The rules of the Philadelphia City Council will not be suspended because you’re late.
By Denise Clay-Murray
Thursday was the first meeting of Philadelphia’s City Council for 2024.
Let me rephrase that. Thursday was the first meeting of Philadelphia’s City Council that actually included council business, the inauguration on Jan. 2 was the actual first meeting, but between the acceptance speeches, the swearings-in, and the myriad of choirs that performed that day, you could hardly call it a work session.
It was the first meeting presided over by new Council President Kenyatta Johnson and featured a group that was in many ways different than the councils that outgoing Council President Darrell Clarke presided over for 12 years.
And as Johnson has been telling all of us media types for months, it’s a new day.
Earlier this week, I spoke with Johnson’s communications director, Vincent Thompson, about how the whole “new day” ethos would manifest itself this term. For one thing, there will be no more virtual meetings. This means that the Council will be caucusing in the Caucus Room across from Council Chambers at 9:30 am.
It means that committee meetings will be held in person, and all of the folks who like to come to Council chambers to literally yell at their elected officials will now be able to do so.
It also means, according to Thompson, that Council will be starting promptly at 10 a.m.
To be honest, I didn’t think it would happen. But at around 9:45 a.m., the chamber started filling up with members of the legislative body. It kind of reminded me of the first day of school, only with older people in nicer clothes and protesters waiting to get in outside.
And at 10:01 a.m., Council President Kenyatta Johnson gaveled the session to order. Councilmember Kendra Brooks, the new minority leader, wasn’t present, but Minority Whip Nicolas O’Rourke was here on her behalf.
In a lot of ways, it kind of felt like the first day of school. Everyone was dressed up, and people you wouldn’t normally see at a Council meeting, like, for example, District Attorney Larry Krasner, were here.
And on my way in, I saw a bunch of folks protesting the Philadelphia 76ers request for a new stadium.
There were also lobbyists. And all of the Councilmembers got gifts, including something from the Philadelphia Eagles.
(Too easy…)
But what stands out to me is that this all started on time. When I spoke to Thompson, he said that would be the rule.
Now, I’m not sure I believe that. The budget is coming up. Other contentious issues will probably need to get hashed out in Caucus, which might make them have to start late.
But as of right now, I know that I have to get on the 8:08 a.m. train from Wilmington on Thursdays to make sure that I (a) have a seat so that I can type and (b) I don’t miss half of Council because I came in at 10:30 instead of 10 a.m.
I’m going to end this week’s column with two acknowledgments. One happy, one not so happy.
I’ll start with the happy one first. During Thursday’s Council meeting, Councilmember Curtis Jones introduced a resolution honoring several Living Legends here in the city. One of those legends is SUN publisher and president of the Philadelphia NAACP, Catherine Hicks. So, I’d like to congratulate her on this honor.
Now, unfortunately, here’s the sad one.
While most of the things that you read from me here at the SUN revolve around politics, I also write about food. I started doing that because if you write about politics without also finding something happy to write about, you won’t be much fun at parties.
One of the people I wrote about in my food writing travels was Charisse McGill. Through her company Lokal Artisan Foods, and the French Toast Bites she created, we learned that a food commonly associated with breakfast, French Toast, could not only be eaten anytime, but was also quite tasty.
I followed her career as she became the first Black woman to have her own beer, the first Black woman to run the national Farmer’s Market Coalition — she got her start in farmer’s markets — and to own and operate a space at Spruce Street Harbor Pier and the Cherry Street Pier on Penn’s Landing.
There aren’t a lot of people I interview that I can say this about, but sitting down with Charisse and talking about her latest achievement, of which there were many, didn’t feel like work. It felt like catching up with someone you really like.
Last week, Charisse McGill died at the age of 42. A memorial service is scheduled for her at St. Joseph’s University, her alma mater, on Friday at 11 a.m. She’s going to be missed by a lot of us.
Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the article belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the author’s employer, The Philadelphia Sunday SUN, the author’s organization, committee or other group or individual.
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