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Authorizing requests to the Law Department to represent City Council in an appeal from decisions of the Department of Licenses and Inspections to the Philadelphia Zoning Board of Adjustment or the License and Inspection Review Board and, if the Law Department declines to render such services to City Council, authorizing the retention of outside counsel to provide such services.
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WHEREAS, The Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) enforces the City of Philadelphia’s codes for the construction and use of buildings and issues refusals regarding zoning permits; and
WHEREAS, Decisions of the Department of Licenses and Inspections can directly affect the legislative policy of City Council as expressed in the Zoning Code and in other duly enacted ordinances and resolutions; and
WHEREAS, For that reason, City Council wishes to be able to participate in appeals from L&I decisions, whether to appeal from L&I decisions contrary to the legislative policy of City Council, or to support the decisions of L&I that are consistent with the legislative policy of City Council; and
WHEREAS, Section 2-105 of the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter provides that “[i]n the event the Law Department declines to advise or render legal services to the Council in any matter . . . the Council may employ and fix the compensation of counsel of its own selection to handle such matter”; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the President of City Council may from time to time designate a member of City Council to serve as the designated representative of City Council with authority to request the Law Department to represent City Council in an appeal from a particular decision or decisions of the Department of Licenses and Inspections to the Philadelphia Zoning Board of Adjustment or the License and Inspection Review Board, and with authority to take any other actions necessary to carry out the intent of this Resolution.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That if the Law Department declines any request to represent City Council pursuant to this Resolution, then the Council hereby authorizes the retention of outside counsel to represent City Council in such matter.
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