The Philadelphia Community Voice Program (PCVP) has scored a victory on its maiden campaign. PCVP's first effort was a two-phase appeal to members of city council to rescind the $500 fee the Nutter Administration proposed charging small buildings with offices, stores, and other types of commercial space for trash pickup. This, after the mayor had promised in the spring that "trash fees are off the table." The first phase was to heighten awareness among Council members that the city has many small businesses who would be required to pay, but generate less rather than more trash than residential occupants of comparable space (contrary to the city's assertions). In part as a result of this increased awareness, Councilman Frank DiCicco introduced a bill to rescind the proposed fee. The second phase was accordingly implemented to thank Mr DiCicco and urge other Council members to support his bill. Council's Committee on Streets voted earlier this week to approve this bill and pass it on to the full Council for a vote, where it is now expected to pass. PCVP's methodology is to create a convenient on-line form to be completed by members of the public, which is then automatically converted to a fax and sent to all appropriate parties (City Council in the present case, but it could be other groups -- or individuals -- as well). An article from the Oct 14 Inquirer reports on the Committee hearing, and is reproduced below. PCVP is open to suggestions and is willing to work with anyone having a campaign that the directors of the organization believe is appropriate. There is a fee for the service to cover the cost of the form set-up ($25) and the use of the multiple fax transmission service ($0.07 per page per recipient). Email me at [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) if you have a campaign you'd like to propose for this service. Alan Krigman KRF Management, ICON/Information Concepts Inc 211 S 45th St, Philadelphia PA 19104-2918 215-349-6500, fax 215-349-6502 [email protected] or [email protected] ____________________________________
>From the Inquirer (10/14/09): Council committee votes to kill $500 biz-trash fee By CHRIS BRENNAN Philadelphia Daily News_ [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) 215-854-5973 Last May, City Council approved - and then quickly regretted - a $500 annual fee for businesses that have their trash picked up by the Department of Streets. But attempts by Councilman Frank DiCicco to address those concerns were met with silence this summer from the Nutter administration. So, add that to the pile of fractious issues now causing friction for Nutter with friends and foes on Council. DiCicco, chairman of Council's Committee on Streets and Services, introduced legislation Sept. 17 to repeal the trash fee. That committee held a hearing on the issue yesterday, during which Streets Commissioner Clarena Tolson testified for the Nutter administration and requested that no action be taken. Council members were not in the mood, voting unanimously to approve DiCicco's bill. Councilman Jim Kenney, like DiCicco a longtime but now frustrated Nutter ally, sat in on the hearing, even though he is not a member of the committee. He urged a vote so that the issue would not be "lost in Delay-land." "I just think that things will get done if there is a pending piece of legislation," Kenney added. Councilman Bill Green, a frequent Nutter critic, pressed Tolson for an explanation for the lack of action over the summer. "Were you instructed to not work with Councilman DiCicco?" Green asked Tolson. Tolson said that she was busy with budget issues during that time but ultimately did not answer the question, responding instead: "I think that you're asking me for an answer that I don't have to give." Green backed off, warning that Council would start requiring administration officials to answer the question if delays persist. Mayor Nutter said before the hearing that he met with DiCicco last week on the issue and expects to continue working with Council. The $500 fee is expected to raise $7 million from 15,000 businesses getting trash service. "It's revenue we've counted on in our budget and five-year plan," Nutter said. "It has serious financial implications." The city is ready to start collecting the fee, but Tolson said that her department would wait while the administration works with Council. DiCicco and others expressed concerns about the impact of a new $500 fee on mostly small businesses. DiCicco noted that buildings with six or fewer apartments, but no commercial or retail space, are exempt. He would like to include those properties, increasing the number of businesses that would pay the fee as a way of reducing the $500 cost. Tolson agreed to consider that and other ideas. With the committee's vote yesterday, Council could give final approval by Oct. 29 to the legislation to kill the trash fee. DiCicco said that that gives Nutter's staff 2 1/2 weeks to come up with the numbers on how including small apartment buildings would affect the trash fee. It also serves notice that Council is tired of waiting for Nutter. "It's a simple thing," DiCicco said. "We need the $7 million. How do we get to the $7 million?"
