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THE PHILADELPHIA PLAN

FREE SPEECH - LET'S TALK!

We believe in the Full Enforcement of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act, and therefore, we support the following:

• That all meetings of City Council, its Committees, and City Departments allow public comments on any subject that may concern that government body, and NOT restrict public comments to "agenda items only", per federal and state laws.

• That all proposed legislation (bills & resolutions), communications from the Mayor & others, plus invited guests including the Mayor, should be listed on the Agenda; and that no voting should be allowed on legislation that was introduced that same day, unless it is a true emergency where there is an imminent life-threatening danger to others.

• That every City Council Committee hold an in-person public meeting open to public comments at least once a month.

• That every City Department hold an in-person public meeting open to public comments at least once a month.

• That congratulatory resolutions and street name-changes are scheduled for a separate meeting on another day, as they interfere with the serious atmosphere necessary to carrying out "the peoples' business".

• That public comments shall be no less than 2 minutes.

• NEW IDEA! That every elected city official and department home webpage display a "comment section" that can be read by the public and can be used by any Philadelphia resident who registers and includes their name and address for public display (in order to stop bots). This is a unique suggestion that will empower citizens to monitor and comment on their government in a public manner that will, hopefully, encourage improvement in government affairs.

     THINGS YOU CAN DO:

  Apr 21, 2026: Proposal to Make Public Meetings Legal Under The Sunshine Act!  (Contact city council, whose emails are listed on the email, and request that they support it.)

Philadelphia City Government's SUNSHINE ACT VIOLATIONS: See Attorney George Bochetto's 2024  letter to City Council detailing most of these violations. (We need attorneys willing to sue pro bono.)

CITY HALL "Regulars":  Join us in attending City Council & city department meetings and provide moral and physical support for our fellow colleagues and our agenda. We also follow legislation, lobby council members, and make recommendations to our members and the public. Not all City Council committees meet monthly, although they should, in order to give the public an opportunity to "air their grievances". Nor do all City Departments meeting monthly, or at all, as in the case of Parks and Recreation, who have "community outreach" events, which do not meet the legal standard as "public meetings", and as such, have resulted in lawsuits. Here are some City Departments that do meet:

• City Council: Stated meetings usually occur on Thursdays, at Room 400, City Hall, 10-1 pm, also check out committee meetings. Check out City Council Calendar. There is a sign-up sheet inside the entrance of city council if you want to make a public comment. Or you can call in the previous day before 3 pm 215-686-3406 - https://phlcouncil.com/offering-public-comment-at-council-sessions-temp.  Keep your comments to 2 minutes, even though sometimes they allow 3 minutes. Having prepared comments on paper is a good idea. You want to make the best use of your time.

• Philadelphia Board of Education: "Action meetings" usually occur on the 4th Thursday, 4-7 pm, 440 N. Broad Street. See details. They are also limiting the number of public speakers (which is illegal under the Sunshine Act), so you will want to sign up early.

• City Planning Commission: Third Thursday of each month at 1 p.m..

• Art Commission: Second Wednesday of the month.

• Historical Commission: Monthly meetings (often second Friday) in a hybrid format.

• Board of Pensions and Retirement: Monthly investment/benefit meetings, with upcoming sessions on April 23 and May 28, 2026.

• Board of Health: Regular meetings typically occur monthly.

• Commission on Human Relations: Third Friday of each month at 9:30 a.m..

• Board of Ethics: Monthly meetings, with agendas available online.

FYI...

Philadelphia City Council "26" Standing-Committees Check meetings CALENDAR  - type name of committee in search

Philadelphia City Government  "126" City Departments

Whole Council Rules Finance Appropriations Law and Government Public Property and Public Works Streets and Services Licenses and Inspections Labor and Civil Service Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Commerce and Economic Development Transportation and Public Utilities Public Health and Human Services Public Safety Education Ethics Fiscal Stability and Intergovernmental Cooperation Legislative Oversight Housing, Neighborhood Development and the Homeless Technology and Information Services Environment People With Disabilities and Special Needs Global Opportunities and the Creative/Innovative Economy Intergenerational Affairs and Aging Children and Youth Neighborhood Services

Administrative Board Air Pollution Control Board Board of Building Standards Board of Ethics Board of Health Board of Labor Standards Board of License and Inspection Review Board of Pensions and Retirement Board of Revision of Taxes Board of Safety and Fire Prevention Board of Surveyors Bureau of Administrative Adjudication COVID-19 Recovery Office Capital Program Office Citizens Police Oversight Commission City Treasurer’s Office CityGeo Civil Service Commission Community Life Improvement Program Creative Philadelphia Delaware River Waterfront Corporation Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services Department of Commerce Department of Fleet Services Department of Human Services Department of Labor Department of Licenses and Inspections Department of Planning and Development Department of Public Health Department of Public Property Department of Records Department of Revenue Department of Sanitation Department of Streets Division of Criminal Justice Division of Development Services Division of Housing and Community Development Division of Reentry Division of Safe Neighborhoods Educational Nominating Panel Fair Housing Commission Faith-Based and Interfaith Affairs First Judicial District of Pennsylvania Free Library of Philadelphia Health and Human Services Kenney Administration (2016-2023) Law Department Managing Director's Office Mayor's Commission on Aging Mayor's Office of Black Male Engagement Mayor's Office of Constituency Engagement Mayor's Office of Education Mayor's Office of Engagement for Women Mayor's Office of Policy Planning and Delivery Mayor's Office of Public Engagement Mayor's Office of Youth Engagement Medical Examiner's Office Mural Arts Philadelphia Office for People with Disabilities Office of Administrative Review Office of Business Impact and Economic Advancement Office of Children and Families Office of Clean and Green Initiatives Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office of Domestic Violence Strategies Office of Emergency Management Office of Homeless Services Office of Human Resources Office of Immigrant Affairs Office of Innovation and Technology Office of Integrated Data for Evidence and Action Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs Office of Philly Stat 360 Office of Property Assessment Office of Public Safety Office of Risk Management Office of Special Events Office of Sustainability Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems Office of the Chief Administrative Officer Office of the Chief Integrity Officer Office of the City Commissioners Office of the City Controller Office of the City Representative Office of the Director of Finance Office of the Inspector General Office of the Mayor Office of the Sheriff Office of the Victim Advocate Office of the Youth Ombudsperson PHLgovTV Philadelphia Airport Philadelphia Art Commission Philadelphia City Council Philadelphia City Planning Commission Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations Philadelphia Department of Prisons Philadelphia District Attorney's Office Philadelphia Fire Department Philadelphia Gas Commission Philadelphia Historical Commission Philadelphia Housing Authority Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation Philadelphia Land Bank Philadelphia Parking Authority Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Philadelphia Police Department Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority Philadelphia Regional Office of Emergency Medical Services Philadelphia Veterans Advisory Commission Philadelphia Water Department Philly311 Plumbing Advisory Board Procurement Department Register of Wills SEPTA School District of Philadelphia Service Design Studio Sinking Fund Commission Solid Waste and Recycling Advisory Committee Tax Review Board Town Watch Integrated Services Water, Sewer & Storm Water Rate Board Zoning Board of Adjustment

* This Committee covers City Council Committees: Law & Government, Ethics