Resolution 220859

..Title Authorizing Committee of Parks and Recreation to hold public hearings on the status of the City of Philadelphia's Rebuild Initiative. ..Body WHEREAS, There are more than 400 neighborhood parks, recreation centers, and libraries in Philadelphia, a majority of which are in need of dire repairs; and WHEREAS, In 2016, Mayor Kenney proposed that the City of Philadelphia use funding generated by the 1.5-cent-per-ounce Philadelphia Beverage Tax to invest hundreds of millions of dollars to make physical improvements to these facilities across the city. Under the Rebuild Initiative, project budgets would range from $50,000 to more than $13 million; and WHEREAS, While a small percentage of projects included in the Rebuild plan have been started, a majority of the projects throughout every Council district remain stalled; and WHEREAS, Our city needs safe spaces for our children now more than ever as the crisis of gun violence is plaguing neighborhoods across the City. According to the City Controller since 2021 there have 1,002 of shooting victims were 20 years old or younger; and WHEREAS, To date, there have been 992 homicides and over 3,333 shootings and counting in Philadelphia since 2021. The City's grim crime statistics signals an urgent need for safe spaces for members of our communities and our City's youth; and WHEREAS, Council has taken measures to elevate safety including installing cameras at parks and recreation centers and, requiring reports on criminal activity to identify high crime areas so that resources can be strategically allocated; and WHEREAS, To create equitable and safe spaces in areas that are engrossed by gun violence, equitable funding is mandatory. WHEREAS, Council as a whole has not been provided with a recent update on the status of the Rebuild projects; and WHEREAS, Given the importance of the Rebuild Project to all residents of Philadelphia, regarding the status of the Rebuild Initiative; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby Authorize The Committee of Parks and Recreation to hold public hearings on the status of the City of Philadelphia's Rebuild Initiative. ..End