Title
Authorizing Council’s Legislative Oversight Committee to hold public hearings to investigate the expenditure of proceeds of Neighborhood Transformation Initiative bonds by the City and other agencies.
Body
WHEREAS, Under 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, Section 7(a) of Bill No. 010694, as amended, states that any expenditure of NTI bond proceeds must be in accordance with a current or previously approved annual Budget; and
WHEREAS, Section 7(d) of Bill No. 010694, as amended, provides that in the absence of a Land Bank management program approved by Council (and no such program has yet been approved), no real estate shall be acquired with the proceeds of NTI bonds “unless City Council shall have specifically approved such acquisition by resolution or ordinance.” Section 7(d) further provides that “[a]ny bid package for demolition and encapsulation work funded with Bond proceeds must be submitted to, and approved, in writing, by the District Councilperson whose District is affected directly by such demolition and encapsulation work prior to the advertisement for bids”; and
WHEREAS, Council is concerned that certain real estate has been acquired with the proceeds of NTI bonds without the required Council approval, and given that concern, the question arises as to whether other expenditures of NTI bond proceeds might have been made in violation of Bill No. 010694, as amended, or other provisions of law or contract; and
WHEREAS, The approved NTI budgets provide for the acquisition of properties in particular Council districts, and when such a property is sold, the proceeds should be used to replenish the budget for acquisitions in the same Council district. Council is concerned that real estate acquired with NTI bond proceeds is being disposed of without replenishment of District acquisition budgets; and
WHEREAS, The Administration has failed to provide the members of this Council with an accurate and complete accounting of all NTI acquisitions undertaken and completed, and an accurate and complete accounting of all expenditures associated with such acquisitions; 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:
(a) The acquisition of properties with NTI bond proceeds by the City, the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia, and by any other agency, and whether the provisions of Section 7(a) of Bill No. 010694, as amended, requiring Council approval, have been followed.
(b) The expenditures for demolition, encapsulation, and all other NTI program areas, and whether such expenditures meet all requirements of Bill No. 010694, as amended, and any other applicable provisions of law or contract.
(c) The disposition of proceeds when properties acquired with NTI bond proceeds are sold, and whether the budgets for individual Council districts are being replenished with such proceeds.
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