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Broad Street Brief: City Announces Reopening Plan; Airport Worker Legislation Introduced; Budget Hearings Continue

May 13, 2021

City Hall

City Announces Reopening Plan

On Tuesday, the Kenney administration announced that it would be lifting pandemic related restrictions on businesses. Restaurants, offices, casinos, museums, and other indoor venues will have increased capacity limits beginning May 21. On June 11, all capacity restrictions will be lifted and the mask mandate will remain in place. You can read more about the forthcoming guidelines here.

Airport Worker Legislation Introduced

On Thursday, Councilmember Johnson introduced legislation that would allow certain contract workers at the Philadelphia International Airport to receive up to $15.06 an hour, which is an additional $4.54 hourly wage supplement that enables workers to obtain health insurance and up to 56 hours of annual paid sick leave. Twelve of the 16 other councilmembers co-sponsored this bill, and it will be in front of the Committee on Labor and Civil Service on Thursday, May 20 at 1:00 p.m. You can watch the hearing here. For more information on this legislation, please contact a member of the Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies team.

Budget Hearings Continue

Several city departments testified in front of City Council this week — including the School District of Philadelphia, Community College of Philadelphia, and the Philadelphia Police Department. Councilmembers questioned how the district plans to welcome students back to in-person learning, and significant time was dedicated to discussing the Kenney administration’s plans to reform police operations and reduce the use of force.

Budget negotiations between City Council and the Kenney administration will ramp up in the coming weeks. Independent elected offices will testify on Wednesday, May 19 in front of City Council, and City Council will hold callbacks for additional questioning of city departments on May 24 and May 26.

Suburban Spotlight

Montgomery County Seeks Public Input on Comprehensive Plan

The Montgomery County Planning Commission released proposed updates to its comprehensive plan called Montco2040: A Shared Vision. Changes were primarily made to development and land use proposals, and a public meeting will be held on Monday, May 24 to seek community input. In addition, the county also recently published its housing report that examines housing affordability in Montgomery County and lists recommendations to help solve affordability challenges.

Authors

About Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies

Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, an affiliate of the international law firm Cozen O’Connor, is a bipartisan government relations practice representing clients before the federal government and in cities and states throughout the country. With offices in Washington D.C., Richmond, Albany, New York City, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Chicago, and Santa Monica, the firm’s public strategies professionals offer a full complement of government affairs services, including legislative and executive branch advocacy, policy analysis, assistance with government procurement and funding programs, and crisis management. Its client base spans multiple industries, including healthcare, transportation, hospitality, education, construction, energy, real estate, entertainment, financial services, and insurance.

About Cozen O’Connor

Established in 1970, Cozen O’Connor has over 775 attorneys who help clients manage risk and make better business decisions. The firm counsels clients on their most sophisticated legal matters in all areas of the law, including litigation, corporate, and regulatory law. Representing a broad array of leading global corporations and middle-market companies, Cozen O’Connor serves its clients’ needs through 31 offices across two continents.

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