Moves on the Board: Week of October 13 - 17, 2025
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♟️CITY OF PHILADELPHIA
Parker Administration
Mayor Parker made several appearances this past weekend as the Navy and Marine Corps celebrated its 250th Birthday with a gala, parade, and fireworks display. Later in the week, the Mayor honored the grand opening of the Philadelphia Department of Prisons Reentry Center, bringing together community partners to showcase the city's bold commitment to second chances and empowering successful transitions for people reentering society after incarceration.
Mayor Parker took center stage at the Tuesday Night Live Program event, showcasing dynamic live performances while highlighting how the city is energizing its small business community and strengthening the nightlife sector as a thriving driver of hospitality and tourism.
Mayor Parker marked a major milestone, celebrating the Mann Center’s groundbreaking ceremony for its plaza reconstruction—part of an exciting anniversary celebration ahead of its 50th Birthday in 2026. The venue also announced a transformative naming partnership with Highmark Insurance, unveiling the newly branded Highmark Mann Center for the Performing Arts.
On Wednesday, city leaders mobilized across multiple agencies—including the Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems (OTIS), Safe Routes Philly, and Vision Zero Philadelphia—to rally students, teachers, and staff at the School District of Philadelphia for the 29th National Walk & Roll to School Day. This nationwide event, organized by the National Center for Safe Routes to School (NCSRS), reinvigorates the push for active transportation and healthy commuting habits among young people.
Thursday brought two significant celebrations. Mayor Parker joined Project HOME to break ground on House of Grace, the organization's newest permanent supportive residence, transforming lives for people exiting homelessness. The 45-unit residence represents a powerful expansion of critical housing resources and community impact.
That same evening, Chief Public Safety Director Adam Geer, Council President Johnson, and Councilmember Gauthier convened at the Hilton for the Office of Public Safety's second annual Anti-Violence Community Partnership Grant Conference and Gala. The event galvanized violence prevention leaders and directly addressed the financial barriers these vital community organizations face in their essential work.
Philadelphia City Council
The Committee on Commerce & Economic Development held a hearing to discuss Bill No. 250646, which adds minimum training requirements, to be certified by the City and conducted by non-profit organization for security officers. This legislation has concerned business owners due to increased costs to their operations and interference with their own practices. During the hearing, an amendment was offered by Councilmember Driscoll on behalf of Councilmember Thomas. The committee adopted the amendment and subsequently voted unanimously to report the bill out of committee with a favorable recommendation. Councilmember Thomas has indicated he is open to further amending his bill prior to final passage to addess concerns voiced by multiple parties.
The Committee on Technology and Information Services held a hearing at PhillyCAM’s headquarters to explore how Philadelphia businesses are incorporating artificial intelligence technologies and how Philadelphia’s city government can prepare for its impact across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
City Council held a jam-packed session with all members dressed in purple to honor the month of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Additionally, interns from the Community College of Philadelphia shadowing Councilmembers actively participated in their government by shadowing Councilmembers throughout the legislative session. Wanda Sykes made a special appearance along with other prominent women as Councilmember Kendra Brooks honored the Philadelphia Sisters and the existing and growing women’s sports teams and spectators in Philadelphia. The session ended with a lengthy public comment period that heard from activists with perspectives on all sides of the city’s longstanding bike lane implementation plans..
Here are the highlights of new legislation introduced during the Council session:
Hearing Resolutions
Resolution 250895 (Councilmember Thomas) - Authorizing the Philadelphia City Council Committee of the Whole to hold hearings to discuss the current state of Philadelphia school facilities, how the School District evaluates those facilities, and what the educational facilities needs are for the school district today and in the future
Resolution 250896 (Councilmember Thomas) - Authorizing the Committee on Legislative Oversight and the Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities to hold joint hearings to investigate the rising costs of energy bills, what is driving those increases, and what the city can and cannot do to address energy costs.
Resolution 250902 (Councilmember Landau) - Authorizing the Committee on Technology and Information Services to hold hearings exploring the context of data center development and operations in the Philadelphia region, the demand for technology infrastructure to support increased use of digital services, and the impacts of its development on Philadelphia's communities
Resolutions
Resolution 250892 (Councilmember Phillips) - Approving Rebuild Project Statement for FY26 as Council must authorize the expenditure of proceeds of the sale of Rebuild bonds
Ordinances
Bill 250888 (Councilmember Thomas) - Amending Title 9 to regulate third-party restaurant reservation apps from arranging unauthorized restaurant reservations with food service establishments and to provide for definitions, prohibited acts, penalties, and enforcement.
Bill 250889 (Councilmember Young) - Exempts certain residential customers from penalties and interest for late payment of water and sewer rent charges.
Bill 250890 (Councilmember Bass) - Prohibits unlawful trading, theft and trafficking of Catalytic Converters as well as other vehicle parts containing precious metals along with an increase in penalties for these actions.
Next Week’s Moves
Coming Up:
Monday, October 20: The Committee on Licenses and Inspections will meet to discuss four bills related to nuisance business enforcement, bag fees at retail establishments, penalties associated with stop work and cease operations orders, and public utility meter regulations for rental properties.
Tuesday, October 21: The Committee on Rules will meet to discuss 13 bills related to zoning and planning. They will also be discussing Bill 250804, which would impose new zoning restrictions on the development of properties in University City. This legislation, as introduced, targets all colleges or universities located in the Third District as well as specific uses affiliated with those organizations and seeks to add additional requirements on top of the existing zoning process.
♟️COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
Shapiro Administration
Governor Josh Shapiro and First Lady Lori Shapiro made a statement Tuesday morning after the man who attempted to assassinate the Shapiro family earlier this year pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison. The Governor’s emotional remarks can be found here.
Governor Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding visited a local farm in Lebanon to celebrate the milestone of preserving over 6,500 farms and 650,000 acres of farmland throughout the Commonwealth. This achievement marks Pennsylvania as the state with the most preserved farmland in the country.
The Shapiro administration announced a major investment across 23 counties to support drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater projects in the Commonwealth. The administration will invest $547.1 million for 30 projects that will replace lead service lines and upgrade critical infrastructure in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced the expansion of the Law Enforcement Treatment Initiative (LETI) to include behavioral health and mental health services. The PA LETI program allows Pennsylvanians seeking treatment to contact their local law enforcement and county officials to be transferred to their needed services. Lebanon County is the 34th county in the Commonwealth to launch this program, and the first to include mental health support.
📰 Updates from the Governor’s Newsroom
♟️PENNSYLVANIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The House of Representatives and Senate were not in session this week. The Senate is scheduled to return to Harrisburg for a voting session next week on Monday, October 20, to Wednesday, October 22.
Next Week’s Moves
Both the House of Representatives and the State Senate will return to session the week of October 28.
♟️On The Trail: Pennsylvania’s 2026 Elections
State Races
There weren’t any major announcements for 2026 state or congressional races this week. Stay tuned for a special edition next week as the Bellevue team breaks down the upcoming election on Tuesday, November 4.