Good morning. I'm Stephanie Craighead, Deputy Director for Planning, Fairmount Park Commission. I'm sorry, Councilman. Could you repeat your question?
DCNR grant application as it relates to the reviewing stance on Kelly Drive.
Yes. That application is pending. We hope to hear this month.
And is there a match requirement or do we have City 106 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 funding available as well? What's the total cost of the project?
Okay. So you're going to find out, you said, this month?
Okay. If for some reason things don't go well with the state, what's the back-up plan?
Well, we were given very positive feedback on that grant, so we're very hopeful. We don't have another park grant competing with it. The DCNR grant for the acquisition is out of another pot of money.
Got you. Okay. Ms. Borski, with regard to further purchases of land, do we feel confident that we can take care of additional acquired land? I mean, we have the resources to take care of 107 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 an expanding Park system?
I think as we look at acquisition of land, we also talk about how we are going to maintain it, because that is the big issue. So, for instance, in the sort of Schuylkill River conversations, serious discussion about maintaining that parcel is sort of the crux of the matter, because that's what we're looking at down the road. Acquisitions along watersheds is really what the mission of Fairmount Park was from the get-go, and protecting the watershed. So I think that, yes, we are comfortable with the idea that land that we acquire, we will look long and hard at what those pieces are, make sure that they work well with the Park system and our mission and our ability to maintain them.
Now, the Benjamin Franklin Parkway is technically within the jurisdiction of the Fairmount Park system; is that correct?
Tell me 108 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 about your maintenance programs up and down the Parkway. I notice on my way home just about every night -- I won't get into whether the lights are on or off. We had that discussion yesterday, but obviously --
-- a brand new wonderful lighting system up and down the Parkway. Tell me the Park's involvement in that.
The lighting program that's currently going on in the Park is a private initiative that we --
That's a private initiative funding through Center City District right now, but it's certainly one the Fairmount Park Commission supports, beautifying the Parkway. We also throw capital dollars into improvements along the Parkway. We have some in our FY05 budget.
Let me try 109 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 to get through the different pieces. You said it was a private initiative primarily by the Center City District?
There might have been some small amount contributed while we were looking at issues about wiring for future special events on the Parkway.
I can add to that a little bit. As long as it's a street light, the Streets Department will maintain the actual street lights. Pedestrian lights along 110 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 the sidewalks will fall under the jurisdiction of Fairmount Park, but there are also some lights that I believe that Center City District said, and these are pedestrian lights I believe, that they would continue to maintain. So it's sort of three different groups involved.
So they'll just all be out there together trying to figure out who is taking care of which light all at the same time?
Any of the street lights that are over the actual roadway fall under the jurisdiction of the Streets Department, as they did prior to the installation.
Okay. I heard the buzzer. Thank you very much. Well, while the Chair is tremendously distracted, so what's the Park's 111 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 responsibility?
Pedestrian lighting, you're going to take care of those? Okay.
The Chair recognizes Councilman Rizzo for a point of information.
I'm confused, because I just dealt -- and by the way, it's a disgrace. I hope you're aware that someone graffitied the light standards on Kelly Drive. I noticed on the way in this morning all of the new street lights were painted with silver paint from Boat House Row north for maybe ten. When did that occur? Does anybody know? Is this the first you're hearing of it?
Actually, Councilman, your staff reported it to us this morning. I'm not sure that we had gotten a 112 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 previous report on that, but we're certainly looking at it.
It's a shame. It really is. But I'm a bit confused. I spoke with Joe Doyle from Street Lighting and he told me that all the street lights on Kelly Drive are the responsibility, both the ones over the roadway and the pedestrian lights, are the responsibility of Fairmount Park. No? We need to get then the Streets Department to buy into that, because every time I report a street light out on or they're on during the daylight, they say it's the responsibility of Fairmount Park. So that may be the confusion, the pedestrian versus what's over the roadway. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Councilman Nutter, Councilman DiCicco would like to be recognized and then we'll come back to you.
Sure. Thanks. Then I'll be done in a second. 113 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255
The Chair recognizes Councilman DiCicco. He doesn't have a point of information, but we will recognize him anyway.
Thank you. Thank you, Madam President. Good morning. I just have one question. During the Mayor's budget address, he spoke about the $125 million or so to go towards creating a River City, a new city called River City or something like that. Obviously the Schuylkill River fronts -- it fronts or is involved in the Fairmount Park system to a great degree and even some portions of the Delaware River. Has there been any discussion with the Fairmount Park Commission about that plan, his vision, and how do you fit into that in terms of investment part of that $125 million?
My understanding on that, Councilman, is that the Mayor is going to call for a sort of summit task force to look at the River City initiative, and certainly as landlords of the land, I think 114 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 we'll be involved in those discussions.
But no 4 discussion to date, so you have no idea what the concept is or what his vision is and how it would impact the Fairmount Park?
Fairmount Park certainly welcomes it. Both would encompass trail systems that are certainly beneficial to the Park system as a whole. It makes us, among other things, another reason to be a tourist destination, as well as provide a great amenity.
I agree on all those issues. I just was curious if there's been any interaction or any discussion to date about that plan or his vision.
That's really where I was going, because it's a 115 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 significant piece of money that we're talking about and it certainly would help to do some of the things that need to get done in Fairmount Park, not only in terms of enhancing it, but maintaining the present level of maintenance and other things that we need to do.
I drove through there. I tried to drive through there on Sunday, I should say, got off the Expressway, figured I'd cut through Kelly Drive, but it was packed. It was a sea of people literally. It was a great experience, actually, even though I was stuck in traffic for about a half hour. It really was great to see all the activity there. I have no further questions. Thank you.
The 116 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter.
Madam Chair, thank you. I'm going to run through these items real quick, Ms. Borski. You don't have to necessarily respond, unless you just can't contain yourself at the table, and you can just get back to us, because I know you're just having a blast. User parking plans at a variety of the park areas that generate significant traffic, I'd be interested, for instance, either up in the Wissahickon in the Forbidden Drive area or other places that have a significant number of users who also travel by vehicle. Obviously I'm concerned about using any land for parking. On the other hand, we get into some serious overflow situations sometimes which creates potential for road hazard. So I'd like to get some updated information about that. Bridges are not your direct business, but it certainly has an impact on the appearance of the park. The railroad 117 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 bridge over West River Drive at Montgomery -- you know where I'm talking about?
That bridge appears to be experiencing some fairly serious deterioration and I have some concerns over there. Maybe there's a little bit of a mail problem going on, but we get infrequent non-regular minutes and hearing notices from the Board. I don't know whether you addressed this earlier in response to safety questions, but could you find out how many bike patrols are attached to the 92nd District that have responsibility for the park? I know from Commissioner Johnson yesterday and some of the meetings that we've all participated in we talked about an upgraded park safety plan, but I don't know that I know the answer to that. I heard you talking earlier about maintenance of toilets throughout the Park system. It's not particularly something I enjoy talking about, but in any event, in response to a lack of facilities in the park, 118 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 I know there was a serious upgrade in the past year or so of the more portable type. There would appear to be somewhat of a lack of consistency in the facility, as well as some of the damage, overturning graffiti and obviously the cleaning of such, which I think at times makes them less user friendly, because it's just not necessarily a place you want to be, if I could put it that way. I don't know that the way we've done it in sporadic kind of fashion is the optimal as opposed to maybe putting a group of them that look the same, that the vendor would be able to get to all at one time as opposed to running around a 9,000-acre park system trying to find one. There was a discussion about street trees earlier. I am clear on the process to get one. What I've had concerns about over the years, and we've talked about this one, is it possible to get a pruning schedule? You mentioned earlier I think that you prune about 14,000 trees a year. I have no idea and am in no position to tell my 119 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 constituents when it's actually going to happen or what schedule they're on. I think if I could at least tell them, Your block is going to get done in September, I mean, that's kind of better than, Sometime in the future. At the same time, and probably even worse, is the whole removal/planting situation. It often takes us forever to get the tree out, which we also can't tell them when we're taking it out, and the prospect of explaining when the replanting is going to happen is often two, three, four planting seasons later. And I've been perplexed over the years as to why we can't tell people with some amount of certainty when we're actually going to perform the service, which, to be honest with you, people feel very good about the trees, they want the trees and they wait so long after a while, that they're really more angry with us about the tree situation than the positive of when we told them we were going to get it. Lastly, a couple years ago we talked about, along the same lines as the Strategic 120 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 Plan, we talked about a facilities assessment. Have we done anything with our many, many facilities and assessed their condition currently?
We're in the course of facilities assessment. Back up to porter potties, not that I want to talk about them either, but last year was the first year of that initiative and we did sort of come into the contractor at the last moment. We have made specific requests to have, if possible, a more anesthetic porter potty placement and condition and cleaning.
Okay. And you were going to tell me something about facilities?
And the facilities 121 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 assessment is something we are also working on. That was -- I think we went into some detail last year. We, as a Park system, are very much trying to get an assessment of our properties in order. There are a lot of them. It is something that is critical to the future of the park.
200 of them are considered historic in some nature. There's about 400 or more structures all together.
I know. Do you have an end date in sight for when the facilities assessment would be completed, and is the park doing it or is there a consultant working on it?
Well, it is an ongoing process. We have a database in place. The Strategic Plan will have done a lot of GIS work for us, which we think will be helpful in terms of identifying sites throughout the park. All the pieces coming together, I 122 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 can't give you an end date, but certainly is something that I would be happy to keep you apprised of.
Okay. But lastly, this assessment is for the purpose of actually knowing the structural conditions and soundness of the building, as well as any maintenance or capital improvements that are necessary to maintain it at a certain level?
Correct. And currently it is a staff effort to assess these properties and put them -- and rank them by some criteria.
Thank you. I just received a call from one of my constituents. I am told that last Saturday and Sunday hundreds of cars were parked on the grass at FDR Park and also the 20th Street entrance was blocked to park users. This has been an ongoing problem. I realize that with the demolition of the Vet, 123 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 parking is not what it should be, but at the same token, we are denying many of the people in the area from gaining access to the park.
The 20th Street entrance should not be blocked to park users ever and we will certainly look into that. Particularly in the summer months, we can -- we have staff --
I would appreciate your checking into that because it's not fair to the area residents.
Positively. And we are of the understanding that parking issues in the coming months should alleviate somewhat now that the demolition of the Vet has occurred. We've tried to be very cognizant of being helpful to stadium events, at the same time acknowledging that FDR is not a parking lot, it is a park, and we're very cognizant of that. So we're trying to walk that balance.
Let me ask you, people are charged for parking in FDR Park? 124 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255
Does part of the money remain for the improvements of FDR Park?
Do the Friends of FDR Park know how that money is being used and how much of it is being used for? Do you consult with them in any way?
We do. And your office actually has been a wonderful facilitator of conversations with Friends of FDR over the past several months. We, in fact, were due to have a meeting last week, but it was cancelled -- postponed on their end. So the discussions are ongoing and we do try to keep them very much informed.
Thank you. And I would really appreciate your checking into the issue that I just brought to your attention. Thank you very much.
Absolutely, Madam 125 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 President. Thank you.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Cohen.
Thank you, Madam President. Could you state very simply the policy of Fairmount Park with respect to tree trimming and tree removal?
Councilman, that was covered very early on. It was covered very early on. If you're going to respond, make it very brief, please, because we do have an awful lot of people waiting to testify.
Tree removal is done by inspection, depending on the health of the tree and the condition and hazardousness of a tree. 126 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255
With respect to health of the trees, that's correct. Tree pruning is done through request and through inspection by Park employees. We develop a list and have the trees trimmed contractually.
Is there any special program that relates to trees near the curb line?
All the trees that fall under the jurisdiction of Fairmount Park are curb line trees, they're street trees, and that definition would be a tree that's located between the curb and the sidewalk.
So they're all within the jurisdiction of Fairmount Park?
Is there any special program that Fairmount Park has that relates to circumstances where trees, healthy trees, have uprooted the pavements and made the sidewalk very dangerous for anybody to 127 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 walk on? Is there a policy with respect to that?
The policy would be an inspection of the tree to determine the health of the tree and to look at the condition of the existing sidewalk to see if the sidewalk itself could be repaired without hurting the tree. If that was not the case, then we would be inclined to remove that tree for such situation.
Do you know that, for example, let me give one small block in the area where I come from, the 1800 block of Widener Place, a lovely little street. Trees were planted there maybe 30 or 40 years ago. The trees have taken up most of the pavement, not only near the curb, but all the blocks of pavement on many of the homes are uplifted. It's very dangerous to people that 128 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 live there now, are well in their 70's some and their 80's, and it's an obstacle course and we're very scared that one of these days somebody is going to trip and not come up again. And nobody has paid any attention. How do we get that attention?
If you can give me the address again, we'll have someone inspect it and evaluate the situation.
The 1800 block of Widener Place, and if you could give me a report. Because I think what's needed as a result of that information that I received in my examination, I've been through much of the City and find that many of these streets in the City have this problem, and I think that what is necessary is going to be the same kind of program that we have with respect to driveways and retaining walls is going to be needed or we're going to have a City that's impassable for many of its inhabitants. And I understand these trees are so enormous, they're about this wide in the base, that the costs of removal for a homeowner, if 129 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 he or she were to have the responsibility, would be several thousand dollars. That's what I've been told are the estimates. I would appreciate a full report on that, and if you can give the report to the President, I think she could send it to those of us, because I'm sure it's not a separate problem. I think it's widespread throughout the City. The trees are lovely. Obviously the developer put them in in order to make the houses more sellable as quickly as possible, but at this stage, they constitute, in addition to their beauty from looking at them, they constitute a very real danger to the people who live there.
Thank you. The Chair again recognizes Councilwoman Brown. 130 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255
Thank you, Madam President. Your response around the park rangers just raised another series of questions for me. A lot of work was done under your predecessor to hold onto the 24. How are they hired? Are they civil service, the park rangers?
No. The park rangers are not civil service. They're park employees, but not civil service.
There is an interview possess through the park ranger coordinator. There is a Park Rangers Board still in place. You know, there is an interview process under which they are hired, but it is not the civil service process, which I assume is really what you're getting at.
What's the current composition of the park rangers? How many women and how many people of color?
I can get you that 131 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 information. I don't think I could say it right off the top of my head.
The cut that's being proposed, speak to that. Is that at all related to shifting of facilities? What is that, the 264,000?
Any cuts that Fairmount Park has taken this year are directly related to employees that have been lost due to the DROP program last year and a one-time payment for the Strategic Plan consultants.
You're welcome. Are there any other questions or comments from Members of the Committee? (No response.)
132 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 Seeing none, I thank you so much for your patience, and certainly on behalf of all of my colleagues, I certainly want to thank the wonderful work that the Friends of the Park does. Thank you. (Applause.)
The Art Museum will be next. Let's just wait until some of our friends have an opportunity to leave. (Pause.)
Good afternoon. Kindly identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Good afternoon, City Council President Verna and Members of City Council. I'm Anne d'Harnoncourt, Director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I am here with my colleagues, from my left, Robert Morrone, Director of 133 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 Facilities and Operations --
Anne, just a moment, please. The noise level is much, much too high. Anyone having private conversations, please do so in the corridor. Thank you.
Surely. Gail Harrity, Chief Operating Officer, and to my left, Cheryl McClenney-Brooker, our Director of External Affairs. At this very difficult and challenging time for the City of Philadelphia, I am very grateful for the chance to appear before the Council President and Council and to testify on behalf of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which takes so much strength and indeed so much heart from its 76-year-old partnership with the City of Philadelphia. We understand very vividly how painful and how complex the City's operating budget has been to formulate this year and we recognize that the pain is widespread. 134 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 The Museum is committed to working with our colleagues in the cultural community, with the Mayor in his Administration and with each and every member of this Council to find a solution to what otherwise confronts the Museum and the City's entire cultural community so that we can go forward together and continue to contribute to the growth that is so urgently needed by all Philadelphians, growth in educational opportunity, growth in quality of life, growth in real economic terms. Council President Verna and several Council members have graciously encouraged us to make a brief visual presentation, which makes specific points which we hope will be helpful for your consideration. It presents facts and figures, which have been checked and refined by outside evaluators, and which not only help demonstrate the educational and economic impact of the Museum's collections and programs, but which also by extension demonstrates the impact of all the arts 135 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 institutions which so enrich our great City and which are collectively an invaluable engine for growth. Before I ask my colleague, Gail Harrity, to begin the presentation, I'd like just to make a few additional points. Since the City constructed the Museum's landmark building and the nearby Rodin Museum, which we are proud to administer, over 75 years ago, the Museum has consistently leveraged City support to become a resource for all Philadelphians and a magnet for visitors from around the world. It's a place where anyone of any age can participate in the full range of human creativity across six continents in 2,000 years. We work with schools, whether they are public schools, and we work very closely with the district of -- School District of Philadelphia, pre-schools, parochial schools and private schools. We work with libraries, with civic groups, with community centers and centers for aging and disability in every 136 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 councilmanic district across the City to bring art into people's lives, to inspire their hopes and dreams and, most importantly, perhaps to enrich their education. We have a pay-what-you-wish admission all day every Sunday to insure that the Museum is accessible to anyone and everyone for whom economic hardship could be a barrier. And our Sunday programs draw families from all across this great City. In the proposed fiscal 2005 operating budget, the Museum is slated to receive no funds. This cut would be devastating. 4 million over the same period. Even with that level of annual support, for which we are very, very grateful and which helped make so much else possible, the poor economic climate of the last few years has forced the Museum to lay off seven 137 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 percent of its work force last year, a loss of 28 jobs. , but we compete against far better-funded museums in New York, Washington, Chicago and beyond for the collections and the great exhibitions which we present to the public, such as Degas, Eakins and Henry Ossawa Tanner, two great Philadelphia stars which we seek to make worldwide known, and this year's Manet, next year's Salvador Dali and African Art, Africa Voices. The public/private partnership between the Museum and the City is a catalyst.
The City's support enables us to raise private dollars, but we must balance our budget in order to receive those dollars. We, therefore, stand to lose not only City funding, but private dollars as well. If this elimination of City operating support stands, I can't bear to think of what would be in jeopardy - the number of hours or days we're open to the 138 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 public, the number of school children, families, senior citizens or those with special needs whom we serve, the major exhibitions, which draw so many Philadelphians, so many from the region and so many from across the country, which we might have to cancel. Our admission fee is $10 and pay what you wish on Sundays. A substantial increase or change to those would limit access to those very people who need the arts the most. We are committed to being more inclusive and not less. With your permission, I will now turn the microphone over to my colleague, Gail Harrity, the Museum's Chief Operating Officer, who will make the audiovisual -- the visual presentation. She is the audio.
Thank you. And, again, we will make this a very quick presentation on the educational and economic impact of the Museum. Many members of City Council have seen earlier versions of this presentation as we were preparing for our 139 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 testimony today. This final version today presents some updated figures, which are based on the economic multipliers calculated in the 1988 by the Pennsylvania Economy League, and they have also been reviewed and confirmed by Urban Partners, an independent financial services firm which conducts economic impact studies for many industries. Each member of City Council will receive a hard copy of this presentation later today. So I will begin and go through fairly quickly, and, of course, we're here to answer questions. The Museum, as Anne has stated, had a 76-year partnership with the City and the purpose is to bring the great collections to the public, to an increasingly large and increasingly diverse audience. We rank amongst the four largest museums in the United States, housing over 250,000 works of art, each year attracting somewhere between 700,000 and a million visitors annually, and we organize special exhibition, loan exhibition, such as the Manet 140 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 exhibition currently on view. The Museum's world-class collections of art come from many continents and cultures, and they continue to educate visitors of all year and visitors of all ages. The purpose of this presentation is to focus primarily on the educational impact of the Museum, the impact on tourism and promotion and the economic impact of the Museum. So if we begin with the educational impact of the Museum, we might just remind those that the Museum has been the recipient of many awards, both locally and nationally. It is considered a national leader in distance learning, teaching school children throughout the City, throughout the Commonwealth, throughout the country. It has received the Best of Philly recognition over the past five years for its award-winning programs for children and for each year somewhere between 75,000 and 80,000 school children attend our programs. There are a number of innovative 141 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 programs, which I won't go into in depth right now, but there is a wide array of programs. The Museum has also had longstanding partnerships with the community, and we mention just a few, but in individual meetings with City Council members, I think everyone is aware that there are programs in each and every district, with Tiare (ph), with Point Breeze, longstanding relationships with the Free Library. In fact, we were very pleased last year when the Museum received praise from City Council for its partnership with the Philadelphia Dance Alliance. And this was a collaboration, which you may recall, with 60 dance companies and schools throughout the City in celebration of our Degas and the dance exhibition. We have a number of teaching posters, some of which hang on the walls in this building, that we give to the City schools free each year that highlight the collections, the Arts of Asia, African-American artists' works in our 142 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 collection, Mexican art, women artists. And we are also very proud to be the first art museum in the United States to be selected to participate in a program which will prepare outstanding minority students for careers in museums and other cultural organizations. With regard to tourism and promotion of Philadelphia, we believe the Museum is also a leader. If one is to look at the Museum, it's often a marketing icon for Philadelphia. " We were pleased to develop a good relationship with Lincoln Financial that is also supporting the Manet exhibition. The Museum is a destination definer for tourism, which the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development reports is the second largest industry in 143 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No.
040255 Philadelphia, and statistics show that the Museum itself generates seven to ten percent of the annual leisure travel visitors to the City. If one were to add the balance of cultural institutions throughout the City, this number would be higher. With regard to the tourists, the Museum is unique in drawing out-of-town visitors. On average, 34 percent of our annual visitors -- that's approximately 300,000 people per year -- are directly motivated to visit Philadelphia because of the Museum's programs. So, for example, last year, the Degas exhibition attracted a very high percentage of out-of-town visitors. We can tell from selling tickets now on the web that we sold tickets to visitors from every state in the country, including Hawaii and Alaska, and to visitors from six different foreign countries around the globe. So the economic impact of these special exhibitions, and we highlight in this slide only three of them over three different 144 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 years, has a substantial impact. Visitors to the Degas, Cezanne and Van Gogh exhibitions spent $12 million on hotels and had a direct economic impact of $142 million. Our exhibitions next year, in the fall, African Art, African Voices, and next year at this time, Celebration of Salvador Dali we anticipate will have a similarly strong economic impact. So if one were to look at the overall statistics, and I repeat that these are using the multipliers from the Pennsylvania Economy League and they have been reviewed by an outside source, it has been demonstrated that for every $1 spent by the Museum, it generates more than $4 of economic activity in the City and the region. 8 million of direct economic activity. That was over 52 million in the hospitality industry on hotels, restaurants, transportation and the like, and an additional almost $35 million on museum 145 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 spending, payroll of goods and services, including construction costs. 3 million, again almost $45 million from the Museum's visiting audience and the balance on the museum spending on goods and services. So not only is there economic impact, but the Museum does create jobs. For every job created by the Museum, more than five jobs are created in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. And we've listed here the direct employment. For example, there are 391 full-time equivalent jobs that the Museum provides, of which about 345 are residents of Philadelphia, but there are other full-time equivalent jobs that the Museum directly supports through its suppliers and through the audience expenditures. So the total direct employment is over 1,900 jobs, total indirect employment is over 1,100 full-time equivalent jobs. Just to summarize these figures, and, again, we will share them later, the 146 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 5 million in tax revenues to the City and Commonwealth. So I hope that these figures have demonstrated that even during times when City Governments or Government at all levels are making very difficult budget choices, that support for the Museum and for the cultural community in Philadelphia does not come at the expense of economic development. I'd like to just end with a few supplemental charts that illustrate the history of support from the City for the Museum. This chart here -- and I apologize if it's difficult to read. I've provided it in two different formats. But the top is the cost of the City's obligation towards funding, the security building and maintenance costs of the Museum, of the City-owned building, and the bottom represents the City's support. As you can see, there was from 100 percent funding until 1994 where the support began to erode. 2 million, 147 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No.
5 million down to 1993 when the City privatized the positions and still supported 100 percent of the security and operating maintenance costs, and then as Anne has mentioned in her testimony, for the past nine years, since 1996, the City's support has been flat at two and a quarter million. At the same time, the cost of providing security and maintenance has risen. So the City support now covers 41 percent of the total operating -- the building operating and security costs. And I think just, lastly, two slides that give you a sense of how the Museum competes with other museums across the country. This slide shows you a national comparison of municipal and county support for art museums last year in fiscal 2004. It excludes in-kind support, such as utilities that are provided in different ways to each institution, but, again, if you look at Los Angeles County Museum, over $12 million of support or the Metropolitan Museum in New York or the Art Institute in Chicago, even the 148 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 Baltimore Museums receive $6 million, and the Newark Museum is supported by its city and municipality at the level of $6 million versus the two and a quarter million dollars for the Philadelphia Museum of Art. 2 million in the case 17 of Philadelphia, but the impact is the same. 18 So thank you very much, and we're 19 open to any questions you may have. 20
Thank 21 you. I think that's a very good presentation. Ready for questioning?
I simply wanted to add, if I may, in conclusion that I think what we are saying is that the Museum 149 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 seeks to reinforce and build upon that partnership as we pursue everything you've heard about today. Dollars for security and maintenance are absolutely the most difficult to raise. To drop our education and exhibition programs and focus on filling that yawning gap would set the Museum and its contribution to the City and the City's bottom line back from decades of progress. We have been fortunate to have donors who have given to the conservation. For example, we worked on Billy Penn up at the top of the tower, the Liberty Bell with the City and for exhibitions and programs, but they do it in reliance on public support. So we and the entire cultural community hope that we can find a way to move forward together for the growth this City so urgently needs and we so much want it to have.
Thank you. You stated in your testimony, as we all know, the City owns the Art Museum. Is there a contractual agreement between the City and the Museum which allows you to operate the 150 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 Museum? Is there a contract?
What are the terms and conditions of that agreement?
The original contract dates to 1928, revised, I believe, in 1968, and it does call -- it does spell out the City's obligation to provide utilities, security and maintenance support for the City-owned building on City land, housing City collections.
Under the agreements, does the City have an obligation to pay for any portion of your operating budget, and if so, how much?
Well, the value, as Anne has stated in the testimony, the current value of those is 5.4 million, plus 151 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 utilities, which have been estimated to be approximately $2 million. These are figures for fiscal '04.
'05 we anticipate that the cost for -- that the utility cost will remain essentially unchanged and that the cost of the security and maintenance will increase to 5.9 million.
If the proposed funding reductions for FY05 is not reversed, what will be the impact on your ability to operate?
I think it's fair to say the impact will be severe. The number of alternatives that I mentioned in terms of curtailment of days open to the public or of hours, the possible cancellation of projects, it will seriously impair our ability to operate in the way that has contributed so much to our visitors and the City.
But 152 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 wouldn't that affect most of your security people and maintenance people? I think you have to give us a little more information on that, please.
May I begin by making a correction? I believe I estimated the fiscal '05 cost at 5.9, and on reviewing my figures here, we are estimating 5,637,000.
$5,637,000 is the estimated cost for security and building maintenance costs in fiscal year '05.
I believe I understood you to say that this impact would also deter you from raising private funds.
I believe that is correct. Because the foundations, the corporations and the private individuals who contribute to the Museum, they look for a public/private partnership. They know that the building was constructed by the City, that it's one of the great City landmarks and they 153 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 rely for their contributions on public support as well. In addition, I could add that the donors to the Museum are also, and you will know many of them, they are extraordinary donors to many important causes in the City, whether it's hospitals, whether it's education, whether it's the facilities for the homeless, and we all want them to continue to contribute to those support -- to those important causes, as well as to the arts.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brown.
Thank you, Madam President. Let me start out by echoing Council President's observation regarding the visual presentation, where I believe very compelling, strong arguments are given for why for restoration is the preferred ideal. Of course, Anne, you, your staff and I have had a chance to discuss in great length 154 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 and in great detail the impact of these cuts, and the bottom line is is that myself, as a former participant and user of arts and now someone who is on the public policy advocacy side of this, view these cuts to be very unacceptable, and particularly if you frame them the way your presentation has very adequately. And let me again go on record to say that I pledge to work with you, my colleagues, and others to find the funding for the Atwater Kent that is at the same place that you are for the cultural fund, which was cut by 58 percent, and for the African-American Museum, having that funding restored. Yes, this is an extremely difficult budget. Yesterday I learned that the Fire Department is being cut by 13 million. The Recreation Department is taking the steepest cut at 20 percent. So there is no question that this budget cycle is the toughest I've been through since I've been here as well. And President Verna has already answered the question, the impact that the 155 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 cuts will have on your operations. Where I am unclear is the security and maintenance costs are covered purely by the City of Philadelphia?
Councilwoman, if I may both say that the Museum and the entire cultural community are extraordinarily encouraged by your support and that of other Council people, and then proceed to answer the question. As of now, the appropriation, the operating funds given by the City in the current budget cover less than half of the security and maintenance costs. We get 2.25, and they are 4. -- it's about 44 percent -- 41 percent.
And so absent those dollars, you would have to figure out some other way to cover those costs? And the reality is, the private sector does not pick up the tab for security and maintenance as a rule?
It is the most difficult money to raise. It is 156 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 considered -- it's a public building, it's a City building, it's a landmark. It's one of the great City museums across the country. Donors give to exhibitions. They give to education. They give to many, many ways to make the Museum a more effective venue for its citizens and for the public as a whole, but not for security and maintenance.
And additionally, the new revelation for me this morning is that absent these dollars, you're really strangled further, because then you have no public dollars to leverage private dollars?
Okay. Moving to arts education, what is the status of that to date? I recall visiting the Art Museum a couple of years ago and actually witnessing the arts education programs. Discuss that with me today.
With pleasure, Councilwoman. The education 157 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 programs of the Museum and that were briefly touched on by Gail in her presentation I think are one of the most innovative and far reaching of the programs we conduct. We reach approximately 75,000 school children every year. We do our experts in distance learning. I should say with regard to the programs, we have really a 50-year partnership with the School District of Philadelphia. I should say a 75-year. My memory doesn't go back so far, but for 50 years, up till two years ago, there were two School District teachers assigned to the Museum permanently who participated very actively in the teaching of Philadelphia school children. Those two positions, those two people were withdrawn because of the pressure to restore teachers to the classrooms. They have not been restored to the Museum, and the Museum has filled in that gap, feeling that teaching and bringing our young people into the arts is one of the most proven and successful ways to open minds and to give a 158 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 kind of broadening, effective education, because it's so visual.
So then I am clear, the discontinuation of the teaching services were pre-Carl Vallas?
The discontinuation of the presence of the School District teachers was about two years ago. It was 50 years during which we had those two teachers at the Museum.
Okay, then. Thank you very much. That's all at this time. Thank you, Madam President.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Kenney.
Thank you, Madam President. In addition to the standing collection, which is tremendous and is a great draw for people to come to the City and for local regional people to come and also 159 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 tourists, the real business, though, is in the exhibitions and the real flare, the real excitement, the real enthusiasm and the real dollars are in the exhibitions; is that correct?
That is correct, although I'm also proud to say that there is an increasing familiarity and reach of our great collections, thanks to promotional video materials that's going on, but the exhibitions make an enormous impact.
But the real impact for the exhibitions is on the City as a whole outside of the Museum, in that it fills hotel rooms, it brings people to restaurants, it gives Philadelphia a reputation that is unparalleled. I remember in '96 when Cezanne I think was in Berlin, London and Philadelphia and --
Berlin, Paris and Philadelphia. Paris, London -- one 160 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 of those three cities.
Which is always a nice list to be in. Philadelphia being in that list of cities isn't a bad thing. And I understand that Dali is only in Philadelphia in spring of 2005.
Philadelphia is the only American venue. It will begin in Venice and end in Philadelphia.
That's another city I like being on the same list with, Venice, Philadelphia; Paris, Philadelphia; London, Philadelphia. It's nice. Not bad. Could you talk about the loss in this operating dollars, what it does to our ability to compete with the Met, with the Art Institute, with museums in Washington and other cities that are also competing for these type of exhibitions?
I will do so. The museums that you mentioned not only 161 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 have much larger endowments on which they draw upon annual income for supporting their operations, but they also have -- obviously the National Gallery in Washington has extraordinary support from the public sector because of the money from the Federal Government, over $60 million. And they are also particularly well positioned, I would say, because corporations which are headquartered in those cities give very generously to support exhibitions in particularly New York, Chicago and Washington and Los Angeles as well. Philadelphia, as you know, the corporate world is very pressed. They have a great many causes. We are grateful that we have --
Many things to concern them, and they are -- we've had good support from corporations, but they never can cover the entire bill.
So it's 162 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 safe to say that if we are limited in our ability to compete with these other institutions for exhibitions, not only does it affect the Museum directly and its operation, but it affects people working in the hotel, people working in the back house of the restaurant, people servicing those restaurants, people servicing the institutions that are directly benefiting, and the ripple effect for the loss of 2.2 really seems penny wise and pound foolish.
I think it's fair to say that the impact of a major exhibition on the Museum itself is much smaller than the impact on the City at large.
And is it true -- and I'd like to say this, I hope it is true -- that in '96 for Cezanne, the economic impact on the City for that year was greater for the Cezanne exhibition than the Eagles, Flyers, Phillies and Sixers put together?
That is, I think, most certainly true. (Applause.) 163 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255
It's somewhat a shame the Museum is not located in a sports complex. We would have no trouble. The rafters would be filled with people demanding that we build something for them. I'm ready to commit today to my vote to restoring all the funding for arts and culture that's been removed. That $4 million is a drop in the bucket compared to what this budget deficit is, and when departments like the Fire Department which turn back $20 million a year to the general fund are asking to take a more than $13 million hit, the Art Museum, which generates tremendous amounts of economic impact for the City, far beyond our meager contribution, and other departments in the City, like the Mayor's office, which is taking a 15 percent increase, I think we need to get our priorities in order. We need to know how we make our money. We need to know how the City becomes an important place in the world scene, and if we want to be a world-class city, not only do we need the Linc and Citizens Bank Park, but we need a museum 164 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 that's making a difference in the whole region and in the world. So you'll have my support totally to put that money back.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Rizzo.
Thank you, Madam Chair. There's some other concerns that I have that you're very dependent upon, and I have some notes, and you can confirm. I understand that the Fairmount Park Commission spends between 75 and $100,000 a year for the ground maintenance. Of that 100,000, 75,000, 65,000 is provided by an endowment through the PA Horticultural Society. So we need to make sure that that support is going to continue. Plus, there's information that the 165 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 snow removal, the trash pick-up, the turf care is also provided, paving, by the Fairmount Park Commission. There's also an indication that on the capital side, approximately $5 million has been spent on capital improvements at the Art Museum. Are you confident that this money that the Fairmount Park Commission provides is solid?
Councilman, I would say that the Museum and the Fairmount Park have had a very good and long history of collaboration and have worked together on the maintenance. I think the grounds maintenance around the Museum that you refer to in particular is supported not only by an endowment at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, but also an endowment at the Museum raised jointly, and also the Park is very enthusiastic about that. I mean, solid, you know, goes from year to year, but certainly we have had every indication from the Park that they want to 166 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 continue to help keep the grounds of the Museum as well as they can under their constraints.
Going back to this budget potential, the budget cut, how does it affect -- we have a certain level of security that I assume is analyzed by various exhibitors or -- what's the word I'm looking for here? The exhibitions. If that would diminish, what would the impact be on a person that would want to loan you a very valuable -- could the quality of what we have in the Museum pertaining to what's loaned to us, could that be affected?
That is an excellent question. The International Museum Community, the American Museum Community adhere to very specific standards of security, of care for both the permanent collections and very particularly for exhibitions at which other institutions works of art are present. For example, in the present Manet exhibition, there are works of art lent by lenders, public and private, from across the world. 167 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 We cannot in any way afford to diminish those standards or we would forfeit the exhibition loans which you can see right now.
With this budget cut, would you fall below that bar and not be able to get some of the exhibitions and some of the loaned art to the facility?
I think the danger of doing that is very real. I think curtailing security standards is not really an acceptable thing to do. So whether we have to close more galleries, whether we have to curtail exhibitions, however we have to respond to that, what galleries are open, what exhibitions are open have to be -- they have to have the proper standards.
My last request for information to the Chair would be, I'd like to know, and I guess I could do the research by looking in the budget book for the Department of Public Property, but I would like to know the value of the utilities, the gas, electric, water, if you could provide 168 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 that information to the Chair. And I know one of the problems that we have here in government that the operating departments, like the Recreation Department and others, are not responsible for their utilities. Some day that needs to get fixed, where the Recreation Department has to take care of the budget for their own electric bill. Then energy management, I think, would be a more important subject in the various departments. Even though you get your utilities provided in your deal, what are you doing in the area of energy management? Because it wouldn't be my priority, I guess, if I weren't paying, but I would hope being responsible, knowing that that is a very significant contribution, that you're working with the energy office to make sure that you are doing the best you can do over there.
Councilman, I think they're well prepared to respond to your question. I know they've been nodding their heads. So I think rather than 169 Whole - 4/20/04 - Bill No. 040255 mailing the information, they want to put it on record right now.
I would like Bob Morrone, our Director of Facilities and Operations, to respond.