Smoking out a ban and budget

It seems Mayor John Street and City Council members finally reached common ground – to a point.

Pleased with Street’s allocation of funds for next year’s city budget, Council approved his $3.5 billion plan that, among other things, would restore funding for local libraries and fire departments. These cuts in services spurred an onslaught of opposition from residents.

Yet the mayor is not too keen on the new amendments to the smoking-ban bill, a prohibition he initially supported when Fourth District Councilman Michael Nutter introduced the legislation in February.

Council will take final votes on both matters today.

Amendments light ban’s fire

With help from First District Councilman Frank DiCicco, Nutter drafted amendments to his initial smoking-ban bill, hoping the additions will make the legislation more palatable for all Council members.

In March, Nutter halted ruling on the bill for fear of a split vote, an act that would have defeated the measure.

Though revisions are in place, the legislation still aims to protect the health of bar and restaurant employees.

Included in the three amendments is the exemption of sidewalk cafés as smoke-free zones.

"If we’re going to prohibit people from smoking indoors, why would we not allow them to smoke in an outdoor café?" posed DiCicco. "Sidewalk cafés are very important to the vitality of our nightlife and for people that still want to smoke. Everything is based on whether the establishment wants to extend the ban, but government’s role should not go beyond the interior of a building."

Such changes persuaded the councilman to support the smoking ban, which he initially opposed, as did Council President Anna Verna and Councilman-at-Large Jim Kenney.

Another amendment exempts dining establishments and bars where food accounts for less than 10 percent of gross sales. Owners can apply for a temporary waiver that permits patrons to light up until January 2008.

After discussing the food sale percentage for two weeks with fellow Council members, DiCicco, initially opting for a higher percentage, agreed to the current figure.

Unlike neighborhood "shot and beer joints," private clubs can seek a permanent waiver for the ban, the councilman said.

However, these establishments must meet the definition of a private club outlined in the state’s liquor code. Also, two-thirds of the board or membership must vote on the waiver.

"If an individual opts to join a private club and pay his or her dues, they know what the rules and regulations are," said DiCicco. "If that club permits smoking, they can always join another club."

As entire countries continue to go smoke-free, the councilman believes New Jersey and Pennsylvania legislators also will "enact something sooner rather than later."

Last week, Street took a jab at the bill’s revisions, noting he did not participate in dialogue surrounding the amendments.

Back to full volume

Library patrons understand the need for silence when frequenting their local branch. But tell them their favorite library is slated for a reduction in staff and operating hours and these quiet mice turn into roaring lions.

After months of public opposition surrounding these cuts, Street proposed to add $3.5 million to the library system’s budget.

The money will offset the current reductions and "bring us where we were in January," said DiCicco.

Under the mayor’s original plan, 20 branches were to adopt "express service," opening only from 1-5 p.m. weekdays. As a tradeoff, all 55 branches would implement Saturday hours. Librarians holding a master’s degree in library science were replaced with a full-time non-professional supervisor to oversee part-time assistants.

The funds would ideally be used to restore the hours and staff at the affected branches, including the Santore (formerly Southwark) Library, 932 S. Seventh St., and Queen Memorial Library, 1201 S. 23rd St. While the Fumo Family Library, 2437 S. Broad St., was slated for express service, a court order prohibited the transition.

Amy Dougherty, executive director for the Friends of the Free Library, noted City Council freed $1 million for library funding in the last budget, but was uncertain of how the mayor’s office spent it.

Yet, she remains hopeful the new funds will go to the neighborhoods.

"It looks like the mayor is on board with this and that the money does get spent," said Dougherty, who noted 20,000 signatures were gathered to protest the cuts.

Once the new budget takes effect July 2, Dougherty anticipates the express branches will make a speedy return to full-service libraries.

Fire rescue

Once threatened by closures, two local fire companies soon could reap the benefits of increased city funding.

Street’s budget will restore $3.4 million to the Fire Department, roughly half the amount the city originally intended to slash. Ladder 11, 12th and Reed streets, and Engine 1, Broad and Fitzwater streets, were set for closure.

Since last summer, DiCicco joined neighbors in stressing the need for the companies.

Under the new budget, the councilman said the "proposed cuts will not be as dramatic as originally intended."

Brian Abernathy, the councilman’s legislative assistant, said, "while we know that some companies will be restored, we’re not sure which ones. We hope the commissioner will make that decision sometime this week."

Council also agreed on two new taxes to help increase the city’s revenue.

A tax on billboard transactions and licensing fees could generate $5 million annually, and members of the valet parking industry, which receives its fees from customers, will be assessed a parking tax.

While the valet parking industry pays a fee to use certain parking garages, the remainder of the money is untaxed, noted DiCicco.

"They’ve been getting away with murder as far as I’m concerned," he said. "We’re not collecting those taxes and we should be."