‘How should Philadelphia define a nightclub?’ and other things Philly City Council considered this week | Council roundup

Maybe you assumed nightclubs would not be a topic of conversation in Philadelphia City Council, where the median age is 54. You would be wrong.

Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, who at age 39 is basically an elder millennial, introduced legislation Thursday modifying the city’s definition of “nightclub” and creating new commercial districts for nightlife businesses.

That bill was among just a handful of pieces of legislation that advanced in Council this week. That’s not necessarily out of the ordinary — the general election is in five days, and every seat will be on the ballot (though only a few members are in competitive races).

Let’s get caught up on what went down during this week’s session.

Changing the definition of nightclub: Thomas’ bill, called “Define the Night,” was written in partnership with Raheem Manning, the city’s director of the nighttime economy, a.k.a. the Night Mayor. The goal is to better define different types of establishments so that regulations can be more accurately tailored to businesses.

In this case, the legislation would revise the definition of “nightclubs and private clubs” and create a new use category called “event assembly facility.”

The definition shift has several purposes. One is to separate private clubs from public spaces such as bars and dance clubs. The other is to make the definitions more specific so that restaurants can, for example, have a DJ or band play over dinner without being designated as a nightclub and having to abide by a different set of regulations.

“This bill is going to put us in a position to change the classification and zoning ordinances around different establishments that serve food and offer other levels of entertainment,” Thomas said, “to hopefully try to give them more flexibility.”

Honoring YEAH Philly: Councilmember Kendra Brooks, of the Working Families Party, introduced a resolution honoring the West Philadelphia-based Youth Empowerment for Advancement Hangout, also known as YEAH Philly. The nonprofit provides teenagers with a safe place to hang out, operates a free neighborhood food market, and advocates for improvements to the juvenile justice system.

“Their work is a model for the kind of deep investments in young people that we need in every corner of our city,” Brooks said, specifically naming founders Kendra Van de Water and James Aye.

“There aren’t many advocates as credible as they are,” said Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, who represents parts of West Philadelphia. “I just really appreciate the authenticity with which they carry out their work.”

Brooks introduced the legislation just weeks after Aye was arrested in a city courtroom, where he was advocating on behalf of an 18-year-old probationer. Brooks had said previously she was “disappointed and frustrated” by the arrest.

City Solicitor Diana Cortes: Council members gave a standing ovation to Cortes, the city’s top attorney and its first-ever Latina solicitor, whose last day with the administration will be next week. She is leaving to take a job on the litigation team at Morgan Lewis.

Council members highlighted Cortes’ work on guns, including lawsuits against ghost gun manufacturers and shops the city says illegally sold firearms to straw purchasers. They also noted Cortes’ work on the city’s settlement agreement with opioid manufacturers.

Cortes testified in Council with her young daughter, Sophia, by her side.

“Our work together has helped improve the world for Sophia and all our children,” Cortes said, “and I am forever grateful.”

Supervised drug consumption site opponents: Several residents from Gauthier’s West Philadelphia district held signs and testified during Council about their opposition to supervised consumption sites.

Council last month passed legislation effectively banning the sites in nine of the city’s 10 Council districts — all except Gauthier’s. Because district Council members have power to make land-use decisions about their districts, each member could opt to have his or her district included in the legislation.

Gauthier thanked her constituents for testifying and said she’s “committed to continuing to work with you all on this matter.”

“I feel a sense of duty to figure this out in Council District 3,” she said. “This is not something that I’m going to give up on.”

The midyear transfer: Every year, City Council works with the administration to adjust the city budget halfway through the fiscal year to make up for unexpected changes to revenue and spending. The administration’s ordinances related to the midyear transfer were introduced Thursday. Council will negotiate the changes and vote on them in the coming weeks.

That was María Méndez, the 19-year-old coordinator of Juntos Podemos, a youth engagement and voting access initiative. Thomas introduced a resolution honoring Méndez for her work at Juntos, the immigrant justice organization based in South Philadelphia.