduced by Councilmember Curtis Jones Jr., re-appointed Haakim Peay to the Citizen’s Police Oversight Commission.
Public Comments
“Arab Americans have deep roots in the United States, and we continue to face misrepresentations and bias. This month, we’re celebrating our heritage and pushing for accurate representation in media, politics, and education. We stand in solidarity with Black, Latino, Indigenous, and others to stand and fight injustices together as allies,” said JJ Alifar from the 2nd Councilmanic District in support of Resolution 250307.
Councilmember’s Speeches
Councilmember Curtis Jones Jr. made the following statement regarding what he sensed following a town hall he hosted with Councilmember Cindy Bass, “Sitting there for the hours that we were there, certain things came through…there was a sense of anger about what was going on with number 47 in Washington and the 300-plus executive orders that were coming down the pike. There was a sense of need for a game plan offered by cities in chambers like this to counteract what they feel is an assault on their way of life. What I sensed was that we need to do a better job of articulating the game plan. They don’t need us to lay down in the streets, that old playbook he’s ready for. He wants us to have civil unrest like that so he can then justify his next move. We have to create some new playbooks.”
(It would beneficial for all our readers to view Councilmember Jones’ speech in its entirety. It’s very enlightening.)
To view the Philadelphia City Council meeting in its entirety, please visit www.phlcouncil.com or www.phila.gov. The next Council session will be held on Thursday, April 10, 2025, at 10:00 am in Council Chambers at Philadelphia City Hall.
