Councilman wants Parking Authority to root out unlicensed contracting

The Philadelphia Parking Authority is hated for how efficiently its employees issue tickets. Now a city Councilman thinks he may have another task for the Authority.

The Philadelphia Parking Authority is hated for how efficiently its employees issue tickets. Now a city Councilman thinks he may have another task for the Authority. 

During a hearing reviewing the budget of the Department of Licenses & Inspections, the topic of unlicensed contractors prowling the streets was discussed. Councilman James Kenney offered an idea to use parking enforcement officers to check up on those doing construction projects.

“Those folks are walking up and down business strips, and I don’t want them inspecting construction work, but they could ask the owner of the truck to show their business privilege license,” said Kenney. “And if that’s not available – they don’t have it, or they don’t have it with them – you can take a license number and we can send it on to you guys – at least you know who the unlicensed guy is.”

Councilman Kenney says in the suburbs tools and trucks are impounded from unlicensed contractors, but that is not done in Philadelphia, which gives people without proper permits the ability to do work with little risk.