Authorizing Council's Legislative Oversight Committee to hold public hearings to investigate the Administration's failure to enter into contracts necessary to expand the Basic Systems Repair Program in the Seventh Council District as authorized by Resolution No. 070595 (adopted June 14, 2007) and in the Ninth Council District as authorized by Resolution No. 070588 (adopted June 14, 2007).

WHEREAS, Pursuant to Bill No. 010694, as amended by Bill No. 020036, Council must approve, by resolution, an annual Program Statement and Budget for the expenditure of proceeds of Neighborhood Transformation Initiative (“NTI”) bonds; and

WHEREAS, Council approved the annual Program Statement and Budget for Fiscal Year 2008 through its adoption of Resolution No. 070405, as amended (adopted June 7, 2007); and

WHEREAS,

Resolution No. 070595 and Resolution No. 070588 included amendments to the Fiscal Year 2008 NTI Program Statement and Budget to authorize additional expenditures for the Basic Systems Repair Program (“BSRP”) in the Seventh and Ninth Council Districts; and

WHEREAS,

The additional BSRP funds could have been made readily available if the Office of Housing and Neighborhood Preservation (“OHNP”) had amended existing contracts with the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation (“PHDC”) for the administration of BSRP; and

WHEREAS,

The people most in need of BSRP because of their financial condition, disability, and the condition of their homes cannot get the work done because of the failure of OHNP to enter into the necessary contracts with PHDC; and

WHEREAS,

Council believes that OHNP’s failure to enter into the necessary contracts represents a deliberate and reprehensible effort to deprive the needy homeowners of the Seventh and Ninth Council Districts of these additional resources; and

WHEREAS,

It is imperative that OHNP personnel be made aware of the pain that has been inflicted on people with the least ability to persevere through this delay, and of the need to approve the necessary contracts and obligate the funds forthwith to allow BSRP to proceed; now, therefore,

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA

,

That Council’s Legislative Oversight Committee is hereby authorized to hold public hearings to investigate the Administration’s failure to enter into contracts necessary to expand the Basic Systems Repair Program in the Seventh and Ninth Council Districts as approved by Resolution No. 070595 and Resolution No. 070588.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That in furtherance of said investigation, the Chair of Council’s Legislative Oversight Committee is hereby authorized to issue subpoenas or institute any other process necessary or appropriate to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents to the full extent authorized under Section 2-401 of the Home Rule Charter.

End