Jones' Fourth District office: New digs for 'the pothole queen'

When Curtis Jones Jr. announced the opening of a new office in the Fourth Councilmanic District last week, "Heard in the Hall" called to poke fun at the first-term councilman for opening a "Curtis Jones Jr. for Council 2011" campaign office.

Not so, said Jones. Yes, he and every other elected official in the universe will tell you that good constituent services are the most reliable way to get reelected, and yes, he and the other 16 members of Council are up for reelection in 2011. And he is paying the $350-a-month rent with campaign funds (not an uncommon gesture these days to avoid a budget fight over the expenditure).

Coming down to City Hall can be both intimidating and inconvenient for local residents, Jones said, and a local office will almost certainly elicit more requests for service. The two city staffers who will work out of the office, including his scheduler-turned-district-office-manager Rona Austin, will be doing 100 percent city service, Jones said.

"When Rona's there, she's going to be the pothole queen," said Jones, referring to the most meat-and-potatoes kind of complaints.

While Jones said he may hold some campaign events at that location, we note in fairness that Jones has been talking about opening up a district office since he ran for office in 2007, just as former Fourth District Councilman Michael Nutter did when he was in office. Jones' office is at the same address, 5398 Wynnefield Ave., within the Pinn Memorial Business Center. The district covers parts of East Falls, Roxborough, Manayunk, Wynnefield, and Overbrook.

Council President Anna C. Verna has a district office, as does Councilman Brian O'Neill. At Jones' office, taxpayers will fund $2,450 in furniture (conference table, desk, coat tree) made by inmates in the city prisons' PHILACOR shops.

As for the holdup on Jones' grand opening? For that, Jones has a legitimate excuse. His campaign has its resources diverted to pay a $22,500 ethics fine last year.

Jones said he is already looking to open the second one: "Next stop - Roxborough!"

- Jeff Shields

While Convention Center officials are wrestling publicly with how to make their union workforce cheaper and easier to work with, they've been grappling far more quietly with personnel conflicts involving high-ranking managers.

Two months ago, the center fired its chief technology officer, George Brunner, accusing him in court documents of improperly accessing employee e-mails. Brunner, a Villanova University adjunct, also allegedly helped erect unauthorized security cameras near management offices.

But just before he was let go, Brunner, who is white, had filed complaints with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging retaliation. The allegation, according to sources, involved a racially tinged remark made by one of the center's vice presidents. Brunner reported it to his supervisor.

It turns out that that supervisor - chief financial officer Madeline Apollo - is running into her own problems as well.

A Convention Center employee of 19 years, Apollo reportedly has had a falling-out with Convention Center president Ahmeenah Young that has some wondering whether Apollo is soon to make an exit. The nature of that dispute concerns a reorganization in which Young shifted certain responsibilities from Apollo to herself.

What, exactly, is going on at the Convention Center? Brunner, Apollo, and Young declined to comment.

But apparently there's a lot more in play than just preparing for the March debut of the building's nearly $800 million expansion.

- Marcia Gelbart

Appreciating the architectural glories of City Hall can be tough. In fact, seeing them is at times impossible because renovations have added drop ceilings, faux wood paneling, and almost any other dubious home-remodeling remedy you can imagine.

A recent update of City Hall's sprinkler system brought down the drop ceilings in Council President Anna C. Verna's office, revealing vaulted chambers decorated with golden frescoes.

Over the years, holes were punched in the ceiling to accommodate wiring and other changes, but Verna had the frescoes restored and repainted.

It could not immediately be determined how much the restoration cost because Commissioner of Public Properties Joan Schlotterbeck was out of the office Friday.

But Verna was thrilled, her smile glowing nearly as brightly as the new gold paint on her ceiling.

"Isn't it wonderful?" she said.

- Miriam Hill