Heard in the Hall

When Mayor Nutter stepped inside City Council's Caucus Room earlier today, he shook his head in seeming disbelief that he was now standing there as mayor, no longer as one of 17 Council members.

His reason for being there: To brief his former colleagues, and three newly-elected ones, on matters related to the budget he will present to them Feb. 14.

What followed in the next 90 minutes was less newsworthy than noteworthy: The context of the dollar discussion was not new, but the fact it was taking place at all surely was.

"This is the first time I remember being briefed as we are now," Council President Anna Verna remarked. During John Street's years, his aides typically briefed Council on the budget the same morning, sometimes within the same hour, that Street formally presented it to them.

In fact, Nutter met with Verna inside her office just a little bit earlier, the first of weekly Tuesday meetings he intends to have with her to share his agenda.

"The administration is reaching out. I can't think of anything better," said Charlie McPherson, Council's chief financial officer.

Some of that good will, though, was lessened by what happened next, after Nutter left the room.

Chief of Staff Clay Armbrister stood up to personally invite each Council member to a special briefing tomorrow morning at the Wachovia Center, where Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey is expected to unveil his crime-fighting plans.

Looking a tad bit chagrined, Councilman Frank DiCicco shrugged his shoulders and said, "I don't mean to be critical, but it would be nice if we had a couple of days notice."