Authorizing the Committee of the Whole to conduct hearings on the recommendations put forth by the members of the Philadelphia 21st Century Review Forum.

WHEREAS, On November 4, 2003, Mayor John F. Street won his second term as mayor of Philadelphia, to which he soon after authorized the creation of the

Philadelphia 21st Century Review Forum

in order “to develop a series of pro-active, forward-thinking suggestions that will serve as a guide for the city over the next four years”; and

WHEREAS, This forum is comprised of leaders and activists from around the city and region who share an unwavering commitment to Philadelphia and its future; and

WHEREAS, The Review Forum was broken down into five committees:

Appointments, Ethics, Program Evaluation, Regional Cooperation, and Right-Sizing Government

; and

WHEREAS, Committee members studied the city’s record over the last four years and created a bold and aggressive agenda for the next four years. They interviewed community leaders, police officers, teachers, experts on city ethics, and regional leaders in order to develop a comprehensive set of recommendations that will fundamentally improve the way in which the city of Philadelphia does business; and

WHEREAS, The

Appointments Committee

was created “to review and evaluate the city’s boards, agencies, and commissions in order to ensure that the membership and leadership of each entity reflects the diversity of the city and includes the best and the brightest the city and region have to offer”; and

WHEREAS, The committee’s overall finding is that there is a major lack of communication among the city’s boards, commissions, and agencies. Thus, the committee recommends improving communication through better use of technology, tools and techniques; and

WHEREAS, The

Ethics Committee

was created “to initiate a process which will enable the people of Philadelphia to strengthen their faith and confidence in their city government”; and

WHEREAS, The committee’s overall finding is that there are three (3) elements essential to any well-functioning government that has an ethics agency: 1) a clear ethics code; 2) an ethics board with clearly defined adjudicatory and enforcement powers; and 3) a professional staff with appropriate resources. To this end, the committee recommends that the city needs a new Omnibus Code of Ethics, along with a new handbook of ethics and a public information campaign. The committee also recommends that additional resources be provided to the city’s Inspector General’s Office; and the committee recommends creating a new Board of Ethics to replace the existing board in addition to designating an in-house task force to implement this committee’s recommendations; and

WHEREAS, The

Program Evaluation Committee

was created “to recommend actions to promote the fiscally responsible, effective, and integrated delivery of city services that advance the goals and objectives of the Street Administration’s quality of life agenda”; and

WHEREAS, The committee’s overall finding is that the Street Administration has made an unprecedented commitment to the quality of life of all Philadelphians, but recommends that there be better integration of cross-agency service delivery, that there needs to be a clear strategy for spurring economic growth and further improving the quality of life, that reduction in recidivism and crime be made a priority, and that the administration track its progress; and

WHEREAS, The

Regional Cooperation Committee

was created “to find ways in which Philadelphia and its surrounding counties, cities, and states can work together to maximize regional assets, promote the region’s interests, and make recommendations on how the region can combine its strengths to create more opportunities for businesses and residents”; and

WHEREAS, The committee’s overall finding is that Philadelphia’s strengths as well as its weaknesses greatly impact the success of the Delaware Valley and it’s counties. Therefore, the committee strongly recommends that the administration adopt a regional approach to meeting the challenges that foster “smart growth” by collaborating with other county and local governments; and

WHEREAS, The

Right-Sizing Government Committee

was created “to identify additional opportunities for the administration to improve the performance, quality, and cost-effectiveness of city government”; and

WHEREAS, The committee’s overall finding is that this city faces challenging economic times, which will require that the administration make and implement difficult decisions about resources; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA

, That the Committee of the Whole is hereby authorized to conduct hearings on the recommendations put forth by the members of the Philadelphia 21st Century Review Forum.

End