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Though he suffered two strokes, you can still occasionally find an active Anthony Cocco sweeping the sidewalks and streets on the 2500 block of South 19th Street.
"Sometimes I go all the way down the street," said Cocco, as he gracefully brushed his broom across the ground. "I at least clean the sidewalks."
The 86-year-old, who is for any new measure that would rid his block of excess trash, might be getting a helping hand in keeping his block clean.
Taking the lead from a similar measure in New York City, First District Councilman Frank DiCicco has introduced a bill that would make residents responsible for trash resting on 18 inches of road nearest the curb in front of their homes.
"I’m mirroring another major city and its attempt to improve the appearance of its neighborhoods, which, to me is a huge quality-of-life issue," DiCicco said. "When people are driving down a block and are in the market to buy a home, it’s a disincentive and a horrible reflection of those living on the block" if trash is strewn across the street.
Much to DiCicco’s dismay, the city nixed its short-lived street-sweeping program due to complaints about parking regulations. During past community meetings where residents vocalized their grievances with the program, he recalled them saying, "We don’t need this because we can take care of our own streets."
"I have not seen any improvement" since the street sweeping has ended," DiCicco said. "I think the streets are dirtier now than ever, generally speaking."
The task to clean these portions of roadway would take a few minutes a day and less time if done on a regular basis, he said.
DiCicco, noting the city does not have the funds to begin a manual street cleaning program, said filthy streets breed crime and send messages to criminals that "people don’t care" about their neighborhoods.
If the measure is approved, $25 fines would be administered by the Streets Department. Hearings on the bill were scheduled, but have been postponed to an indeterminate date.
Giving soldiers a break
With help from an elected official, certain residents serving in Iraq could return home with fewer burdens.
Councilman-at-Large James Kenney has introduced bills that would waive the city’s wage tax and the city portion of real estate taxes for certain soldiers. This exemption is designed for Reserve and National Guard members on active duty and not for full-time military personnel, Kenney said.
"It will not be for people who volunteered to be in the military," he said. "These are people who have been taken away from their jobs and [are] making a lot less money than they were making."
Kenney admitted the waivers would come at a price to the city.
"It will be a cost. It will also be a cost to those people who have been taken away from their homes, their city, their jobs," said Kenney, who estimated the cost stemming from the tax exemptions could top $2 million. "For the time they are serving their country, that’s the least the city can do."
With help from DiCicco, Kenney also introduced a resolution for revamping the Veterans’ Advisory Council, which he said has been inactive for years.
"It’s important that we have an advisory commission that would be an arm of government to assist veterans with the benefits they have coming to them," he said.
Hearings on the tax breaks are scheduled for Nov. 14.
Hearing an earful <
Dogs barking. Car alarms. Raucous house parties.
A new noise ordinance, introduced by DiCicco last month, may put an end to these and other pesky sounds that have become major nuisances for residents.
Instead of entering a complainant’s residence to take a decibel reading, the new ordinance would fine a business or residence if noise is heard within 100 feet of the property.
The new measure also gives more control to other city departments and not just the Health Department, which normally handles noise complaints.
"It gives the Department of Licenses and Inspections and the police broader powers to write the citations and at least get them involved in that process," DiCicco said.
Last year, the Health Department made a decision to repeal the current code – which DiCicco called "ambiguous" – and discuss the creation of a new one. Hearings on the matter have not been scheduled.
Stacks of support
Months of vocal and written opposition from library patrons and City Council members has culminated in the elimination of the city’s "express branches." Libraries forced to reduce their hours due to budget cuts will begin restoring operations to what they once were by month’s end.
The Santore (formerly Southwark) Library, 932 S. Seventh St., and the Queen Memorial Library, 1201 S. 23rd St., had adopted express service, opening only from 1 to 5 p.m. weekdays. The city also restructured staffing, having full-time nonprofessional supervisors oversee part-time assistants instead of librarians with master’s degrees in library science.
The Santore Library now will be open from noon to 8 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. The Queen Memorial Library will extend its hours from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays beginning Oct. 31.
With $3.5 million placed back in the Free Library of Philadelphia’s budget, each branch will soon house two accredited librarians, said Sandy Horrocks, vice president of communications and development for the Free Library of Philadelphia.
"It’s wonderful to have full service back in all the communities," said Horrocks, who noted Saturday hours should be implemented at all branches by mid-November. "It was never something we wanted to do."
Saturday hours from 1 to 5 p.m. have already begun at the South Philadelphia Library, 1700 S. Broad St.
DiCicco was jointly named "Politician of the Year" with Fourth District Councilman Michael Nutter by the "Library Journal" for the councilmen’s efforts to reverse the library cuts.
"We’re thrilled that library supporters rallied to have this return and that the mayor and City Council responded so positively," Horrocks said. "It’s a win-win situation for everyone."
