Phila. City Council Back After Summer Recess With Major Items On Agenda
By Pat Loeb
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- Summer's over for Philadelphia City Council. They meet, today, for the first time since June.
Two of the major items on council's agenda are related in an odd sort of way. One is schools, the other is prisons - or, specifically, the House of Correction, a crumbling, ninety-year-old structure on State Road.
Councilman Bobby Henon had introduced legislation to purchase land nearby for a replacement facility, but had to withdraw it in the face of opposition to the symbolism, if not the reality, of spending millions on a new jail while public schools starve.
The matter is likely to resurface soon since the current building is overcrowded and, by some accounts, dangerous.
There is also the matter of $25 million that council held back in its $70 million increase in school funding. Council president Darrell Clarke says he wants more oversight on district spending before the money is released.
Other bills expected to be introduced include a proposal from Majority Leader Curtis Jones to expand the amusement tax to streamed entertainment, including movies and video games, and set the rate at 8%, from 5%, to put it in line with the sales tax.
Councilman Bill Greenlee plans to introduce a bill to require that home inspections include determining whether a home is tied to the city's sewer system or has a private sewer.
He and his co-sponsors say they receive many complaints from buyers of older homes unpleasantly surprised to learn they're responsible for their own sewage.
