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 (adopted June 7, 2007); and
WHEREAS, Resolution No. 070405 included an amendment to the NTI Budget to authorize additional expenditures for the Basic Systems Repair Program (BSRP) in the Fourth Councilmanic District; and
WHEREAS, Council authorized additional BSRP expenditures in the 4th Councilmanic District by its adoption of Resolution No. 070744 (adopted September 20, 2007); and
WHEREAS, The additional BSRP funds could have been made readily available if the Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD) had amended existing contracts with the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation for the administration of BSRP; and
WHEREAS, In a series of meetings during July and August 2007, the OHCD never stated that there would be a problem obligating the additional BSRP funds; and
WHEREAS, Based upon assurances that the funds would be available, neighborhood outreach began on the belief that when interested people went through the initial application and inspection process they could get much needed work done when necessary; and
WHEREAS, Now that people have gone through the interview and inspection process, they need to get the necessary home repairs completed before the weather turns troublesome; 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 OHCD to enter into the necessary contract; and
WHEREAS, Council believes that OHCD's failure to enter into the necessary contracts represents a deliberate and reprehensible effort to deprive the needy homeowners of the Fourth Councilmanic District of these additional resources; and
WHEREAS, It is imperative that OHCD 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 contract 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 Fourth Councilmanic District as authorized in the Program Statement and Budget as approved by Resolution No. 070405 (adopted June 7, 2007) and as amended by Resolution No. 070744 (adopted September 20, 2007).
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.
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