Mayor Nutter Issues Statement on Partnership with EPA

Philadelphia, May 31, 2012 – Mayor Michael A. Nutter issued the following statement regarding the leadership and partnership of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):

“The Clean Water Act was a defining piece of American legislation that created a greener, more sustainable nation. Reflecting on the 40th Anniversary of this legislation, we are reminded how vital it is to protect our water sources now and for future generations.

“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, under the leadership of Administrator Lisa Jackson, has worked in partnership with the City of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on a state-of-the-art stormwater management system that will save billions of taxpayer dollars. The EPA signed an historic agreement allowing Philadelphia to implement Green City, Clean Waters, our city’s 25 year, $2 billion plan to invest in stormwater infrastructure. This plan creates affordable, green solutions that will uphold important quality standards set forth under the Clean Water Act.

“The EPA and Administrator Jackson have been stalwart partners with cities across the nation as we work to build a more competitive and more sustainable America. In the 40 years since the passage of the Clean Water Act, they continue to collaborate with cities and municipalities to create the green infrastructure that will be a foundation for our nation’s growth for decades to come.”

Mayor Nutter Announces Task Force On Outdoor Serving of Food

Philadelphia, April 13, 2012 – Mayor Michael A. Nutter announced the membership of the Task Force on Outdoor Serving of Food. The Task Force will be chaired by Dr. Arthur C. Evans, Jr., Commissioner of the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services.

“I would like to thank those who have agreed to serve on the Task Force,” said Mayor Nutter. “This task force will create a dialogue to marshal our good will and resources, so that we can help vulnerable, hungry people of Philadelphia in more effective ways. Our goal is to increase the health, safety and dignity of vulnerable Philadelphians.”

The task force aims to advance the conversation among food servers, consumers of outdoor meals, City officials, and community leaders to develop a plan to encourage those who are hungry and current outdoor servers to move indoors. Through education, outreach and other steps informed by this task force, the plan would seek to encourage those who are hungry to eat at indoor locations, protected from the elements, where they can avail themselves of other supports and services.

Other members include:
Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell
Salomon Vazquez, The Connect Church
Bill McMillan, Sunday Breakfast Mission
Bill Golderer, Broad Street Ministry
Adam Bruckner, Philly Restart
Bill Clark, Philabudance
Dr. Jay Lewis Felton, Mt Airy C.O.G.I.C.
Joseph Rogers, Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania (MHASP)
Joye Presson, Office of Supportive Housing
Mary Horstmann, Mayor’s Office
Bia Viera, Philadelphia Foundation

The task force will also include consumers of outdoor meals, to be identified with the help of current task force members.

Mayor Nutter Cuts Ribbon On Wastewater Geothermal Heating Project

Philadelphia, April 12, 2012 – Mayor Michael A. Nutter, the Philadelphia Water Department and Philadelphia-based NovaThermal Energy have partnered to be the first site in the United States to deploy a commercial scale geothermal system that provides building heat using domestic wastewater. Mayor Nutter, Novathermal Energy partners, City and U.S. Department of Energy officials and community partners held a ribbon-cutting and tour at the Southeast Water Pollution Control Plant where the project has been implemented.

“I am proud to say that Philadelphia is taking another groundbreaking step in becoming the greenest city in America,” said Mayor Nutter. “Partnering with a Philadelphia-based company and using innovative technology, we have achieved a win-win for energy efficiency and economic development. We will be able to save on costs and energy resources at a City facility while commercializing a technology that can be used in large commercial and industrial buildings throughout the country.”

The project demonstrates the City’s commitment to incubate new businesses, deploy clean energy technology as part of its Greenworks Philadelphia goals, be a leader in resource recovery and explore new markets for revenue.

“This project is another example of PWD’s commitment to diversify our energy portfolio as part of our pledge to be a sustainable and cost-conscious utility,” remarked Water Commissioner Howard Neukrug. “The development of technology that essentially recycles wastewater by extracting its energy for reuse is innovative and demonstrates PWD’s national leadership in resource recovery.”

Commercialization of this technology is designed to significantly reduce energy use in large commercial and industrial buildings throughout Philadelphia and the United States. This project is one example of the Department’s long-term plans to add resource recovery to its facilities environmental protection portfolio.

The City of Philadelphia incurred no costs or outlay of expenses for this project, made possible through funding provided by the City of Philadelphia’s Greenworks Pilot Energy Technology Grant program, which is supported by federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant funds from the U.S. Department of Energy. Ben Franklin Technology Partners of SE Pennsylvania additionally contributed with a grant to support measurement and verification technical assistance.

The project consists of a 1 million BTU/hr unit located in the building’s basement from which heat is directly accessed from the adjacent sewage channel. While the technology can be scaled to a much larger size, this project serves to prove the technology’s energy savings in the U.S. context. At the Southeast Plant, NovaThermal Energy will demonstrate its ability to provide heat at approximately 50% of current cost, realizing $216,000 of savings over 15 years.

About the Philadelphia Water Department
The Philadelphia Water Department serves the Greater Philadelphia region by providing integrated water, wastewater and storm water services. The Department’s mission is to plan for, operate and maintain both the infrastructure and the organization necessary to purvey high quality drinking water, to provide an adequate and reliable water supply for all household, commercial and community needs, and to sustain and enhance the region’s watersheds and quality of life by managing wastewater and stormwater effectively.

About NovaThermal Energy
NovaThermal Energy’s wastewater geothermal energy efficiency technology saves up to 60% in building heating and cooling costs. The system combines a water source heat pump with a patented filtration device to transfer heat energy directly from sewage, using wastewater flows as a heat source. NovaThermal taps into the existing municipal sewer infrastructure, eliminating the land area and cost of geothermal piping or borefields, making the system feasible and affordable for buildings with large energy load requirements.

NovaThermal Energy is a Philadelphia-headquartered company, bringing its proven energy efficiency technology to market in the United States. The company holds an exclusive license for this Chinese technology, and is the US patent holder for improvements to the system.

Mayor Nutter Signs SVU-DHS Co-Location Bill

Philadelphia, April 10, 2012 – Mayor Michael A. Nutter signed Bill No. 120084, the SVU-DHS Co-Location Bill, which clears the way to combine members of the Philadelphia Police Department Special Victims Unit (SVU), the Department of Human Services Sexual Abuse Investigations Unit, the Philadelphia Children’s Alliance and staff from the District Attorney’s Office in a new facility located at 300 E. Hunting Park Avenue. Deputy Police Commissioner Richard Ross, District Attorney Seth Williams, DHS Commissioner Anne Marie Ambrose and Philadelphia Children’s Alliance Executive Director Chris Kirchner were present for the bill signing.

“Bringing together these different agencies, who share the same goal of supporting and protecting victims of sexual abuse, has taken nearly a decade,” said Mayor Nutter. “This move is critical to coordinating efforts to improve efficiency in investigations and fact-finding and providing services while reducing the adverse impact of coming forward on victims.”

Police Commissioner Ramsey said, “Our goal is always to serve and protect. By co-locating the SVU, DHS Sexual Abuse Investigation Unit and the Philadelphia Children’s Alliance, the City is making a commitment to the children of Philadelphia – saying it will do everything it can to ease the process of coming forward as a victim of sexual abuse.”

DHS Commissioner Ambrose said, “I am thrilled that this day has finally come! Co-location has been a goal of the Agency for a decade. The affects of child sexual abuse can be extremely damaging to its young victims. As child welfare professionals, one of our greatest concerns is that our efforts to investigate abuse do not further traumatize its victims. Co-locating will help lessen the trauma of the investigative process by offering a comfortable, child-friendly place for children to receive services and by allowing partner agencies to effectively coordinate their efforts in a single location. As a result, children will no longer have to repeatedly relive the events of their assault.”

Currently, the building is a 30,000 sq. ft. Ironstone Partners, LLC will renovate the building, adding an additional 10,000 sq. ft. The space will feature a new, landscaped courtyard and a parking lot for approximately 140 vehicles. Once completed, the PPD SVU will have two entrances and DHS and PCA will share an entrance. The anticipated completion of the renovation is late 2012 to early 2013.

“The dream of co-location was exactly that – a dream- for myself, my staff and our board, on behalf of the children we serve. Our dream is being realized today thanks to the hard work and collaboration of Mayor Nutter, the city and our partner agencies,” Chris Kirchner said. “In this facility, we will be able to foster deeper collaboration among the Philadelphia Children’s Alliance, Dept. of Human Services, the Special Victims Unit, the District Attorney’s Office, and medical professionals. This will lead to more efficient and effective service to child victims of sexual abuse, which, in the end, is the ultimate goal.”

District Attorney Williams said, “This will have a tremendous impact on all the mothers and children in Philadelphia who up until now had to navigate their way to the DA’s office, DHS, Special Victims, and PCA by juggling public transit schedules. It’s tragic that families already dealing with chaos and uncertainty were in a sense revictimized again by having to go to different buildings and agencies to try and get justice. The co-location of these agencies will help us better service victims and witnesses in the city.”

Mayor Nutter, State and City Officials Participate in 7th Annual March for Meals Campaign

Elected officials joined volunteers in preparing, packaging and delivering meals to seniors across Philadelphia for Meals on Wheels.

Philadelphia, March 21, 2012 – Mayor Michael A. Nutter, together with City and State officials and members of his administration, prepared and delivered meals to homebound seniors as part of the 7^th Annual Meals on Wheels Campaign.

“We cannot be a truly great city if we don’t honor the needs of our seniors,” said Mayor Nutter. “Despite the improved economy, food insecurity is on the rise across the country. It is critical that we work together to ensure that no senior goes hungry due to lack of financial resources or the physical strength to cook for themselves.”

This is the second year in a row that Mayor Nutter has participated in March for Meals, a national campaign designed to draw attention to the efforts of local Meals on Wheels programs to deliver meals to homebound seniors through the support of volunteers.

In the morning, Mayor Nutter delivered meals to a senior client of the Klein Jewish Community Center’s Cook for a Friend program in Northeast Philadelphia. City Councilmembers Cindy Bass and Mark Squilla; State Representatives Babette Josephs and Tony Payton Jr.; Deputy Managing Director for Aging Lydia Hernandez-Velez and Chief Service Officer Catie C. Wolfgang prepared, packaged and delivered meals with other Meals on Wheels programs throughout the day, including Chestnut Hill Meals on Wheels, MANNA, and Aid For Friends.

“Part of promoting a healthier city is making sure that our homebound and elderly are receiving the nutrition they need in a dignified and respectful way,” said 8^th District Councilwoman Cindy Bass. “I am very proud of the work that Meals on Wheels does in Chestnut Hill, Mt. Airy, and Germantown, and across the city for those who may not be able to cook for themselves or shop for groceries. This chapter alone serves 17,000 meals a year and I am honored to be delivering meals with them today.”

Councilman Mark Squilla said, “I am delighted to be participating in March for Meals today. The senior citizens of Philadelphia have worked so hard, for so long. They are truly assets in our community and there is so much we can learn from them.”

Inspired by the Mayor’s participation in March for Meals 2011, the Mayor’s Commission on Aging commissioned a study to analyze the impact and needs of the Meals on Wheels program and other senior hunger resources in the city. Released in December 2011, the full report is available for download at www.SERVEPhiladelphia.com.

Beginning next week, and continuing through August 2012, a newly formed task force of the Mayor’s Commission on Aging, composed of representatives from the hunger advocacy and aging networks, will meet monthly to devise a strategy to enact recommendations from the report. The strategy will include ways to build the capacity of programs designed to address senior hunger and to improve how seniors and volunteers find out about available resources.

“Over the past year, we have been able to get a much better handle on just how critical Meals on Wheels programs and other resources are in supporting seniors,” said Lydia Hernandez-Velez. “Through the efforts of the upcoming task force, we look forward to developing ways to ensure that all citizens have the information they need to help connect seniors to food resources. Furthermore, we hope to significantly increase the number of citizens engaged in volunteering their time to address senior hunger.”

Mayor Nutter emphasized the importance of enrolling eligible seniors in the SNAP program (formerly food stamps). More than180,000 Philadelphians, many of them seniors, are likely eligible for SNAP but are not enrolled.

Through private and public partnerships, the Meals on Wheels Association of America’s (MOWAA) National Response to Senior Hunger is working to eradicate senior hunger. MOWAA conducts research, raises awareness and identifies emerging trends that are related to senior hunger issues. To learn more, visit www.mowaa.org.

To get involved with one of the Meals on Wheels programs that participated in Philadelphia’s March for Meals 2012, visit www.SERVEPhiladelphia.com.

Mayor Nutter’s Remarks from Indoor Feeding Policy Announcement

Philadelphia, March 15, 2012 – Yesterday, Mayor Michael A. Nutter announced a series of actions designed to encourage hungry Philadelphians, and those who feed the hungry outdoors, to move to indoor locations over the next year. Check remarks against delivery. The prepared remarks follow:

“Since I became Mayor, our Administration has worked every day to protect and support our City’s vulnerable populations. We managed through a severe Recession and made sure to minimize the budget impact on those Philadelphians without resources or the means to secure them.

While the City has worked hard to reduce the number of homeless people during the recession, we’ve had neither the means nor the ability to prevent an increase in hunger. And we know that access to food is vital for individual and community health.

Today, I am announcing a new policy initiative aimed at increasing the health, safety, dignity and support for those vulnerable individuals who now gain their daily and often less than daily sustenance from well-intentioned people distributing food on City streets.

And first, let me say that for many years people of good conscience have fed the hungry on the streets of Philadelphia. I very much appreciate their efforts. But I believe we all can do better. I believe that if we join together, marshal our good will and resources, that we can help vulnerable, hungry people of Philadelphia in more effective ways.

Too often, I’ve driven past Love Park or along the Ben Franklin Parkway and seen people lined up in front of a van, shivering in the cold and rain, huddled in the dark. And sometimes they’re lined up but no van or car ever appears.

The City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection can do better than this. I believe that people regardless of their station in life should be able to sit down at a table to a meal – inside, away from the heat and cold, the rain and snow, the vehicle exhaust and distractions of the street.

As many of you know, the Board of Health is considering a proposed regulation to ensure that the food served outdoors by volunteers meets some standards for food safety, as we do with food served to those who can pay for food from a restaurant or food cart.

The proposed regulation, which I strongly support, would require some of a group’s volunteers to take a free safe-food-handling course and encourage groups to use food-safe kitchens, which have been visited by Health Department inspectors.

These measures would help the department track any food-borne illness back to its source. Guarding the public against illness is at the core of the Health Department’s mission and its duties extend from diners in upscale restaurants to hot dog vendors … and those who want to help the vulnerable.

Meanwhile, over the past months, Deputy Mayor for Health and Opportunity Donald Schwarz and his team have begun a dialogue with many of the outdoor feeders. He has been encouraged that many of them have begun to consider partnering with those who manage indoor feeding locations.

Many of these indoor feeding groups would welcome the added volunteers and resources. And so, city government has begun to play a facilitating role by bringing together these two different groups with different strategies but the same overall goal.

We have begun to provide the names and addresses of indoor feeding sites to those who currently feed hungry people outdoors, and soon, we will give the names, addresses and food service times of indoor feeding locations to hungry people who wait for outdoor food distributors.

Now, aside from the dignity provided by sitting down at a given time in a given place for a nutritious meal, an indoor location enables the City and its partners to offer health, mental health, housing, a place to receive mail and other needed services to this very vulnerable population.

In short, we can use the distribution of food in a way that will help our neighbors gain access to resources that can help them get on the right track toward independent, healthy living.

And we should not pass up the opportunity to offer these vital supports to the vulnerable as they partake of a meal. Indoor feeding can help make this a reality.

I understand that over the last 20 years, outdoor feeding has evolved to what it is today. I also understand the strength of old ways and habits, but there are some who simply will resist our efforts to enhance the dignity, safety, health and supports for vulnerable Philadelphians.

In recognition of that, today I am announcing that my Administration will take the following steps immediately so that within a year’s time hungry Philadelphians will no longer need to eat outdoors.

First, I have instructed the Commissioner of Parks and Recreation to issue a regulation that would ban outdoor feeding in all City parks. It’s our intention that this regulation will be enacted tomorrow and goes into effect in 30 days. This regulation will not affect family picnics or permitted events in parks.

Second, as part of the transition process, I have instructed the Commissioner of Public Property to establish a temporary food distribution location on the City Hall apron. All outdoor feeders who want to use the City Hall apron will be required to sign up with the Department of Public Property and reserve the days and times for their activity.

Those who wish to provide safe food will be welcome to do so, and we will try to coordinate their feeding to assure a more balanced, predictable schedule for the hungry. And let me add that the City will provide water and porto-potties on the apron.

This location will be available for up to one year because as we enhance the linkages between the hungry and the groups that now provide thousands of meals indoors, we hope that there will be no need for outdoor feeding in Philadelphia any longer.

Third, I will create a working group of external stakeholders and senior Administration staff to devise a plan over the next 90 days to engage those who eat outdoors in order to help them move indoors to eat. At the same time we will engage with those of good will who want to provide food to do so indoors.

Through education and other steps, the working group will seek to identify supports for the hungry and to connect current outdoor feeders with those who manage indoor facilities and with other outreach efforts to the hungry.

A final note before I take your questions:

My administration and previous ones have discussed these issues for many years.

Some will assert that we’re taking these actions because of the Barnes Foundation, the reborn Ben Franklin Parkway, the Sister Cities Park and the efforts that have been made to transform this space into welcoming places for all people, families and children.

Let me be very clear on this point: this is not about people. This is about activity. It’s not about who is on the parkway but how it is used. My motivation is not to exclude people. Anyone can walk the Parkway, visit our fantastic cultural institutions or just sit on a bench and contemplate the day. Anyone and everyone.

Again, the issue is not who can use the Parkway because it’s very clear that everyone is welcome. The issue is for what or how the Parkway is used.

Providing food to those who are hungry must not be about opening the car trunk, handing out a bunch of sandwiches and then driving off into a dark and rainy night.
I don’t believe food should be served from the back of a car on the Parkway or in Love Park or anywhere on the streets and sidewalks of our great City.

As a City and community of caring individuals we must do more and we will.

I want any hungry person in need to know that they can go to a clean, dry, brightly lighted place where friendly people employing the best food handling techniques will serve good food, a place where people trained in the social services can offer hope and a way back to independence to hungry people in need.

Outdoor feeding in Philadelphia is not up to our standards. We can and will do better.

Thank you.”

Code Blue Issued

The city of phila has issued a code blue effective 01/14/2012 beginning at 10 pm and will end 01/16/2012. Citizens should contact the Outreach hotline at 215 232 1984 if there are homeless persons on the street needing assistance.

Mayor Nutter To Sign Equal Benefits Bill

WHO: Mayor Michael A. Nutter
Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown
Rue Landau, Executive Director, Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations
Gloria Casarez, Director, Office of LGBT Affairs
WHAT: Mayor Nutter will sign Bill No. 110057, the Equal Benefits Bill.
WHERE: City Hall, Mayor’s Reception Room, Room 202
WHEN: Monday, December 12, 2011 3:00 pm

Mayor Nutter, City Officials, Child Advocates To Urge Philadelphians To “be Aware” Of Child Abuse

Philadelphia, November 22, 2011 – Mayor Michael A. Nutter was joined by City and School District officials, the District Attorney’s office and child welfare advocates to urge Philadelphians to report suspected sexual or physical abuse or neglect of a child. Officials encouraged citizens to utilize City and state services as a resource and tool to report the abuse of a child.

“Children deserve to feel safe and protected by the adults in their lives. When it comes to the life or safety of a child, adults must be responsible and report child abuse,” said Mayor Nutter. “It is never acceptable to assume that someone else will report abuse or that it is not your business to report it. It is every Philadelphians job to make sure that this is a safe city for people of every age. If you suspect a child is being abused, you have a duty to report it.”

Officials discussed the signs of child abuse, physical and sexual and neglect.
Physical abuse is non-accidental. It is the serious bodily injury of a child. Citizens should watch for unexplained bruises, bites, black eyes, broken bones, fading bruises or other noticeable marks.
Sexual abuse includes both physical and non-physical sexual contact of a child and it is always forced. Citizens should look for a child who has difficulty walking or sitting, demonstrates unusual sexual knowledge or behavior, or does not want to participate in physical activity or change clothes for gym class.
Neglect is the withholding of or failure to provide a child with the basic necessities of life such as: food, clothing, shelter, or medical care. Citizens should be aware of frequently missed school days, the begging or stealing of money or food, a lack of needed medical, dental or eye care, or a consistently dirty appearance or body odor.

“It is also important for parents to teach their children about good and bad touch and encourage them to tell an adult if someone is touching them in an inappropriate way,” said Department of Human Services Commissioner Anne Marie Ambrose. “You do not have to be able to prove suspected abuse. Our staff (DHS) is trained to investigate reports and make those determinations.”

If you suspect a child is being abused, you can report it directly to the Philadelphia Police Department or call 911. The Department of Human Services administers an anonymous hotline, which citizens can report suspected abuse at (215)683-6100. The state of Pennsylvania also maintains an abuse hotline, which can be reached at (800)932-0313.

Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, District Attorney Seth Williams, Philadelphia School District Superintendent Dr. Lee Nunnery, Chris Kirchner, Executive Director of the Philadelphia Children’s Alliance and Frank Cervone, Executive Director of the Support Center for Child Advocate, also participated in urging Philadelphians to be aware and report child abuse.

The Philadelphia Department of Human Services’ mission is to provide and promote safety, permanency, and well-being for children and youth at risk of abuse, neglect and delinquency.

City Of Philadelphia Awarded Dupont Protection Technologies Life Protection Gear

Philadelphia, November 22, 2011- Mayor Michael A. Nutter announced that Philadelphia has received life protecting firefighter turnout gear valued at almost $30,000 from DuPont Protection Technologies. The Philadelphia Fire Department was provided with 18 sets of turnout gear to evaluate the latest technologies available for improved thermal protection and for added durability and strength. The Philadelphia Fire Department will be given the opportunity to share feedback with DuPont to help ensure these products best fit the needs of fire departments nationwide.

“I would like to thank our private sector partners for providing the best possible protection for our first responders. This equipment will help our fire fighters to serve the citizens of Philadelphia and will protect them in the line of duty,” said Mayor Nutter.

Included with the provided gear are enhanced DuPont Kevlar and Nomex thermal liners and an outer shell made with Nomex fiber and Kevlar filament—the same form of Kevlar used in body armor. Nomex and Kevlar, which are heat durable and flame resistant, provide protection to firefighters and emergency personnel around the world.

DuPont (www.dupont.com) is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 90 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.