Title
Authorizing the Committee on Appropriations to conduct hearings regarding the Philadelphia Water Department's equitable approach to workforce development, including employment and procurement strategies that support safe, diverse, and inclusive family-sustaining careers.
Body
WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) has operated since 1801 as a municipal agency that supplies water, wastewater and stormwater services to Philadelphians; and
WHEREAS, Today, PWD leverages an operating and capital budget in excess of $1 billion to support Philadelphians' fundamental human right to access clean, safe water through equitable approaches to ratemaking, infrastructure, and workforce development; and
WHEREAS, PWD's equitable approach to ratemaking includes the recent passage of the Tiered Assistance Program (TAP), the nation's first income-based water bill program, which now provides affordable bills and debt forgiveness for more than 15,000 low-income households; and
WHEREAS, PWD's equitable approach to sustainable infrastructure includes Green City, Clean Waters which directs investments in green stormwater infrastructure such as rain gardens and planters to reduce runoff, improve our natural resources, and beautify our neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS, PWD's equitable approach to workforce development includes employment and procurement procedures, policies, and practices that drive Philadelphians' access to safe, inclusive, and family-sustaining career opportunities, as well as programs that provide pathways for Philadelphia students, including Career and Technical Education (CTE) graduates; and
WHEREAS, City Council seeks to explore and recommend strategies for PWD to grow safe, diverse, and inclusive family-sustaining career opportunities by identifying new policies and procedures related to the Department's hiring, personnel, and employment functions, as well as workplace safety procedures particularly during the coronavirus pandemic; and
WHEREAS, Cit...
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