Busy Start As Philadelphia City Council Begins New 4-Year Term
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Philadelphia City Council holds the first business session of its new term this morning.
Five new council members join the twelve incumbents in what most believe will be a new spirit of co-operation with the mayor's office.
Councilman Mark Squilla predicts it will be more productive:
"Mayor Kenney coming from the council floor, seeing what maybe didn't work under the previous administration will have a great opportunity now to work with council to try to smooth those things over."
Squilla is already set to collaborate with Kenney on a bill that would tighten a loophole in the special assembly license that has allowed some bars to turn into nuisance night clubs. Job Itzkowitz, of the Old City business district -- which used to have a number of such nuisances -- hopes it will eliminate those remaining:
"The city now has some teeth to prevent those actions from continuing."
Councilman Bill Greenlee wants stronger safety measures for children under twelve who ride hoverboards:
"We thought of helmets particularly, but then when we saw all the arm and leg injuries being reported, we thought elbow pads and knee pads also important."
Greenlee's bill is being co-sponsored by newly elected at-large member Allan Domb, who knows the danger first hand. He fell off a hoverboard in the hall right outside his City Hall office.
"Young kids don't have the level of padding I do so it's a good idea," says Domb.
This will be councilman Curtis Jones' third term on council. He wants the city to recognize Muslim holidays:
"We want to send a signal that Philadelphia is still the City of Brotherly Love."
Councilman Kenyatta Johnson wants to assure no Philadelphia pet shop will buy from puppy mills.
Some of the new members are taking their time getting acclimated while others plan to roar out of the box. Councilwoman Helen Gym, for example, will propose the city track the results of business tax subsidies, and councilwoman Jannie Blackwell is co-sponsoring a resolution calling for hearings on the safety impact of repeated school budget cuts.
