The Streets Department's new CleanPHL site for Mayor Kenney's Zero Waste initiative quietly throws a small bone to neighborhood civic groups, and for the first time ever, allows residents to look up whether their block has a block captain.  Continue reading

In which Blondell Reynolds Brown proposes better compliance monitoring of the City's Economic Opportunity Plans; Bill Greenlee and Darrell Clarke propose a new demolition fund for blighted properties funded by a $15 fee on property sales; Mark Squilla legalizes encroachments from planters and bike racks for the new "sneckdown" treatment at 12th and Morris; and Reynolds Brown and Clarke respond to the confederate sticker on the squad car story with a bill banning offensive messages on city-owned property. Continue reading

(City Commissioners | Photo credit: Emma Lee, WHYY) Two weeks ago, City Commissioner Al Schmidt released information about the impact of a flaw in PennDOT’s Motor Voter program that allowed non-citizens to register to vote. That’s clearly a problem, but the bigger issue is everything else.  Continue reading

  Dave Davies flagged a juicy detail from Judge Jimmie Moore's hearing this week, in which Moore pleaded guilty to accepting a $90,000 payment from Congressman Bob Brady's campaign to abandon a primary challenge against the incumbent. According to Moore's attorney, the feds have really been sniffing around Brady. Continue reading

(State Rep. Chris Rabb | Photo: Kentucky Educational Television) In an interview with Inquirer columnist John Baer, first-term Rep. Chris Rabb (HD-200) discusses how he operates in Harrisburg as someone who got elected without the support the Democratic Party machine, and how he plans to run the 9th ward as a reformer: Continue reading

In which Darrell Clarke proposes rezoning some North Philly industrial properties to residential use, except for the Quaker Building; Blondell Reynolds Brown proposes fixing the green roof density bonus; most Councilmembers want to address recent squatting concerns; and Curtis Jones and several co-sponsors propose designating October 1-8 as the second annual Legacy Week, which is not the Founders' Day bash Philly needs.  Continue reading

  (Civilization failing to end as wine sold in PA supermarkets | Photo: Jon Geeting) Charles Thompson at the Patriot News reports that Liquor Control Board sales revenues are up in the year since the state legislature dipped a toe into liberalizing alcohol retailing laws with Act 39: Continue reading

(Photo: Jon Geeting) Five years ago, Philly created the Registered Community Organization (RCO) system as the official channel for citizens to be involved in the zoning and land development process.  Continue reading

(The 48 bus | Photo: Philadelphia Magazine) We're over at the Inquirer op-ed page today, laying out some customer-friendly changes SEPTA can make to their bus network to stop bleeding ridership.  Continue reading

In which Derek Green (At-Large) proposes to clean the detritus from out the City Code; Jannie Blackwell (3rd District) proposes extending the lives of eighteen West Philly Keystone Opportunity Zones as a carrot for Amazon; and Mark Squilla (1st District) and Darrell Clarke (Council President, 5th District) propose rezoning some large industrially-zoned properties in South Kensington and Olde Richmond (and notably neglect sprawl repair opportunities on Aramingo and York.) Continue reading