City of Philadelphia - File #: 060808

• File #: 060808
• Version: 0
• Type: Resolution
• Status: ADOPTED
• File created: 10/26/2006
• In control: Committee of the Whole
• Title: Authorizing the Committee of the Whole to conduct hearings related to the "Consent Agreement and Release" entered into by the City of Philadelphia and certain outdoor advertising sign companies in settlement of litigation regarding outdoor advertising signs, for the purpose of examining the terms of the agreement, the impact the implementation of the agreement will have on existing and future outdoor advertising signs and whether new legislation regulating outdoor advertising signs is needed.
• Sponsors: Council President Verna, Council President Verna, Councilmember Blackwell, Councilmember Blackwell, Councilmember Goode, Councilmember Goode, Councilmember DiCicco, Councilmember DiCicco, Councilmember Tasco, Councilmember Tasco, Councilmember Reynolds Brown, Councilmember Reynolds Brown, Councilmember Ramos, Councilmember Ramos, Councilmember Krajewski, Councilmember Krajewski, Councilmember Kelly, Councilmember Kelly, Councilmember Rizzo, Councilmember Rizzo, Councilmember Miller, Councilmember Miller, Councilmember Kenney, Councilmember Kenney

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Tally
10/26/2006	0	CITY COUNCIL	ADOPTED & REFERRED
10/26/2006	0	CITY COUNCIL	ADOPTED & REFERRED
10/26/2006	0	CITY COUNCIL	READ
10/26/2006	0	CITY COUNCIL	READ
10/26/2006	0	CITY COUNCIL	Introduced	Pass
10/26/2006	0	CITY COUNCIL	Introduced	Pass

Title
Authorizing the Committee of the Whole to conduct hearings related to the "Consent Agreement and Release" entered into by the City of Philadelphia and certain outdoor advertising sign companies in settlement of litigation regarding outdoor advertising signs, for the purpose of examining the terms of the agreement, the impact the implementation of the agreement will have on existing and future outdoor advertising signs and whether new legislation regulating outdoor advertising signs is needed.
Body
WHEREAS, Bill Number 050453, amending Section 9-602 of The Philadelphia Code relating to outdoor advertising signs, was passed by City Council on June 2, 2005 and signed by the Mayor on June 15, 2005; and

WHEREAS, Bill Number 050453, among other things, amended the requirements for obtaining and the conditions for issuing licenses for outdoor advertising signs, increased license fees to $650 per sign face, required periodic engineering reports to ensure safety, and increased penalties for violations; and

WHEREAS, On November 29, 2005, certain outdoor advertising sign companies (Plaintiffs) commenced an action in federal court, against the city and certain city officials (Defendants), Free Speech, LLC, et al. v. City of Philadelphia, et al., No. 05-6188 (E.D. Pa. November 29, 2005), seeking a declaration of rights invalidating certain requirements of Section 9-602 and other provisions of The Philadelphia Code and seeking, among other things, an injunction against enforcement of those provisions on the grounds that they violate the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution; and

WHEREAS, In order to avoid further litigation, the parties entered into a consent agreement, effective for eight (8) years from August 9, 2006 to August 9, 2014, resolving the challenges to The Philadelphia Code; and

WHEREAS, Recognizing that over the years, records of the outdoor advertising sign companies and the City have been lost and ma...