WHEREAS, The Vacant Property Review Committee (VPRC) is composed of a spectrum of governmental, quasi-governmental, and non-governmental stakeholders, and is supported by staff; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia Code section 16-404(4) requires that the VPRC review all proposed dispositions. Moreover, Philadelphia Code section 16-707(1)(d) requires that the VPRC review all proposed dispositions by the Philadelphia Land Bank; and
WHEREAS, The VPRC has the authority and capacity to scrutinize qualifications of prospective purchasers of City-owned property and their proposals to improve that property, as well as the collective expertise to scrutinize such qualifications and proposals; and
WHEREAS, The VPRC has the authority and capacity to conduct property appraisals, as well as the collective expertise to scrutinize such appraisals; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia Code section 16-404(6) requires that the VPRC “determine the conditions of title to be incorporated into the deed for each property to be disposed of”; and
WHEREAS, The effective scrutiny of prospective purchasers and their proposals, utilization of appraisals and deed restrictions, and other safeguards, are critical to ensuring that the City receives fair value for market-rate dispositions and otherwise further the goals of City land disposition policy; and
WHEREAS, Periodic review of VPRC’s effective fulfillment of these functions is necessary and proper, given this Body’s oversight role; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That
the Council of the City of Philadelphia,
Authorizes the Committee on Legislative Oversight to hold hearings to examine the effectiveness of the Vacant Property Review Committee in furthering the goals of City land disposition policy, such as by
utilizing property appraisals, formulating deed restrictions, and enforcing such restrictions.
End