At our meeting held on August 4, 2020, the Executive committee took the following actions. Please see * below for bylaw provisions regarding executive committee decision making.
1. We voted Not to oppose the proposed Southern Land Development at 1608-20 Sansom Street. The entire board heard the presentation in June; there were few comments. A zoom public meeting was held in connection with our Major Development Task Force criteria and the CDR process--the task force recommended CCRA not oppose the development. Executive Committee accepted the recommendation of the task force. The report of the task force is attached.
2. Taney Street Name Change—Executive Committee agreed to support the process by which Taney Street will be renamed. Joshu Harris contacted CCRA about supporting a thorough inclusive process run by Councilmember Johnson. We agreed to join Fitler Square Neighbors and South of South Neighborhood Association in the community engagement process.
CCRA Background, In a previous e-newsletter, we had included a petition for our members to sign in support of the name change. The article that ran is here:
The neighborhood is alive with efforts to decry America's racist past, as reported in the Inquirer on 6/22. Protestors on Fitler Square's Taney Street expressed their commitment to change the name of the street, named after former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Roger Taney. Justice Taney wrote the majority opinion in Dred Scott vs. Sandford, in 1857. The decision held that Africans, enslaved or free, did not have standing to sue in federal court and that slaves were the property of their owners. Neighbors want the street renamed "to honor someone who has united the country rather than divided it, and who recognizes the important contributions of all Americans".
Click here to add your name to the Petition to Rename Taney Street
No member contacted us directly regarding the petition.
3. We voted to recommend a CCRA representative to join the Controller's Community Accountability Council
Information about the City Controller Accountability Council:
The City Controller is forming a Community Accountability Council to advise on its independent review of the City's handling of the George Floyd civil disturbances.
Maggie Mund is applying to be on this council representing CCRA.
If you would like to apply as well, applications are due by August 9. They're giving precedence to representatives of communities most directly affected by the unrest, and I certainly think we qualify. Here's the press release from July 27: https://controller.phila.gov/office-of-the-city-controller-creates-community-accountability-council-to-advise-on-offices-independent-review-of-the-citys-response-to-civil-unrest/. And here's the editorial in yesterday's Inquirer, which is how I found out about the program: https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/editorials/philly-controller-rhynhart-independent-review-city-unrest-response-20200731.html
Here's the application form: https://controller.phila.gov/about/opportunities/
*CCRA bylaws
The Executive Committee shall have full power to act on behalf of the corporation in all matters requiring attention between meetings of the Board. Whenever possible, such action of the Executive Committee should be made subject to ratification by the Board as soon as reasonably practicable. In such case, the Executive Committee shall as soon as reasonably possible notify the Board in writing of its proposed action. If, within two (2) business days of receipt of such notice, five (5) or more non-Executive Committee members of the Board who otherwise would be eligible to vote on the issue provide written notice of their disagreement with the proposed action, the proposed action shall be suspended until considered at the next meeting of the Board where such consideration is feasible. Motions made by the Executive Committee that are binding on the corporation require majority approval of the full Executive Committee.
