SBA Offers Disaster Assistance to Pennsylvania Residents Affected by the Apartment Building Fire in Philadelphia County

WASHINGTON – Residents and businesses affected by the apartment building fire in Philadelphia County on Jan. 10, can apply for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration, SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills announced today.

Mills made the loans available in response to a letter from Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett on
Jan. 20, requesting a disaster declaration by the SBA. The declaration covers Philadelphia County and the adjacent counties of Bucks, Delaware and Montgomery in Pennsylvania and Burlington, Camden and Gloucester in New Jersey.

“The SBA is strongly committed to providing the people of Pennsylvania with the most effective and customer-focused response possible to assist homeowners, renters, and businesses of all sizes with federal disaster loans,” said Administrator Mills. “Getting businesses and communities up and running after a disaster is our highest priority at SBA.”

“Loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for loans up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property,” said Frank Skaggs, director of SBA’s Field Operations Center East in Atlanta. SBA’s customer service representatives will be on hand at the Disaster Loan Outreach Center to answer questions about the disaster loan program, explain the process, issue and help individuals complete their applications.

The Center will be located in the following community and the hours of operation are:
Philadelphia County
Salvation Army Corps Center – Arch Street Entrance
5501 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19139
Open: Tuesday, Feb. 1 through Thursday, Feb. 3 from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Closing: Thursday, Feb. 3 at 8 p.m., the close of business

“Businesses and non-profit organizations of any size may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets,” said David C. Dickson, SBA’s Philadelphia district director.
The SBA may increase a loan up to 20 percent of the total amount of disaster damage to real estate and/or leasehold improvements, as verified by SBA, to make improvements that lessen the risk of property damage by future disasters of the same kind.

For small businesses and most private non-profit organizations of all sizes, the SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. EIDL assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any physical property damage.

Interest rates are as low as 2.250 percent for homeowners and renters, 3 percent for non-profit organizations and 4 percent for businesses with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.

Individuals and businesses unable to visit the Center may obtain information on loan applications by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for people with speech or hearing disabilities), Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET or by sending an e-mail to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Business loan applications can also be downloaded from the SBA website at www.sba.gov. Completed applications should be returned to the Center or mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

Those affected by the disaster may apply for disaster loans from SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is March 28, 2011. The deadline to return economic injury applications is October 25, 2011.

MAYOR NUTTER TO DISCUSS CITY’S HARDPACK REMOVAL EFFORTS

WHO: Mayor Michael A. Nutter

WHAT: Mayor Nutter will discuss the city’s ongoing snow removal efforts and preparation for the upcoming winter weather.
WHERE: 3000 Block of W. Redner Street

WHEN: Monday, January 31, 2011 3:30 p.m. TODAY

Mayor Nutter and City officials will discuss the city’s ongoing snow removal operations.

WHO: Mayor Michael A. Nutter

WHERE: Outside the Northeast corner of City Hall

WHEN: Thursday, January 27, 2011 5:30 p.m. TODAY

MAYOR NUTTER TO PROVIDE SNOW REMOVAL UPDATE AT 9AM

WHO: Mayor Michael A. Nutter
WHAT: Mayor Nutter and City Officials will the city’s ongoing snow removal operations.
WHERE: City Hall, Northeast Corner, Outside
WHEN: Thursday, January 27, 2011 9:00 a.m. TODAY

Former City Records Department Clerk Sentenced in Bribery Scheme

Philadelphia, January 26, 2011 – Philadelphia Inspector General Amy L. Kurland, U.S. Attorney Zane David Memeger and FBI Special Agent-in-Charge George Venizelos said that a former Philadelphia Records Department clerk was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 24 months in federal prison and 36 months of supervised release after pleading guilty to defrauding the City of more than $600,000.

Kelly Kaufmann Layre, a Clerk Typist II in the Police Reports Unit, admitted that she engaged in a corrupt scheme to sell police-incident, traffic-accident and emergency medical-services reports that defrauded the City. The investigation into Layre was initiated by the Philadelphia Inspector General.

“When I became Mayor, I promised Philadelphians that our administration would root out corruption wherever it might be. And that’s why we invested in the most professional and competent Inspector General’s Office in the City’s history,” said Mayor Michael A. Nutter. “Taxpayers can be assured that we will protect their interests, while those engaged in wrongdoing can be assured that we will uncover your schemes in partnership with local and federal law enforcement and prosecutors.”

Layre provided thousands of incident, accident and EMS reports to co-conspirators Tina Meyrick, Paul Kling and Brian Daly at a significantly reduced rate in exchange for cash payments. Layre abused her position as a public employee, pocketing nearly $186,000 during the four-year scheme. All four individuals pleaded guilty to the charges.

In addition to confinement, Layre was ordered to pay $600,415 in restitution to the City. On Monday, Jan. 24, 2011, Meyrick was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to make restitution to the city in the amount of $457,000. Kling and Daly await sentencing.

“More than $600,000 was stolen from the City at the height of a budget crisis, and many programs are still suffering from the cuts that have been made,” said Kurland, a former Federal prosecutor. “It is crucial that we recover these funds and spend them on projects that benefit all Philadelphians.”

Kurland noted that the lost funds are the equivalent of:
• The operations of 15 swimming pools for the entire summer season,
• Six months of operations for the LEAP program (after-school programs in the 45 neighborhood libraries), which serves 75,000 children annually, or
• The salaries for about 11 police officers for one year.

Kurland said that she hopes these prison sentences will send a message that City employees must uphold the public trust at all times in their official duties and that those who steal from the City will be dealt with appropriately.

The charges were the result of an investigation initiated by the Philadelphia Office of the Inspector General and conducted jointly with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Records Department Commissioner Joan Decker cooperated with the investigation. The OIG and Commissioner Decker are developing safeguards to prevent similar schemes in the future.

The indictments were filed in federal court because the Department of Records receives federal funding. For further information, call the Inspector General’s Office at 215-686-1770.

MAYOR TO URGE WINTER WEATHER CAUTION; MANAGING DIRECTOR TO DECLARE SNOW EMERGENCY

Thursday trash and recycling collection delayed one day.

Philadelphia, January 26, 2011- Mayor Michael A. Nutter announced that Managing Director Richard Negrin will declare a snow emergency at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 26, 2011. All vehicles parked in snow emergency routes must be moved prior to 7:00 p.m. Winter weather conditions, which began early Wednesday morning, will continue throughout the day with a wintry mix of sleet, snow and freezing rain. Overnight, weather forecasts predict that the weather will change to snow and Philadelphia will receive over six inches.

“Our Streets Department and the citizens of Philadelphia have performed admirably this winter as we’ve been hit with snow storm after snow storm. Another storm is coming and I’d like to urge all Philadelphians to be careful on the streets. If you have to go out, give yourself extra time. Do not forget to check in on elderly neighbors or help them to shovel their sidewalks,” said Mayor Nutter. “Our Streets Department was out clearing the streets early this morning, and they’ll be out this evening as well to keep Philadelphia running.”

Streets Department snow operations, which started at 3:00 a.m. on Wednesday, will continue until conditions improve. As of Wednesday, 250 pieces of equipment and 100 crews were deployed as part of the city’s snow removal efforts. Crews began applying a brine solution to prevent icing at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday. This evening, 450 pieces of equipment and 700 Streets Department crew members will be clearing streets. Trash and recycling collection will be delayed one day for the remainder of the week. Residents with Thursday pick up should put out their trash and recycling on Friday. Residents with rear driveway pickup should place their collections curbside.

“Our priority is public safety. Crews and trucks that normally are dedicated to trash and recycling will be fully engaged making streets passable,” said Streets Commissioner Tolson. “When there are significant snow accumulations our vehicles chance getting lodged in unclear driveways. It is important our vehicles stay operating to continue providing service to our citizens.”

In anticipation of the snow emergency, the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) has announced a two-day parking discount beginning after Wednesday, January 26 at 4:00 p.m. and ending on Friday, January 28 at 7:00 a.m. Individuals can park at PPA owned and operated center city garages and will be charged a $5.00 flat rate per day. Parking garages are located at:
• Auto-Park at JFK (16th & JFK)
• Auto-Park at Independence Mall (5th & Market)
• Auto-Park at Jefferson (10th & Ludlow)
• Auto-Park at Gallery Mall (10th & Filbert)
• Auto-Park at 8th & Filbert
• Auto-Park at Old City at 2nd and Sansom

Residents are urged to follow these tips:
• Apply any commercial de-icer on steps and sidewalks early to prevent residual moisture from freezing over and creating icy conditions.
• Clear a sidewalk path at least 36” wide within 6 hours of the end of the storm as listed in the Philadelphia Code (10-720).
• Clear snow from neighborhood sewer drains to allow melting snow to drain.
• Be conscious of the environment – use de-icing salts only as much as needed. One pound of de-icer can cover 100 to 200 square feet.
• De-icer should be applied as soon as a light accumulation has developed on the surface. This will break the bond between additional accumulations and the pavement surface, and will make it easier to shovel.
• A final light application of a de-icer may be required after removal is completed to melt the residual snow.
• Make sure you park your car as far away from the corner as possible. Cars parked too close to the corner limit the turning radius of salting vehicles.
• Clear snow from neighborhood storm drains to allow melting snow to drain. Make sure firefighters will have easy access to fire hydrants by clearing snow around the hydrants.
• Check on sick and elderly neighbors.
To report a street in need of salting or plowing or for more information on any Streets Department program or service, call 3-1-1. You may also visit the Streets Department online at http://www.phila.gov/streets/Snow_Emergency.html.

The City’s Code Blue remains in effect to provide additional support to the homeless. If you see a homeless person in need of assistance, please call the Homeless Outreach Coordination Center at 215-232-1984.

TODAY’S ZBA HEARINGS ARE CANCELLED DUE TO SNOW

Philadelphia, January 26, 2011 – The Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) will not be in session today. All hearings will be rescheduled. If you were scheduled to appear in front of the ZBA today, please call 215-686-2429 or 215-686-2430 to schedule a new hearing date.

Snow Emergency effective on January 26 at 7 p.m.

For the latest information regarding the Snow Emergency effective on January 26 at 7 p.m., visit Office of Emergency Management and The Streets Department’s website.

MAYOR NUTTER SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDERS REGULATING EMPLOYEE CONDUCT

Philadelphia, January 25, 2011 – Mayor Michael A. Nutter today signed four Executive Orders strengthening ethical and transparent operations of City government. Specifically, the Executive Orders prohibit nepotism, sexual harassment, and the acceptance of gifts by Executive branch City employees, and regulate outside employment of Executive branch City employees. These Executive Orders regulate the conduct of the 23,294 (or 86.5%) City employees who are subject to the authority of the Executive Branch of City government. This includes most civil service and exempt employees.
“The four Executive Orders I signed today strengthen current ethics provisions and reinforce the message that public servants are held to the highest standards,” said Mayor Nutter. “I urge Council to adopt these policies as legislation to promote open, honest and transparent government that operates without undue and unfair influence. Until then, I have sent copies of these executive orders to all independently elected officials and to City boards and commissions and encouraged them to adopt them in their own operations.”
Executive Order 01-11, which addresses nepotism, prohibits City officials and employees from having a role in hiring or employment decisions that could benefit or disadvantage a family member or life partner. It requires disclosure of covered relationships to both the appointing authority and to the Director of Human Resources, and reassignment of personnel or duties where necessary to eliminate the prohibited employment relationship between related supervisors and employees.
Executive Order 02-11 regulates outside employment and self-employment by City employees to ensure that it does not interfere with the employee’s City work. The Executive Order explicitly prohibits the use of City resources or time for such employment and requires that City employees report to and obtain prior written approval for outside employment and self-employment from the appointing authority. All outside and self-employment must be reported to the Department of Human Resources, which will provide the Mayor with an annual list of approved outside and self-employment by City employees.

Executive Order 03-11, which replaces current Executive Order 02-04, strengthens the prohibitions on acceptance of gifts by City employees by, among other things, prohibiting acceptance of invitations, food, and drink. Boards and commissions members who are not City employees are prohibited from accepting gifts from persons who have or would be reasonably expected to have business before them. The Executive Order increases reporting requirements for employees who receive gift offers, and makes explicit the requirements that must be met if a gift is to be considered a “gift to the city” rather than a prohibited gift to an individual. It also provides for sanctions against those who offer gifts to City officials and employees, up to and including debarment from City contracts.

Executive Order 04-11 elevates and reinforces the City’s current policy that prohibits sexual harassment in City government. Sexual harassment includes both unwelcome sexual advances as a condition of employment, and granting or withholding City employment opportunities or benefits based on a consensual sexual relationship between a supervisor/manager and subordinate. The Executive Order also prohibits retaliation against a person who has raised a concern about, filed a complaint of, or witnessed sexual harassment. It requires City supervisors and managers to promptly report allegations of harassment to the Law Department, the Office of Human Resources, and to the appropriate Cabinet official.

CITY OF PHILADELPHIA DOES NOT AWARD CONTRACT FOR AMPHIBIOUS TOURS ON THE SCHUYLKILL RIVER

Philadelphia, January 25, 2011 – Mayor Michael A. Nutter announced today that the City of Philadelphia will not award a contract in response to its request for proposal (RFP) for an amphibious tour on the Schuylkill River.

“The City has fully reviewed Ride the Ducks proposal for the Schuylkill River and does not feel that it meets the City’s standards for operations,” said Mayor Nutter.

An RFP was issued on November 19, 2010 for Amphibious Tours on the Schuylkill River. The Managing Director’s Office, Parks and Recreation, the Office of Transportation and the Law Department carefully crafted that RFP to capture many community concerns, including noise, traffic, the on Schuylkill Banks and other potential disruptions of recreational uses on the River. Responses were due on December 22, 2010. Ride the Ducks submitted the only response.

Managing Director Richard Negrin said, “We appreciate Ride the Ducks efforts to address community concerns, but when all is said and done the proposal’s potential traffic impact, the number of vessels that could be on the river at one time and the inability for the tours to operate during special events were issues with which the City was uncomfortable.”

A technical review committee consisting of representatives of the Managing Director’s Office, Office of Transportation, Parks and Recreation, Office of Economic Opportunity, Commerce Department and Planning Commission, with input from Finance, Law and Risk Management, unanimously recommended that the contract not be awarded.