We go behind the scenes of the final state budget negotiations, with this story on Gov. Rendell's policy advisor Donna Cooper.

John Baer reviews the aftermath of the state budget battle.

Councilman Bill Green's profile is increasing on City Council.

Here's what's open and closed today.

Top mayoral aide Pauline Abernathy, who took a leave of absence from the administration over four months ago, has decided not to return to the mayor's office.

Abernathy told PhillyClout she will remain instead with the Institute for College Access and Success, a non-profit she helped launch.

"It was a really hard decision," Abernathy said. "The mayor could not have been more gracious and supportive."

Several top Nutter officials have left in recent months. Nutter's Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Andrew Altman crossed the pond for a job with the 2012 London Olympics over the summer. And Mark Alan Hughes, Nutter's original sustainability czar, left the government in June.
 

Someone crept onto the 22-acre SugarHouse casino construction site in Fishtown last night or this morning and slashed the hydraulics lines on heavy equipment -- a bulldozer, crane, back hoe and dump truck -- after the project's investors held their ground-breaking ceremony yesterday.  Workers discovered the damage when they reported at 6:30 a.m. for work and spent a couple of hours making repairs.

"Construction didn't stop," said SugarHouse spokeswoman Leigh Whitaker, who put the tab for repairs at under $5,000. "We were back in business in a couple of hours."

Casino-Free Philadelphia held a loud rally with about 50 protesters during yesterday's event, using bull horns to try to drown out remarks by the investors and guests like Mayor Nutter and Councilman Frank DiCicco.  The group today said it had no role in the vandalism.  Here's the group's statement:

"Casino-Free Philadelphia first learned about vandalism at the SugarHouse property from a news website this afternoon. We were not involved with this incident in any way. While we have always advocated for the voice of the people to be heard through legal, democratic means of expression, we are a group that practices nonviolence and we have never, nor will we ever, damage property and we condemn anyone who does."

Is today the day that the long budget battle will finally end in Harrisburg?

Our buddy John Micek, at the Allentown Morning Call, is reporting that the state Senate is on track to send the budget to Gov. Rendell. Today marks 101 days that the state has been without a budget.

After months of talk, City Council moves on the issue of reforming the Board of Revision of Taxes.  Here's some of the things legislation introduced by Councilman Bill Green yesterday would do.

PhillyClout's Friday column introduces you to Gerard Shotzbarger, the city's new jury commissioner, who is still disputing a contempt of court fine from last November.

SugarHouse breaks ground for its Fishtown casino with Mayor Nutter and Councilman Frank DiCicco on board and 50 angry protesters just outside a gate under the watchful eye of police.

And Cardinal Dougherty and the Northeast Catholic are closing at the end of the school year because the Philadelphia Archdiocese doesn't want to "keep putting resources into half-empty buildings."

Chris Brennan is out at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Sugarhouse casino, at Delaware Avenue at Shackamaxon Street in Fishtown.  And he reports that the anti-casino movement is out in force. The groundbreaking is a private event, but the protesters are about 30 yards away, causing a ruckus with bullhorns.

A banner plane is circling overhead with a message that says "Crime, poverty, addiction...jackpot" About 50 protesters are waving signs and chanting: "Our city our say, no casino no way."

Casino investor Dick Sprague waved to the protesters as he was driven onto the sight. "They put up a good fight," Sprague said later of the activists.

Councilman Frank DiCicco, who fought the casino development, told the crowd; "I've been standing in the way of this project for far too long."

The investors clapped while protesters chanted: "shame on you."

Mayor Nutter, another former SugarHouse foe, said he and lead investor Neil Bluhm told each other off several times.

»  More Protesters Strike Sugarhouse Groundbreaking

We just got this from the White House press office:

Obama Administration Delivers More than $14 Million for Energy Efficiency and Conservation Projects in Philadelphia

WASHINGTON, DC– Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today that Philadelphia, Pennsylvania will receive $14,108,700 in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support energy efficiency and conservation activities. Under the Department of Energy’s Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program, Philadelphia will implement programs that lower energy use, reduce carbon pollution, and create green jobs locally.

“This funding will allow communities across the country to make major investments in energy solutions that will strengthen America's economy and create jobs at the local level,” said Secretary Chu. “It will also promote some of the cheapest, cleanest and most reliable energy technologies we have - energy efficiency and conservation - which can be deployed immediately. Local communities can now make strategic investments to help meet the nation's long term clean energy and climate goals.”

DOE is announcing nearly $93 million in funding today from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support energy efficiency and conservation activities in Chicago, Illinois; Fort Worth and Houston, Texas; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Los Angeles and Sacramento County, California.

Philadelphia will use its Recovery Act EECBG funding to realize many elements of Greenworks Philadelphia, the city's sustainability strategy, which calls for a 30 percent reduction in municipal energy usage by 2015, while also promoting energy efficiency in sectors such as transportation and waste management. In addition, Philadelphia will employ grants and an innovative revolving loan program to incentivize the private-sector to invest in energy efficiency in ways that contribute to long-term regional economic prosperity. Philadelphia will devote $1 million of its EECBG funds to help implement energy audits and retrofits for municipal buildings that can help restore buildings to their optimum efficiency levels. Philadelphia will also match $3 million in EECBG funds to install 85,000 LED traffic signals that require far less energy than conventional bulbs and have significantly longer lifespans.

»  More City Gets Stimulus Dollars For Energy Conservation

Mayor Nutter says he is supportive of the legislation to reform the Board of Revision of Taxes introduced today by City Council.

“The legislation today that was introduced clearly addresses the principles I laid out on Tuesday,” Nutter said, adding that he hoped for swift passage of the bill.

Nutter said he supports the broad strokes of the bill, which would eliminate the BRT by 2011 and splits their  responsibilities between a new Office of Property Assessment and a Board of Property Assessment Appeals. But he said he remains concerned about the BRT employees who are on the School District payroll.

That longstanding arrangement means that those workers can avoid rules that govern city workers, like a ban on political activity and the requirement to live in the city. Green’s bill does not specifically address the workers on the school payroll.

“I will ask our city solicitor to give me a legal opinion on the employment status of BRT workers on the school district payroll,” Nutter said. “Every one working at the BRT should do so in conformance with the Home Rule Charter.”
 

The troubled Board of Revision of Taxes is the hot issue up in City Council today.

Councilman Bill Green has introduced legislation to reform the BRT, which came under fire after an Inquirer series detailed mismanagement, patronage and inaccurate assessments at the agency.

The legislation would abolish the BRT by 2011 and to create two new agencies: the Office of Property Assessment and the Board of Property Assessment Appeals. It has 14 co-sponsors, in addition to Green. (Council members Rizzo and Blackwell are the only members not on board.)*

“The ultimate goal is to restore public faith in our assessment and collection of properties,” Green said.

The legislation does not change an arrangement under which 80 BRT employees are on the School District payroll -- something Mayor Nutter has outlined as a priority.

Nutter yesterday said he had not read the Green legislation.

»  More BRT To Go Boom?