Food truck operators win dispute with Drexel University with help from City Hall | City Council roundup

Philadelphia City Council on Thursday unanimously approved a bill by Councilmember Jamie Gauthier that will allow food trucks to park overnight near Drexel University, ending a saga that saw the street vendors clash with the school.

Trucks have already been parking overnight in the area in question, but Drexel sought to crack down by enforcing a ban on them staying put.

» READ MORE: After a threatened crackdown, Drexel’s food trucks might survive after all

“When Drexel University decided to unjustly go after food trucks on their campus, I promised to take action to protect these vital small businesses,” Gauthier said in a video posted to social media Thursday. “We know street parking is in high demand on Drexel’s campus. That’s why food trucks warned that forcing them to move every day would be a death blow to their businesses.”

The bill now heads to Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s desk and is likely to become law, given its unanimous support on Council.

Down to the wire: Council has set up itself for a high-stakes week of negotiations.

Lawmakers are scheduled to adjourn for the summer on June 12, making Thursday’s meeting the last at which new legislation could be introduced and passed before they reconvene in September.

» READ MORE: Council takes up Mayor Cherelle Parker’s $800M housing bond request — with a catch

After a delay, Council on Thursday finally introduced legislation to approve Parker’s plan to issue $800 million in city bonds for her signature housing initiative — but members added an “oversight provision” that could give lawmakers an increased role in how the money gets spent.

Parker and Council now have about a week to finalize negotiations over a slew of high-profile measures — including the new city budget, wage and business tax rates, and Parker’s Housing Opportunities Made Easy, or H.O.M.E, initiative — before key committee meetings expected to be scheduled for next week.

» READ MORE: What you need to know about the Philly business ‘double tax’ that some city leaders are trying to kill

Council could add additional legislative sessions in June if lawmakers can’t reach a deal with the administration by then. The final deadline for the budget and tax bills is July 1, the start of the next fiscal year.

Council President Kenyatta Johnson said Thursday he was hopeful talks will wrap up by next week, but wouldn’t rule out the possibility of adding new sessions.

“My goal is still to be out of here by June 12th,” Johnson told reporters. “I’m optimistic.”

The H.O.M.E. bond bill could be a sticking point. Some Council members have expressed concern that the $800 million price tag is too large amid national economic uncertainty.

Parker’s team, however, has noted that other cities are also issuing bonds to support housing and community development programs amid fears that President Donald Trump’s administration could cut federal assistance.

“If anything, what’s going on at the federal level and the insecurity that creates for the people who live here make it even more important and more urgent that we move ahead and that we not kind of cut back on what we’re proposing,” Finance Director Rob Dubow said in an interview.

Transfer tax transfer: Council Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson on Thursday introduced legislation to allow deed fraud victims to receive refunds for real estate transfer taxes paid as part of illegal transactions.

Deed fraud and property theft is alarmingly common in Philadelphia, where thousands of homeowners have tangled titles that make it difficult to sort out who owns their parcels.

If approved, the bill would mean that victims would get refunds for money paid to the city by the fraudulent parties. Gilmore Richardson reasoned that victims will need that money as they fight to retain or regain ownership of their homes.

“Victims can easily spend thousands of dollars on attorney fees, court fees, and other related expenses,” Gilmore Richardson’s office said in a statement. “This bill would allow victims to recoup some of their costs while preventing the fraudulent party from requesting the refund.”

Philadelphia’s transfer tax is 3.278% of a property’s sale price or assessed value. Parker has proposed increasing it to 3.578% starting next year. Pennsylvania also assesses a 1% transfer tax.

Domb bomb: Allan Domb, a former Council member and mayoral candidate, will join the Center City District’s board of directors after lawmakers unanimously approved his appointment Thursday.

Domb, a real estate mogul whose 2023 bid in the Democratic mayoral primary largely emphasized his entrepreneurial background, will help govern CCD, a business improvement district that aims to keep Center City “clean, safe, and attractive.”

Known as the “Condo King,” Domb is considered one of the city’s biggest landlords. The Inquirer has previously estimated Domb’s real estate holdings at about $400 million. During his mayoral run, he poured more than $7 million into self-funding his bid as a centrist focused on protecting businesses and addressing poverty.

During his time in Council, Domb was involved in passing several significant pieces of legislation, including the creation of city wage tax exemption for low-income Philadelphians, streetery regulations, and a measure requiring appraisals for city buildings up for sale.

The Center City District levies a property assessment on downtown businesses and provides services, including street sweeping and operating Dilworth Park.

Domb served on CCD’s board before he ran for Council in 2015. Now he says that the business improvement district’s leadership has asked him to serve again, and that he is happy to return now that he has left politics.

“I have a lot more knowledge about the city and how it works and people who work for the city,” said Domb.

He praised CCD’s leader, Prema Katari Gupta, and specifically cited the Open Streets program as a successful example of the group’s leadership.

“Center City District has really done a phenomenal job,” said Domb. “They create fun for people. You gotta have fun.”

Staff writer Zoe Greenberg contributed to this article.