The Philadelphia Energy Authority Will Hold a Public Hearing on Wednesday May 23rd

Philadelphia, May 11, 2012 – The Philadelphia Energy Authority (PEA) will hold a public hearing to garner input on the best ways to fulfill its mission of reducing energy consumption and expense by the City of Philadelphia, facilitating the development of renewable energy projects in the City, and promoting energy awareness in our community. The hearing is scheduled for 4 pm in City Council Chambers.

“The Philadelphia Energy Authority has an important role to play in advancing our Greenworks Philadelphia goals of reducing city government’s energy consumption by 30 percent and raising the entire city’s consumption of renewable energy by 20 percent,” Mayor Nutter said.

“I am pleased to welcome the Philadelphia Energy Authority to City Council Chambers. I look forward to the Authority engaging the public in a meaningful way regarding reducing the costs of operating our government, and educating residents, through energy conservation and alternative energy options,” Council President Clarke said.

“The Philadelphia Energy Authority looks forward to hearing from Philadelphia businesses and residents about how the Authority can advance energy conservation and alternative energy in Philadelphia,” PEA Chairman Christopher Lewis said.

Public testimony will be limited to 3-5 minutes per person in order to ensure all voices are heard. Persons interested in testifying may sign up on site; time will be distributed on a first come first served basis.

If you are interested in testifying, please indicate your interest by contacting Joseph Mondesire (josephmondesire@gmail.com, 215-285-1280), by the close of business May 18, 2012; submit your name, affiliation and contact information. ###

Additional Contact Information:
Philadelphia Energy Authority Chairman Lewis – 215-569-5793
Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities – 215-686-8158
Office of Council President Clarke – 215-686-2070

Philadelphia pilots dedicated sidewalk SPACE for distracted pedestrians First of its kind transportation innovation provides safe space for Philadelphia’s busiest pedestrians

Philadelphia, April 1, 2012 – A trailblazing breakthrough in safety and convenience is now painted on the 1400 block of JFK Blvd. Across the street from Philadelphia’s majestic City Hall and in the shadow of the great seal of Philadelphia that hangs from the Municipal Services Building, the Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities has installed space on the sidewalk for a pilot Electronic Device Lane, referred to as the E-Lane. The E-Lane is a dedicated sidewalk space exclusively for pedestrians who wish to use electronic devices while walking. The E-Lane pilot is scheduled to last for one week. The lane is easily identified with its bright lines and with a first of its kind distracted walker icon – reminiscent of the bicyclists icons found marked in the City’s bike lanes.
“Philadelphia is the city of firsts. On April 1st 2012, the world again sees a first in Philadelphia,” said Mayor Michael A. Nutter. “Stand on any sidewalk in Philadelphia you will see fellow citizens with busy lives who can’t take the time to look up from their IPhones, BlackBerries and other electronic devices. The E-Lane is a safe and convenient option for those distracted walkers and should make sidewalks safer for the rest of us.” The Mayor continued, “More Philadelphians than ever before rely on mobile technology to do business and stay in touch with family and friends . We need to accommodate them.”
Deputy Mayor for Transportation and Utilities Rina Cutler noted, “We are all pedestrians. The transportation needs of Philadelphia are changing and my office is working hard to accommodate those changes. We’ve piloted bike lanes, transit improvements, parklets and other innovations. I am pleased to bring this latest pilot to our sidewalks.” Cutler added, “About every four hours a pedestrian in Philadelphia is struck by a car. The first thing one learns in kindergarten is to look both ways when crossing the street. Pedestrians have an important role to play in keeping themselves safe on the street: use crosswalks, wait for cross signals, turn down music and look up from electronic devices when crossing the street. At the end of the day we just want to get everyone home safely.”
Photos and video will be posted at: http://phillymotu.wordpress.com/
Pro-bono video concept and production services provided by MRB Films
(www.mrbfilms.com)

Pro –bono graphic design services provided by George Awad Design (http://www.georgeawad.com)

Joint Statement of Mayor Nutter and US Airways CEO Doug Parker on the Proposed Capacity Enhancement Program for Philadelphia International Airport

Philadelphia, March 19, 2012 – Over the past weeks, we had very productive meetings and the opportunity to talk openly about the proposed Capacity Enhancement Program for Philadelphia International Airport. We discussed the City’s and the airline’s aspirations for the airport as well as the concerns expressed by the airlines serving Philadelphia, and agreed that our paramount objective was to conclude an agreement on a long term airport lease that includes a road map for continuing to modernize PHL and expanding capacity to accommodate the growth of the region’s economy and the increase in demand for airline service.

Although there are issues that remain to be resolved, there are many areas of agreement. US Airways has reiterated its commitment to continue to serve the Philadelphia region, provided the cost of operating at PHL remains affordable, and to continue to support the development of the airport to improve efficiency and travelers’ experience. The City has recognized the expansion of US Airways’ Philadelphia-based network over the past decade and the value of having a major airline hub at PHL. And the Administration wants US Airways, with 6,500 local employees, to continue to be one of the region’s largest employers and supporters of social and cultural causes. The City and US Airways want to move forward with capital improvement projects for which there is agreement on funding.

As we continue to discuss airfield improvements, we will continue to jointly lobby the Federal Aviation Administration to accelerate improvements to find a solution to the congestion in the region’s crowded airspace.

We agreed to continue to dedicate the time and resources necessary to achieve our mutual objectives and the City and airlines will continue to meet on a regular basis.

“We value our partnership with US Airways and having them work with us to help build this region’s future.” said Mayor Michael A. Nutter.

“We welcome the Mayor’s involvement in the lease negotiations and review of the expansion proposals and want to jointly express our appreciation to the civic and business community leaders that have assisted in the development of this process” US Airways Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Doug Parker said. “We look forward to all working together to maintain PHL’s status as one of the best airports in the United States.”

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US Airways: US Airways, along with US Airways Shuttle and US Airways Express, operates more than 3,200 flights per day and serves more than 200 communities in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Central and South America. The airline employs more than 32,000 aviation professionals worldwide and is a member of the Star Alliance network, which offers its customers more than 21,000 daily flights to 1,290 airports in 189 countries. Together with its US Airways Express partners, the airline serves approximately 80 million passengers each year and operates hubs in Charlotte, N.C., Philadelphia and Phoenix, and a focus city in Washington, D.C. at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. US Airways was the only airline included as one of the 50 best companies to work for in the U.S. by LATINA Style magazine’s 50 Report for 2010 and 2011. The airline also earned a 100 percent rating on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality index for six consecutive years. The Corporate Equality index is a leading indicator of companies’ attitudes and policies toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees and customers. US Airways also ranked #1 among its competing hub-and-spoke network carriers for 2010 performance as rated by the Wichita State University/Purdue University Airline Quality Rating (AQR). For more company information visit usairways.com, follow on Twitter @USAirways or at Facebook.com/USAirways.

report is available under the reports section of the OIG’s website: www.phila.gov/oig.

 

Mayor Nutter Releases Lazard Study Recommending Strategic Sale of PGW

Philadelphia, February 13, 2012 – Mayor Michael A. Nutter released a detailed analysis recommending that the City of Philadelphia “pursue a process to transfer ownership and operation of PGW to a private entity via a strategic sale,” according to a 48-page study by Lazard, a financial advisor hired by the City of Philadelphia.

“The time is right to consider a sale of the Philadelphia Gas Works. The Lazard study indicates that a strategic sale of PGW likely would result in a net profit for the City, while meeting a set of conditions the City would place on a would-be buyer and maintaining quality service and reasonable rates. The prudent next step is to begin the lengthy process of testing the market.”

The study also concluded that pursuing a management services agreement – essentially a long-term lease to a private company – would not lead to any significant liability reduction or risk transfer for the City.

Among the conditions that the City would place upon a sale are the following:

The Customer Responsibility Program mandated by the Pennsylvania PUC for low-income residents would be maintained;
The Senior Citizen discount program would be maintained in its current form;
A rate freeze through August 2016;
Corporate headquarters and a specified minimum number of employees would remain in Philadelphia for a period of time;
Dedicated trust funds for any PUC-granted rate recovery for employee benefits would be maintained or established;
Current employee contracts would be honored.
The next step for the City is to retain advisors to perform the detailed due diligence and prepare documentation for a sale process. The sale process itself would likely entail multiple rounds of bidding and negotiations before a final agreement could be reached. Such a process will likely take 6 to 12 months to reach a signing of a definitive agreement, plus up to an additional 12 months to receive required Pennsylvania PUC approvals to close the transaction.

At the conclusion of the process, the City would enter into a binding agreement to sell based on a sale offer that exceeds the value to the City under its current ownership structure and adheres to the conditions set by the City. A sale would require the introduction of legislation in Philadelphia City Council and final passage.

Mayor Nutter Announces Carton Recycling

Philadelphia, December 14, 2011 –Mayor Michael A. Nutter, the Philadelphia Streets Department and the Carton Council announced today that food and beverage cartons are now recyclable as a part of the City’s residential curbside recycling program. With this new service, nearly all household containers used by residents are now recyclable.

The City is bringing carton recycling to its residents in a public private partnership with the Carton Council, a group of carton manufacturers united to deliver long term collaborative solutions in order to divert valuable cartons from the landfill. Philadelphia’s recycling diversion rate, the amount of materials diverted from the waste stream, currently stands at nearly 20 percent, reaching rates of more than 25 percent in some neighborhoods of the city.

“Philadelphia is committed to becoming the greenest city in America, and our recycling program is a leading component in this effort,” said Mayor Nutter. “We are proud to partner with the Carton Council to bring recycling innovation to our residents. This collaboration shows what can happen when government and companies work to create successful public-private partnerships. I am proud to be the mayor of a city with individuals and organizations that are dedicated to creating clean and green neighborhoods.”

Beginning immediately, residential households can place all empty, clean and dry food and beverage cartons in their recycling bins. Commonly used carton containers include milk and juice cartons, along with soup and broth, soy milk, eggnog and wine cartons.

The addition of cartons to the curbside recycling program will enable residents to earn more Philadelphia Recycling Rewards points and properly dispose of commonly used holiday materials.

“Adding cartons to your recycling bin is a great way to earn more Recycling Rewards points, which can be redeemed during the holiday season to purchase gifts for your friends and family,” said Streets Commissioner Clarena I. W. Tolson. “Also during this time of year, people are increasingly using carton materials- such as eggnog, broth and wine cartons- for their festive recipes and gatherings. Now is the perfect time to introduce this to the city so we can allow residents to fully take advantage of all of the benefits that this program has.”
The Carton Council’s collaboration with the City of Philadelphia serves as a model for how other cities can promote and implement carton recycling in their communities. The Carton Council acted as a facilitator to help the City achieve its goal to add carton recycling to its curbside programs. A key step was working with the City’s recycling processors to ensure cartons would be marketable as a recyclable commodity before they would be added to the City’s program. The Carton Council provided technical and financial support for equipment upgrades for processing the cartons. The Carton Council is also supporting City staff as they raise awareness and disseminate information on carton recycling to local residents that use the City’s recycling services.

“Carton recycling is a win for Philadelphia’s residents and the environment,” said Derric Brown, Director of Sustainability for Evergreen Packaging, a Carton Council member. “We are committed to working with more cities to take the important step of expanding their recycling programs to keep cartons out of the landfills and into the recycling bin.”

For more information on the City of Philadelphia’s recycling programs, please visit the Streets Department’s website and social media pages at www.philadelphiastreets.com, www.facebook.com/PhilaStreets, www.facebook.com/UnLitterUs, www.twitter.com/PhilaStreets and www.twitter.com/UnLitterUs.

About the Carton Council
The Carton Council is a group of carton manufacturer united to deliver long term collaborative solutions in order to divert valuable cartons from the landfill. The members of the Carton Council are Elopak, Evergreen Packaging, SIG/SIG Combibloc and Tetra Pak. They are working with local government officials, recycling facilities, paper mills and communities across the United States to build a robust system to recycle liquid food and beverage carton packages.

Mayor Nutter, U.S. Transportation Secretary Lahood To Make Major Transportation Funding Announcement

WHO: Mayor Michael A. Nutter
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood
WHAT: Mayor Nutter and U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood will make a major announcement on transportation funding.
WHERE: City Hall, Mayor’s Reception Room, Room 202
WHEN: Thursday, December 15, 2011 9:30 a.m.

RINA CUTLER NAMED 2011 PUBLIC WORKS LEADER OF THE YEAR BY AMERICAN CITY AND COUNTY MAGAZINE

Philadelphia, September 15, 2011 – Deputy Mayor for Transportation and Public Utilities Rina Cutler has been named the 2011 Public Works Leader of the Year by Penton’s American City and County Magazine. This award is given annually to those who demonstrate outstanding leadership in public works. Deputy Mayor Cutler has been instrumental in the completion of the South Street Bridge, the expansion of Philadelphia’s green infrastructure, the addition of bike lanes, and the increase in recycling rates, according to the magazine’s release.

“I could not be more proud of Deputy Mayor Rina Cutler,” said Mayor Michael A. Nutter. “The City is lucky to have such a knowledgeable, visionary and passionate individual leading Philadelphia’s transportation, infrastructure and greening efforts. Deputy Mayor Cutler understands how to get things done. She has helped transform Philadelphia into a more beautiful city while reducing costs and improving efficiency in her departments.”

Deputy Mayor Cutler added, “I am honored to be recognized as the Public Works Leader of the year by American City and County Magazine. The work we are doing to make Philadelphia a more livable, sustainable and economically dynamic city would not be possible without the leadership of Mayor Nutter, our Streets and Water commissioners, our Airport CEO and the tireless work of thousands of City employees. We have done some amazing work in the last several years including the South Street Bridge, a strong focus on green infrastructure, expanding the bike lane network, launching an airport capacity enhancement program and a spectacular gateway mural at the Philadelphia International Airport. We will continue to work hard at being innovative and meeting the needs of Philadelphians.”

Deputy Mayor Cutler was appointed to the job by Mayor Michael Nutter in March, 2008. She is responsible for the coordination and oversight of all transportation functions in the City of Philadelphia. In addition, Ms. Cutler oversees the operations of a variety of City agencies including the Streets Department, the Philadelphia Water Department, the Philadelphia International Airport, and the City’s interests with a variety of transportation agencies including SEPTA, the Philadelphia Parking Authority, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission and the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority.

Prior to returning to Philadelphia, Ms. Cutler was the Deputy Secretary for Administration at PennDOT since 2003. In addition, Ms. Cutler served for almost 2 years as the Acting District Executive at PennDOT for the 5 county Philadelphia region. Her prior experience includes Transportation Commissioner for the City of Boston, the Director of Parking and Traffic for the City of San Francisco and the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Parking Authority.

The subscribers of American City & County submit nominations for the Public Works Leader of the Year Award. The magazine’s editorial staff selects the award’s recipient each year.

American City & County has been the voice of state and local governments since 1909. The magazine serves a nationwide audience of city, county and state officials who are charged with developing and implementing local government policy, programs, and projects. American City & County is published monthly by Penton. For more information about the magazine, visit www.americancityandcounty.com