Thank you, Mr. President. Just one comment relative to Councilman Nutter's last question. Perhaps if those services had followed those people under the Section 8 Program in the first place, we wouldn't be talking about the elimination of the preference for homeless individuals. And I would reiterate the need for this continued social service help for people to be able to transition from the street to permanent housing so that they have the skills required to be good neighbors and home occupiers and property managers of their own individual properties that they receive through the federal government through subsidized housing. It is critical that that happens, and I don't think that the Section 8 Program, in its efforts to help homeless individuals, will be successful unless that follows with it. And to cut people off, maybe not intentionally, but to cut people off from social services and then basically abandon them in a house, without the skills necessary to run that BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. 960 BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. house, is very unfair -- not only to the people in that house but to the people who live around that property. That's just my opinion. There are two projects in Philadelphia that I am familiar with and ended up working with over the last number of years: one is Project Home, at 15th and Fairmount; and the other is Women of Hope. Even though we're talking about a smaller number of people -- I think in a Project Home issue, it's about 32. But it's not transitional housing, it's certainly not sheltered housing. It's permanent, dignified decent living, with the opportunity to work on-site in three different business that are running a bookstore and a restaurant that is open to the public and a secondhand clothing outlet, which is very successful. And it deals with people that have been on the street, that have mental illness or former substance-abuse problems, that have a need to utilize each other in a way to lift themselves up into a dignified life. Why aren't we following that model? BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. 961 BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. And why aren't we investing more dollars into those kinds of projects and those kinds of developments than we are into a shelter system which, at best, is very undignified? But at some point in time, people are on the street because they don't want to go into the shelter. Why can't we duplicate what Sister Mary has done in neighborhoods throughout the City? Because, I tell you, despite the understandable concern of community people about this type of development, as time has gone on, they are very, very good neighbors. They have been a benefit to Fairmount Avenue at that location, and it is a pleasure to see people who were formerly destitute and homeless have some form of hope. Why can't we follow that model and move forward based on that model, as opposed to the shelter system?
If I could just respond, the Community Development Block Grant Program provides the development subsidy funding for ventures of that kind. And our basic policy is to provide those capable, experienced developers with as much BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. 962 BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. development subsidy funding as they can use to leverage other funding support. And that other funding support is a limiting factor. Every venture of that kind that you see is dependent not only on our development subsidy from the Community Development Block Grant, but also on low-income housing tax credit investment equity -- which is awarded by the State, and which is limited -- and on some source of operating support, frequently the McKinney funding. And so we try to put on the table as much of our funding as we possibly can to leverage those other sources of support, but they are limited. And that really is the overriding limitation.
But I guess my question is: Why don't we really emphasize successful efforts to eliminate homelessness that are present in those kinds of operations? We seem to be dumping money into projects that warehouse people -- that either warehouse them, or then find them a home and leave them alone and never go back and deal with them again until there's a community upheaval about BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. 963 BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. subsidized housing. I mean, when you go into Fairmount Avenue, it is clean, it is decent. I mean, the people are happy, they're working. There's a real epiphany, a change in their lives. Why can't the government follow that model in all of the work that it does as it relates to trying to resolve homelessness?
The only answer is the limitations of funding, the ability to leverage that other funding. The best capable developer is Project Home, the People's Emergency Center. And private developers that have done well, we have funded at capacity. In addition, where we have see good models operating elsewhere, we have tried to transplant them to Philadelphia. Over at 49th and Wyaloosing, Project Help is a New York-based nonprofit that is building transitional housing, and we support it.
Do we need State legislative changes or federal regulatory changes that would allow us to do a better job in that BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. 964 BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. regard? And what needs to be done?
The single, most beneficial change would be a substantial expansion of the federal tax credit funding so that we could get access to more of that, or get it on a priority basis.
The State is really doing all it can at this point. It's a federal issue, in my opinion. DEPT. DIR. NARDONE: I would just add to that. A major source of funding for those types of programs is -- and Project Home is clearly a model that I've been very impressed with since coming on the job here. But the McKinney funding that comes from Washington is a major source of funding for model programs, and the dollars that go for new developments has been declining over time. The President recently announced that he was going to increase funding by about 40 percent in the next fiscal year, but we won't see those dollars until Fiscal Year 2000. BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. 965 BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS.
Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Mr. President. I agree with my colleagues that we have to be very careful to stress that we do need homeless counseling, which is now not mandatory for individuals who move into housing. But I disagree with the Administration's appealing to the PHA Board to take away the homeless preference. I don't believe that we have the luxury of picking either-or when we have both problems that coexist in this City that we have to deal with at the same time. It would be a luxury if I could say I'll only deal with homeless people or people with homes. The people in my district, some are homeless, some have housing; they're in all stages of life in society. And we have to deal with it on a continual basis. So I certainly would like BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. 966 BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. to register my disagreement with the cutoff of the homeless preference. I think it is unfortunate that we don't realize that it has to naturally impact the shelter -- it has to impact on the shelter budget, and it has to impact on people in shelters if they don't have -- it has to impact across the board on our budget. And I think that's very, very unfortunate that we would move forward and then retreat. That's the only disappointing issue I find. And I would just like to make a comment on warehousing people. Project Home is just doing an excellent job. They worked hard to apply for grants and funds, and they also get a lot. The whole concept of warehousing people, unfortunately, usually becomes an economic one where we don't have the resources to have things as nice as Sister Mary has it. And none of us want people warehoused. We all want people to have basic levels. And I agree with my colleague that Sister Mary has a show place that we can take anybody to from anywhere in the world. But the BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. 967 BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. whole issue of warehousing people becomes an economic one of what we want to do and how we want to use the dollars we have. Let me finally thank you, Mr. Nardone. I know he's new and this is a tough field to work in, but it is one where people need us the most. So I thank him and, certainly, Miss Fisher and Mr. Shaeffer for their commitment. I know the pressure we put on them, but we do appreciate them trying to work with us and all of the clients we serve. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you very much. Mr. Nardone, I'd like to raise a question that we have talked about at considerable length at certain times in the past. And this is something that will be near and dear to Councilwoman Fernandez's heart because of the many, many discussions we've had about this over a long period of time. When we use the word "homeless," we all know that's a shorthand that includes a lot of people. It has nothing to do with whether they BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. 968 BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. have a house or not. So when I use the word "homeless," I'm not really -- I understand that it is a convenient shorthand for us because there's a lot of people who don't do what we all do to misunderstand. But I want to know the extent to which you can comment on the relationship between what you do and what the Water Department does and what PGW does and what PECO does. And, hopefully, you'll have a great answer to this and you'll be able to tell us that this is just not a problem. Some of us know that the moment you turn off the utilities, particularly the water, you've just created a bigger problem than would have been created if we had found a way to keep people in the current residence. And, you know, for purposes of this record only, not to suggest that you don't understand that when the water goes off and the families either become a big nuisance or else they leave the house, then the house is vacant, it's often vandalized. We clean and seal it, but sometimes that's not enough. You know, it ends up sometimes being a BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. 969 BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. big demolition bill, and then it could be a fencing bill, and then it could be a vacant lot that has to be cleaned over and over and over again. And I'd like to know the extent to which we are -- we, you, are tied into the Water Department and our other agencies that supply our utilities to make sure that we aren't cutting off our noses to spite our faces; i.e., we're going to collect that water, rent, whatever it is. We're going to collect it, and if we don't collect it, we're shutting it off, and you're out of there. And then they aren't out of there; they're only off maybe one part of our budget. What's happening in this regard? DEPT. DIR. NARDONE: Well, I know you wanted a clear and concise answer, and I'm afraid I don't have it.
We always want clear and concise answers. DEPT. DIR. NARDONE: I would have to be honest with you that most of the work that I've done with respect to this area has been through the work of the Homeless Prevention Task Force BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. 970 BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. that you cochair as well as Councilwoman Fernandez. And it's been -- a lot of my focus over the first eight months has really been trying to oversee that initiative and the additional dollars that have been provided through City Council for homeless prevention. I think you're suggesting an area that is definite necessary for study, and I think you raise a very excellent point. And I think I need to work more closely in that regard.
Councilwoman Fernandez, is your comment on the same point?
Yes. I think my understanding of what a major role of the Homelessness Prevention Program has been to try to find utility assistance for families who are imminently in danger of becoming homeless. And one of the parts of the assistance they provide is hooking them up with utility payments to help them keep the utilities on and keep the home. I think in other cases, there's assistance with the mortgage payment. So it's trying to bring those resources BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. 971 BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. to families who are on the verge of becoming homeless and going down this really both personally and economically costly path to try to keep people in their homes. I'd also like to add, I think it was Councilman Cohen earlier that questioned about jobs. The very important component that was added to the Homelessness Prevention Program, which initially was devised to serve single adults who were getting all of their public assistance cut off, they found -- you know, how are you going to help someone if they have no income anymore. And you need to help people find jobs, so a job placement component was added to the Homelessness Prevention Program. And if I recall, there's something like 150 or 60 men that primarily have been placed in jobs through that initiative. But it is a complex issue, but I think that the utility assistance, the mortgage and sometimes rental assistance, plus the job training and placement, I think, are important parts of that. DEPT. DIR. NARDONE: If I could just BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. 972 BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. add on the employment and training. In announcing the most recent program for non-TANF recipients, one of the things that we are asking is if employment and training providers are tied into the homeless prevention networks to get at the issue of individuals who have no income, then who could benefit from that service.
Who has made the recommendation for the elimination of the homeless priority on Section 8 housing? DEPT. DIR. NARDONE: That was -- the Mayor has put forward a proposal, and that proposal would need to be voted on by the PHA Board.
I want to associate completely with Councilwoman Blackwell's objection to the removal of the homeless priority. And it really isn't, I guess, the PHA BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. 973 BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. Board; it's the Mayor and the Council President who are the effective members of the Board in the point of view of determining policy. But I think it's just a very unwise one. And, Mr. Kromer, I just can't understand how you say that the impact of eliminating that may not result in any effect whatever on what else is going on, 'cause I draw from that, you mean units, housing units that the homeless have used may just lie vacant. If they have no effect, if they don't increase the housing available to others, and if it has no effect on it, it means to me that units occupied by the homeless, that the City is saying, Our preference is to have them vacant rather than to have them utilized by the homeless. Your comment on that, sir?
There are certainly no 20 transitional housing units for homeless people that are left vacant or would be. But with regard to the issue of the preference, I think it's generally agreed that preventing homelessness is better than trying to help someone who has landed in the shelter system. BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. 974 BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS.
How can you do that and have your shelter restrictions which specifically increase the amount of homelessness on the street? How can you say that the City favors a policy of preventing homelessness? It seems to me the City encourages policies that cause homelessness, like the one the President just referred to on the Water Department shutting off or PGW shutting off its supplies so that people are forced into homelessness.
No, the intent of the change is to prevent by helping people out in the Tier 2 category with assistance that will prevent them from going into the shelter system in the first place.
Well, that's the kind of logic I can't follow at all, because I think it makes no sense. In the Section 8, if you take it away from the homeless, do you endanger the McKinney BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. 975 BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. monies that come? And I think you say there's something like million coming through the 4 Stewart McKinney Bill? 5 DEPT. DIR. NARDONE: 16. 6
Are we going to 9 endanger that? Because that seems limited to the 10 use for homeless. 11 DEPT. DIR. NARDONE: No, that would not 12 be endangered by the Section 8 policy. It's not 13 impacted by it. John, do you --
Well, all right, I'm puzzled and will be watching and waiting. With respect to -- DEPT. DIR. NARDONE: And those are -- I'm sorry.
With respect to making shelters more liveable, because there are many homeless who just say the shelters are in such miserable condition, that they would prefer to stay on the street rather than subject themselves to the conditions in the shelters. BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. 976 BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. Tell me, why is that a small family shelter like this Greiser -- I don't know how you pronounce the name -- a shelter that's been around for many years, where the ownership, as far as we know, is kind of a family affair, and they've added all kinds of embellishments to the service provided to the homeless. Why is that being discontinued? DEPT. DIR. NARDONE: Funding for Greiser is not being discontinued. They're funded at 30 shelter beds through the winter, and they were funded at during the summer. 14 They are also a facility for single 15 males and single families -- and not a -- single females and single males and are not a family shelter.
Well, what's the dispute about? Why are the newspaper stories indicating they're being threatened with being pushed out of shelter activity? There have been a number of stories in the newspapers in Philadelphia. All right, can you get the information if you don't have it? BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. 977 BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. DEPT. DIR. NARDONE: Basically, the concern was about reductions that were implemented as part of the shelter restrictions last fiscal year. The number -- the funding for beds was reduced from 30 beds during the winter to 7 during the summer. And that's what the concern 8 is. 9
Well, tell me how 10 that makes sense. 11 DEPT. DIR. NARDONE: The demand was 12 more for the family beds rather than for the beds 13 for individuals, and we did not have the need for 14 the individual beds during the summer. 15
And you didn't have the need during the winter when you reduced it from 30 to 15? DEPT. DIR. NARDONE: No. We have -- in preparation for the winter, we have increased the complement of beds at the Greiser Home to 30.
Didn't they have 30 before last winter? Well, why don't we get the report on that. DEPT. DIR. NARDONE: Okay.
It's a very BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. 978 BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. troubling thing. DEPT. DIR. NARDONE: Okay, I'll give you -- I'll be happy to give you more information on that.
And that's the reason it seems to me the City's policies, added all together, support -- tend to promote homelessness, support insensitivity toward homelessness, rather than support the notion that Mr. Kromer was beginning to explain eloquently before about moving homeless into transitional housing and permanent housing. That's a goal that we all would love to see. I submit, Philadelphia's policies move in the opposite direction. One last question. In the detailed budget material, it seems to me that this year's listing for the fiscal '89 budget is much less detailed than in previous budgets. My impression is that in previous budgets, we listed specific shelters. One could look and examine the detail and see where the City, you know, what kind of shelters the City was using. And I don't see that degree of BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. 979 BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. specificity. DEPT. DIR. NARDONE: I think that refers to the fact that at this point in time, we haven't made the selection for shelters would be funded in FY '99. We are beginning an RFP process to decide which shelters would be funded for the next fiscal year. I believe, though, we can provide you detail, though, on the shelters funded this fiscal year. And I believe that's included in the budget submission.
Well, the detailed information is far less that what we have in the big books, you know, where the details in the City budget are supposed to be very specifically listed. I wish you would check it. And I would like to get as soon as you've completed it the list of shelters that are approved. How long would that take? When do you think you'd have that complete? DEPT. DIR. NARDONE: Well, we will be going to be going through the process over the next two months to select providers for the next BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. 980 BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. fiscal year, and we'd be happy to provide with that list as soon as we've made those decisions.
Well, I would request that and I would request you to look at the differences between the submission for the year '99 budget, the one we're considering now, and, say, the year '98, the year that just passed. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, Mr. President. Question: After the Mayor prepares this letter that goes to be considered, who would vote on that? Would it be the President, the Mayor? And who is the Director of PHA? Or would it be five individuals? Who has that vote? DEPT. DIR. NARDONE: John?
It would be a proposal to the entire Board of the Housing Authority, the five-member Board.
All right. And my final statement is that we do have a class BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. 981 BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. here with Leona Smith. All of us know that she's head of the Employment Project, has worked in the homeless field for many, many years, and has gone through many, many experiences. And I wanted to take this opportunity to welcome her and her students and her teachers back there and ask them to stand up so that everyone can see who they are. (Leona Smith and students and teachers stand up to be recognized.) (Applause.)
While your response to Councilwoman Blackwell as to who votes, I think one has to be realistic. There may be five members on the Board. But I think two votes have the magic ability to overcome, if needed, the other three votes. And that's the reason I said it's basically the Mayor and the City Council President who make the decisions for the PHA Board 'cause BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. 982 BILL 980003 - OFF. EMERGENCY SHELTER SVCS. they're the only members of the Board who have the ability to put anything behind their decision in the way of changes in the City budget or the allocation of funds. So while all five vote, I think it remains a Mayor and City Council President board. Thank you.
Is there anyone else? (No further questions or comments at this time.)
Next is the department that there's not a lot of interest in this City. (Laughter.)
And I'm sure this will take just one or two minutes. The Recreation Department. (Members of Recreation Department Panel come forward.)
Good afternoon, Commissioner, please identify yourself for the BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 983 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. record and proceed with your statement. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Good afternoon, Council President Street and Members of City Council. First I'd like to introduce who's at the table here with me from my staff: Tom Fox, who is my Maintenance Director; Joanne Mangano, who is Administrative Service Director; Carol Rice, who is Deputy Commissioner of Programs. In the back here, Bill Carapucci, who's the Head of our Planning and Special Programs and Development; and Greg Valone, our Stadium Manager. My name is Michael DiBerardinis, Recreation Commissioner, and I am pleased to present to you the Recreation Department's FY '99 budget request for $33,559,400 in the General Fund, and $7,382,621 in the Grants Fund, for a total of $40,942,021. The requested FY '99 General Fund appropriation will support a staff of 556 full-time, 149 part-time, and 1859 temporary positions. It includes increases of: $750,000 for after-school programs to expand our capacity from 1400 to over 3,000 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 984 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. children in its number of sites from 67 to 130; $47,826 to provide two full-time maintenance workers at all our Class A recreation centers; $82,000,000 to expand the Mural Arts Programs; $25,000 to fully fund the overtime work required for the weekend conversions at Veterans Stadium; $80,000 for preventive maintenance at the stadium; And $55,000 to fully fund our chlorine purchases for our City pools. After that formal reading of my testimony, I will just summarize some of the initiatives and the budget implications for FY '99. Earlier this year, during the Fiscal Year '98, the Department reopened three formerly closed centers. This continues a process that we began probably in the second year of the Administration, to reopen facilities that had been abandoned over the course of the previous decade. Those three centers are Heritage BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 985 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. Recreation Center, Winchester Recreation Center, and Belmont Recreation Center. We are currently funding them with seasonal employees and working with neighborhood advisory councils to reclaim those centers and to do active recreation programs at those facilities. With the addition of those three facilities, we now have 161 staffed facilities around the City. Also in this year's budget, there is $750,000 in the FY '99 proposed budget for after-school programs. They are three-hour-a-day, five-day-a-week programs. We began our initiative to establish competency in programming at our centers within this model in Fiscal Year 1997 when we had approximately programs that we funded 17 through grants dollars and reallocating some of 18 our operating dollars. 19 Last year, the Administration and 20 Council gave us an additional $600,000-plus in our FY '98 operating budget, and we added another 55 programs -- or 45 programs, which brought us up to 65 five-day-a-week, three-hour-a-day programs around the City. We anticipate, with the additional BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 986 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. $750,000, to operate between 130 and 140 sites around the City. Approximately 115 of those sites will be within our system, within our recreation system, and the remainder will be collaborative programs with churches, schools, and other nonprofit agencies. They will function within our after-school model, but will be off-site. And we're really looking forward to expanding those types of programs, and we think they offer a great deal of potential in learning and more about these programs for after school. Early in the Rendell Administration and my tenure as Recreation Commissioner, we expanded drastically our sports programs around the City in all the major sports.
And in this fiscal year, FY '98, we are still building our soccer program, our swimming program, our basketball and baseball programs. And this year, we have -- in FY '98, we have 700 more children per month in registered, organized sports program. And we've very excited about this increase. We expect next year, in FY '99, to have a slightly lower increase, but we BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 987 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. are beginning to slowly top out in our ability to -- space-wise to expand the programs at any higher rate. Two programs that we're particularly excited about in FY '99 is an initiative to increase the participation of young girls in athletics. We did an internal survey, and we found that the poorest -- the kids from the poorest neighborhoods -- the girls from the poorest neighborhoods had the lowest participation rates in organized sports. Based on that data, we found that -- and we were particularly hard hit in North Central Philadelphia. We entered a partnership with Nike, and now we have 320 girls between the years of 8 and 10 years old in a nine-month cycle of organized sports programming. We just finished up the basketball leagues, which were a lot of fun and very exciting. And we will be moving on to volleyball and then baseball and indoor soccer. So it's an exciting program, and we will evaluate this model after the first cycle is completed and, hopefully, expand it. Next year, BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 988 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. we are anticipating over 400 young girls in the program for FY '99. Another exciting sports expansion is we've teamed up with the PGA, and we will have in every recreation district, we will convert our athletic fields to small golf courses, and we will have ten introductory golf camps at every recreation next summer, in FY '99, which will have 200 children playing golf with restricted flight balls and being to learn the game of golf. And then, hopefully, they could be integrated into one or two of our golf camps that we run every summer for more advanced players. We're also very excited with that partnership, with the Professional Golf Association. In arts and culture, in FY '97, we had approximately 850 boys and girls and young men and women in either the visual or performing arts -- per month, 850 participants per month. In FY '99, this was a Department initiative with a goal of expanding visual and performing arts, we have 4,300 young people per month in our system. And this has been a major expansion, and we have accomplished this with the BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 989 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. use of operating dollars and also through a lot of fund-raising and grant-writing. Next year, we hope to expand on that 4300 number per month by about 5 or 600 registered, active participants. Within the Maintenance Division, we have really focussed on not only counting accurately but increasing the number of work orders we complete within our Maintenance Division. And since 1994, we have roughly doubled that number. I think in 1994, we had about 6,000 annual completed work orders, and now we're up to 11,000. We have also within -- in some of the things that we have done to sort of build on that number and to increase the -- just our physical plant and the condition of our physical plant has been to -- for instance, last year, at every pool, we installed automatic chlorinators, which was a major project for the Department, and we did this at the urging of the Health Department to make sure that the pools were clean and safe for usage. What that resulted in was we used more BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 990 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. chlorine because we were chlorinating at a much more regular and consistent levels, and that's also been in this proposed FY '99 budget money, to increase our purchases of chlorine.
Another project that's within the Maintenance Division is the Grafitti-Free Program, which seeks to not only eliminate graffiti from all our buildings, but to keep it off. We have -- approximately of our 160 staff facilities, we have 120 facilities that are in the program, so they are graffiti-free, and they have the ability to keep graffiti off of their buildings. And we hope to in the next year, year and a half, to complete the program and have every one of our recreation staff buildings free of graffiti. I'd like to close my testimony by talking a little bit about Recreation Department's role in the Children and Families Cabinet. As Recreation Commissioner, I'm also the Chair of the Youth Violence Reduction Task Force. We are working on two fronts. One of the fronts is a program initiative in eastern north Philadelphia. This BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 991 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. initiative has been in process for about two years, and it has recently received a major grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. It's an 8-year, $10 million grant, with the goal of reducing the incidents of youth violence in North Philadelphia, river to river, Callowhill Street north to Tioga. It's a big area. We are doing this through two major processes. One is to build -- coordinate a service delivery among City agencies and departments, and also to link up with neighborhood organizations, institutions, and individuals, where we bring those coordinated City services together with youth organizations and churches and schools in tightly-defined neighborhoods, to coordinate the delivery of youth services in a way that will have a direct impact on the safety of children and the risk that they confront in the neighborhoods that we're working in. We're very excited about this program. We think that the fact that the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation chose Philadelphia in a national competition indicates that at least somebody thinks we're on the right track. BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 992 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. Some of the more interesting components of this program. Right now, we are working very closely with the Police Department and the School District in the areas around Stetson School and Elkins School, and also around the deBurgos Family Center and deBurgos Middle School, to really hit hard at some of the drug houses and some of the more blatant handgun and crime factors in that neighborhood. It's not the only thing we're doing but it's a very exciting process that we're involved in up there with these neighborhood coordinating teams that grow out of the Cabinet. The second component of the work of the Cabinet around youth violence is the Handgun Task Force, which has been working again for about two years. And last year, we developed a very close relationship with the federal law enforcement agencies as well as a range of City operating departments and nonprofit organizations in the City. Out of that task force has grown the recommendation and eventual implementation of the Police Probation Patrols that are now in effect in BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 993 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. certain parts of the City. This is an interview protocol for gun offenders to begin to collect data on where handguns are and how handguns are getting into the hands of young people and other persons arrested for possession of handguns or crimes with handguns. There has also been a certain amount of communications and interaction with neighborhoods around tracking of handguns, having neighborhood folks help the police to figure out where the handguns are coming, and how they might better control the availability of those guns to young people in their communities. Again, this work is growing every day.
And the collaboration between the City departments, the law enforcement community in the City, and the federal agencies and then bouncing back to the community, I think, gives us hope that we can also make a dent in the availability of guns and, therefore, the use of guns to commit crimes. With that, I will close my testimony and will be happy for me and my staff to entertain any questions that Council may have. BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 994 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT.
Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter.
Thank you, Mr. President. Commissioner, I want to -- in this first round of questioning, I want to touch on three particular items. One has to do with additional funding for recreation programs, the second has to do with the Mural Arts Program, and the third is on a topic that we discussed when you were last here, I think, in your capital budget testimony that had to do with custodial maintenance. That may be the longer of the three. In a conversation and meeting I had some time ago with groups or organizations that have concern about Recreation Department programs and funding, one idea -- and I think this is not necessarily a new idea or even a current or relatively recent idea -- has to do with the potential for surcharge on the tickets for various sporting events at major facilities; primarily, I guess, the Vet, and probably Spectrum One and Spectrum Two, at least four major sports teams here in Philadelphia. BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 995 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. I have asked the City Solicitor's Office to look at the issue from a legal standpoint. But I wanted to ask the Department if you could take a look at it from both a revenue- generation standpoint, assuming that you can make some determination at least of what the Phillies and the Eagles do by way of attendance since we own Veterans Stadium. And through other contacts, you might be able to get some of the same information for the two Spectrum facilities, just to see what may be generated by way of a potential 50-cent surcharge. This is purely an exploratory stage, and I think we need to have more information going forward. But if you could get that information, I'd appreciate it. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: I mean, if I understood the question correctly, you would ask us to look at attendance figures for the Eagles and the Phillies, and then try to talk as well as to the 76er and the Flyers.
Right. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: To see what their annual attendance is and compute annual BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 996 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. attendance against a 50-cents-per-ticket surcharge.
Right. Something like that would be included in the price. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: I think we could do that exercise and get you that.
Right, and then you'd be able to tell us what that generates and then possibly extract from those figures the amount of funding and then what you would possibly do with it if it was a dedicated source of revenue for the Recreation Department. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: I think we could do that, sure. And we could probably work with -- I would try to work with the Budget Office as well to come up with the numbers.
Thank you. On I guess it's the first written page of your testimony, you mention an additional $82,000 to expand the Arts Mural Program. And then later in the testimony, you actually talk about what that funding is for. You're trying to increase the number of murals by the program from, I guess, the current BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 997 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. fiscal year from 85 murals, to 100 murals in FY '99. And that $82,000 in FY '99 will support two additional Mural Arts employees and provide paint and painting supplies to increase the projected number of murals placements to 100. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Mm-hmm.
You then go on to say that you'll go from workshops in 10 after-school centers to 36 in FY '99. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Right.
They could have used you -- your efforts, I guess, at the -- at the loaves and fishes. How do you propose to do all of that with $82,000? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Well, as you will see, Councilman Nutter, also in testimony in FY '98, we raised a quarter of $1 million with help from a lot of people. So our staff did an excellent job, but we have a number of advocates and people in government -- yourself included -- who helped raise that outside money. That also helps increase our production totals. In addition to that, the after-school -- or the Mural Arts After-School Training Program BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 998 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. is funded both in our operating budget and in our grants budget. And it is my suspicion -- and maybe Carol can talk about this -- that some of that $750,000 of allocation for our After-School Programs would go and support the increase from 8 to 36 in FY '99. 9
Okay. 10 COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: But the 85,000 will go a long way to help us raise additional money as well as putting more staff and supplies actually on the street to paint the murals. This program has a lot of energy and a lot of support in the neighborhoods, within the arts and culture community in the City, within the foundation community, and in the Department. And we are -- in addition to this, we are blending our internal resources from our Maintenance Division around helping us set up the scaffolding and helping supply some of the paint for some of the projects, wall prep. We're using some of our already-preexisting services that are available in the Department also to support the BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 999 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. project. And it's the energy of Jane and the staff that also makes all of this work.
Well, I mean, I think you already know that there's a lot of support for that program, there's a lot of support for a lot of programs in the Recreation Department. This is one that myself and, I know, my colleague across the floor, Councilwoman Fernandez, has a particular interest in. But I think many Members of City Council like this program whether it's the large, small, or medium murals out on buildings. But also the opportunity for the workshops that probably touch even more young people who may either have a fear of heights or don't necessarily want to paint murals. Okay. Lastly, tell me about follow-up to our discussion about custodial services. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: I was hoping to have the work completed before today, but we were trying to create real numbers --
We appreciate that. BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1000 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: -- for your question, and not just plug in, you know, one person at one center times, whatever, 30 centers, and give you a number. We were trying to really look at each facility that's within our system to see what are the hours that we believe are the real weekly hours that would be necessary; that if we could staff, what would those hours be. So we're trying to compute those numbers now. It's taking us a little longer to come up with those numbers than we had hoped.
Let me just ask this as an add-on, and this will be my last question for the moment. When you look at that, is there a procedure, either by way of -- you mentioned your strategic plan, or is it just the history to the Recreation Department? Are the centers checked on a regular basis to see what the current maintenance is, what the cleanliness is, are the bathrooms being taken care of, is there, you know, appropriate supplies, and all of the things that make a place decent BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1001 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. enough that somebody wants to be there? How often are they checked? And is that a regular -- COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Every day, at 2 o'clock, 161 staff persons show up in the Program Division, and they check, and we know what the problems are if they are there. We know if the gym floor needs to be mopped, we know if the bathrooms need to be cleaned, we know if the trash had been picked up in a timely way. So it's staffed facilities, year-round staff facilities. It's not difficult. And the work orders and requests for service generate from the program staff leaders. If -- it's like if they come in and see a panel, an electrical panel has been tampered with and there's exposed wires, we hear about that right away. If there's a game that night and the gymnasium floor needs something that did not get done, or there was an order, with some timeliness, we hear about that.
All right. So you have a regular process -- COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Yeah, we BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1002 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. have a system.
-- and a system by which to check centers. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Right. Now, the harder question becomes in the unstaffed facilities, parks and squares. And, you know, we talked -- I think I talked to a lot of people here in Council who care about those, which people do care about how they look and whether trash is picked up, whether there's a tree branch that has fallen, that kind of stuff. That's a little harder. And that sometimes takes a little longer to get to us because they're done more on a rotation. They tend to, uh, staff aren't there immediately and may not be there that day, so that those work orders or requests for service tend to come in at a different rate than the staffed facilities.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Fernandez.
Thank you, Mr. President. I'll be brief. BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1003 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. Commissioner, I think the fact that you've been able to attract so much private money and again this Robert Wood Johnson, this or $8 5 million grant. 6 COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: I might be 7 off a million, but it's an 8-year grant, and I think the annual allocation is $1.2 million per year.
What you're getting is fantastic, attracting all of that money, plus, you know, all kinds of corporate and other kinds of support. And I think it can be attributed to the incredibly fine leadership and all of the good work of people in your Department, plus people realizing how important recreation is for our neighborhoods, for keeping our neighborhoods safe, and for having positive things for children and adults to be doing. So I think, again, you deserve a lot of kudos because, again, thinking where we were with the Recreation Department back when the Rendell Administration first took office, you've come a long way, and I think it really is commendable. BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1004 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. I also think it's important and I want to thank the Administration for including the additional money for after-school programs and for the Arts Mural Program that's now in your department, for including those additional funds. The extra 750,000 will be, you know, I'm sure, well used. My one concern is that I note in your testimony, you say the additional funds will allow you to serve 3,222 children or something like that, a little over 3,000. And it's great that, again, we've made this additional investment. But my concern is that there are still so many young people out there who do not have a safe, supervised place to be after school. And particularly now with the welfare change coming that basically says everyone, all the 60,000 primarily mothers who have been receiving AFDC in the old days have to be out working, children and young people are going to need care more now than ever. So, again, I think you've done a great job, I think the City is investing more, but when we look at the scope of the problem, I think we BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1005 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. all need to keep finding ways to find additional resources. And it does take money to provide supervision for kids after school to begin to make a dent in this huge number, whether it's 20,000, 30,000, 50,000, 80,000 kids who need good, safe places to be after school because their parents are working. That's it.
Thank you very much. Commissioner, who is responsible for the mural that recently went up -- or is going up at Broad and Spring Garden Street, on the northeast corner?? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: That's part of the Arts Mural Program, the Recreation Department's Mural Arts Program.
Well, that is -- COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Isn't that spectacular?
That is beyond spectacular. Is that the same -- the ones at the southeast corner of Broad and Vine, are they also a part of the program? BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1006 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: That's right. And I'd just like to brag a little bit about Jane and her crew and the work that Ed Fagan has done and the Mural Arts Advocates. As you've noticed, Mr. President, the quality of the work is really at a high level right now. When we're working -- both what we do in the neighborhoods, not like in Center City, but even in the community, we're attempting to do high-quality work. Mario Lanza in South Philly, that's a beautiful portrait of him and his life. The peace mural in Grays Ferry, which Councilwoman Verna was there at the opening or the ceremony to mark that, it's just a -- it's not only that the theme is a wonderful theme, but just the artistic level is so high. We're -- it's -- we're excited about the program. We're so happy it's in our department. We feel like we're a very good fit for that program and can carry on, I think, the tradition and the themes that were -- that originated in the Anti-Graffiti Network, to carry them on and try to see them grow and develop as BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1007 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. the years go by. So we're very happy about it.
One very general question. I would like for you to tell us how it is you are interacting with the School District of Philadelphia, as you provide recreation and/or other services to young people in the City. I have never -- this obviously is -- you've done a great job, and we all appreciate that, but I don't think any Member of this Council is satisfied that there's a direct enough relationship correlation in working between the Recreation Department and the School District. What is happening? Tell us what's happening between your department and the School District. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Well, you're right. I think we're learning more every day. And institutional relationships do grow over time. People get to know one other.
I thought you were going to say "grow slow." COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Well, they BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1008 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. do, they do but we're working at it. And I'm just trying to make the point that this stuff takes time if it's going to last and it's going to get people on board and feel good about it, it just takes a little time. But that said, we -- and I say this -- at least I've said this as I testified before, we operate 120 school gymnasiums every year, beginning approximately October 15th through March 15th. Every night and on Saturdays, Recreation Department programs and athletic clubs and advisory councils use those facilities for everything, from cheer-leading, the drill teams, basketball, volleyball, and indoor soccer. And we're happy with that. We think that's a tremendous mix of Department staff and volunteers and resources with the School District's physical plant, to really provide an excellent service. And we operate eight of the School District's indoor pools after hours. That was a couple years ago, we received additional money from Council to do that. We only had four, and now we're up to eight and that's the maximum. I BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1009 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. don't think there's any more of the pools we can run for public use after school hours. We now have a few schools where we're linking up with the School District to do after-school programs, off-site after-school programs. At the Fairhill School and at Potter Thomas School, and at Dunbar, they're either in progress, actually on the ground running, or actually very close to being established. We hope that next year, as this after-school program expansion, this expansion in FY '99, we will see more of a that programming interaction. The School District, on the other hand, uses our facilities as well. And I don't have a real good -- I can't articulate exactly where these facilities are. But, for instance, I know that Overbrook High's football team uses that Disston Recreation Center athletic field for their football team. And there's a number of those instances where our gymnasiums and our fields and courts are used by the School District. That's not to say that we've reached the end of the road; I think we're just at the BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1010 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. beginning, and I would really like to continue. And I think this Administration, under Superintendent Hornebeck, has been open to exploring many more connections between the Recreation Department and the School District. And we think within these teams is really these neighborhood coordinating teams, which has the School District as a member, has the Recreation Department as a member, and has lots of neighborhood folks as members, we're seeing the fruits of that in that neighborhood, particularly with the after-school programs.
Well, I would like to know what would be involved from the Recreation's point of view if there were some program being operated either by the School District or by the Recreation Department or by the two of you together in every one of the 257 schools that we have in the City so that there would be no school that closes regularly at 3 o'clock and sends the children home, that doesn't have after-school programs, recreation programs, other kinds of programs, weekend programs. I have long held the view that we just BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1011 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. -- the capital expansion that we have in this City in many instances is unnecessary and that we need to make greater use of the buildings that we already have. And, you know, it's only so many buildings that we need to build, so many roofs that we have to keep in good repair, so many heating systems and air-conditioning systems that we can improve. It just seems that we ought to be able to -- it would be a lot easier to set up in an existing facility than it is to go out and start developing new facilities and developing independent of each other. And I would like for you to investigate what would be involved, and tell us, you know, give us some idea of how long do you think a phase-in program might work. I think we need to do a better job in providing recreational as well as educational opportunities for young people in these buildings. And I'd also like for to you consider the summer, summer programs as well. The Chair recognizes Councilman Rizzo. BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1012 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT.
Thank you, Mr. President. Commissioner DiBerardinis, I just have two questions. One is the fact that the Police Athletic League has basically gotten out of the boxing business. And I constantly get calls. There's a lot of controversy, positive, negative about boxing. But there are apparently a lot of young people that want to involve and learn boxing. And could you just give me a little idea of what's going on? I don't see any mention of the boxing program at all in the testimony or the budget. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: No, we have a lot of boxing, and I will let either Carol or Bill, who's ever most appropriate, to review what our boxing program looks like. DEPT. COMM. CARAPUCCI: Councilman Rizzo, I'm Bill Carapucci, Deputy Commissioner of the Special Programs. We have nine boxing sites active in the Department of Recreation in various parts of City: South Philadelphia, North Philadelphia, BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1013 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. Northwest Philadelphia. So we do have a program that's ongoing. I would that say we have probably about 300 people in the program, City-wide. A few years ago, we were down, but the last couple years, we've been putting more emphasis in this program.
I think I had a conversation with you, Commissioner, about equipment, the heavy bag. The program again is in how many locations, eight locations? DEPT. COMM. CARAPUCCI: Well, we have nine.
And you feel they're up and running and that it's active? DEPT. COMM. CARAPUCCI: We have a Boxing Advisory Council that we formed about two years ago, were we run fund-raisers, we have a boxing banquet. They have more supplies now than they had in the past. And we're looking into what else we can do to help them in the upcoming year. And there are a group of people -- in fact, one of our employees is in the advocacy BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1014 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. group, Stan Williams. They meet with us on a regular basis, and we get some input of what they need. Their equipment is quite expensive. And since it's to a small number, you know, we have to put in a priority listing. We're going to see what we could do this year to help them somewhat.
I've talked to the Police Athletic League, and they tell me the reason the program went away was because of insurance problems that they hated to deal with. Do you have a similar concern? DEPT. COMM. CARAPUCCI: No. 16 COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: No. And there's only so many -- part of the problem is that there's only so many facilities that we can actually create a ring. I mean, you put up a -- there's only so many facilities where we can physically accommodate a ring. It takes up a lot of space, and it only can be used for one purpose, no multiple uses. And we try to create regional hubs versus, you know, having 50 gyms or 40 places for BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1015 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. young people to box. And it's true. Bill said that the equipment is sort of specialized and expensive. If there's an equipment issue, and I know you've brought some of them to me, we attempt to right away, if we can, address those issues as quickly as we can, either through fund-raising or within our operating budget.
Thank you, Commissioner. My last question is in the area of energy management. Public Property pays the Recreation Department's electric bill, right? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: That's correct. COMMISSIONER RIZZO: I receive letters, and also I have seen this personally, and I know that you're dealing with in many cases an antiquated system at many of the fields. But when you ride by and see a fully illuminated recreation field -- and the reason that at 3 o'clock in the morning it's fully illuminated is because of security reasons. Do you ever think you'll get to the point where you'll be able to reconfigure? And BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1016 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. maybe Councilman Mariano can help with this, reconfigure the electrical circuits at these facilities so it appears that we're not just wasting the taxpayers' money and over-illuminating these facilities. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: You're right. And it bothers me sometimes, I'll be honest with you. I'm never out at 3 o'clock in the morning, but --
If you were a Councilman-At-Large, you would be. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: But after hours, after 10 o'clock or 11 o'clock, if I see a facility lit, it means one or two of a few things. Maybe the timer has been tampered with at the facility. And most of these systems, given the last few years, we put a lot of new outdoor field lighting systems in, and they have very good timing systems, but sometimes they get messed with or they malfunction. Sometimes, as you've said, there's a neighborhood request for certain lights to be on, and you can't segregate the lights in the system. It's either on or off. You cant say, Leave these BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1017 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. three on and turn the rest off. Sometimes that happens in the community requests and we try to balance that out, but I think we can do a better job at trying to sort of uniformly have our system be off when the fields aren't being used.
Well, I'm pleased. You know, I'm happy that it is troublesome to you and it's something that you would like to correct because people who do live in the area of these facilities certainly, they want them to be secure and be able for the police to see any improper activity. But when they're lit like for a game day, that is also not something that the community wants to see. As long as you recognize it. The Public Property, Commissioner, tells me, When you start paying the electric bill, you'll so something really quickly about it. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Miller. BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1018 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT.
Thank you, Mr. President. Good afternoon. I just have a couple of questions. Are there any plans to expand the youth access centers per recreation district? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: If you don't mind, Councilwoman, I'm going to have Deputy Commissioner Rice answer. DEPT. COMM. RICE: This is Carol Rice, Deputy Recreation Commissioner. The youth access centers are funded through the HSDF grant. The goal is to expand to ten youth access centers. We're presently at five and we will be expanding. We hope to get one more open this fiscal year, if possible, but it takes an identification of a center that can house all of the things that a youth access center does. Our most recent one was Grays Ferry, which includes Vare, Lanier, and 30th and Oakford. And that was a unique way of doing it, providing additional services and using all three. But yes, we hope to expand, but it is grant money that is allowing us to do that.
Okay. And BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1019 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. they're housed in a Recreation Department building or someplace else? DEPT. COMM. RICE: Yes, they are housed in a Recreation Department Building. The objective of a youth access center is to expand and build up the programs and to bring the youngsters and the teenagers in, and then to have available services within each area, depending upon the need. You can have a health worker, you can have a social worker, you can have a human relations department, you could have all of these things, services in there that would be able to benefit the youngsters, especially as they get into that adolescent age, that 11-, and 12-, and 13-year-old group.
Okay. There are a couple centers in my district that are small, and I think I raised this the last time you were over talking about after-school programs. They're not large enough to house an after-school program, but I want to make sure that their area still gets served, so who would be a part -- what people will you contact to see just BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1020 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. what's in the area, churches, other community- based organizations? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: What we hope to do is to do this year is have more off-site after-school programs, so we would -- this is hypothetically. If there was a church or a nonprofit or even a school that had a lot of interest in an after-school program, let's say, within your district, then the Department would have some capacity where we didn't have enough room at center in that neighborhood, to begin to start a program linking up with that institution or agency.
Okay, but -- COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: So we're looking into doing that.
But you will like maybe talk to me, talk to the center's advisory council. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Right.
So that people in the neighborhood will be involved. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Right, BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1021 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. exactly. And we're doing our best to make sure that, you know, we just don't move aimlessly to where it's easiest to move to but we're being conscious about the expansion to make sure that the coverage is where the programs are not only where we have the fiscal plant to house them but where we can also meet the need.
Okay. One other question I have is regarding activities funds, and I don't know whether anyone raised it prior to me coming back up. Would you explain to people what the process is and what holds it up? 'Cause I've had a number of -- a couple people, you know, express different concerns. DEPT. COMM. RICE: Okay, several things can hold up payment. Number one, the main thing would be, after the people are notified, if they don't get the contracts. We spend a lot of time writing people, encouraging them to get the contract that they need to have done back to us. Once that is completed, it usually runs pretty quickly after that. BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1022 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. Once we get the contract, we're able to get the checks. The checks require two signatures, we've got to catch two people. And I'm sure your hands, as the representative, have gotten tired from signing but we try to get them through as quickly as possible. The only other thing that could hold up a check getting out would be that they have not complied with the contract from the year before. So we have to get all of those things done before we can even issue a check. But basically, the majority of these checks get out in a rather quick manner.
You know, I never saw so much confusion with the activities fund grant as I did this year. People told me that they had sent their contract back and called the Recreation Department and were told they had not received it. They would send out another BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1023 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. contract. And then people did not receive, supposedly, the second contract that went out. It got so bad that I literally had to have a contract picked up and hand-delivered to someone so that they could fill it out, and I told them to call me when it was completed so that we could hand-deliver it to the Recreation Department. Something went afoul this year. I don't know what caused it, but I will tell you that we got more complaints about that than we ever did. DEPT. COMM. RICE: If I could just, you know, respond. I'm sorry that the people, you know, experienced that problem. We had close to 800 recipients of the activity fund, and that was in the minority, but we will do everything possible to make sure that it doesn't, you know, happen again.
Well, there were a number in my district that had that problem. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: And I'm upset about hearing this, but --
And I don't think BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1024 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. I'm the only one, maybe I just keep track more than I should. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: I would think that we did pretty well, but if we hear otherwise, I'll be more concerned. But I think if -- and I hate to say this, but if you can't make your first run, you don't get the appropriate response, then you should -- Carol is -- really manages the grant, the staff that does it. I would go directly to her, and I think that if your staff person called, they could talk directly to Carol, and I think we can get this stuff settled. I apologize for any inconvenience or funding, you know, people not getting their checks when they anticipated it.
On that same vein, I know that monies are appropriated for FY '99. Can you tell me what portion of FY '98 funding remains unspent? And what happens to that money? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Of the activities fund?
Mm-hmm. BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1025 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Well, there is a small amount of money that comes back. And, in fact, we just met this morning, and this was on the agenda. That group does not -- for instance, they're a qualified recipient, we send the check to them or the contract or check, and the money doesn't get spent or the check gets sent back for some reason. We were going to write Council President and the Mayor to say, Guide us in this, there's some money that has been accumulated in the last year or so, and please tell us how to deal with it.
Mr. President, I would hope that it would remain in each of the Council Districts, because I know that not all of mine were spent, and whatever was not spent this year, I want it to be rolled over for next year.
Councilwoman, as soon as we get the details for that, I'm sure we can make arrangements.
And can we be apprised of exactly what that is, please?
Sure. Actually, BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1026 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. this is the first time we're hearing about it. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Right. And it's just something that we, in preparing for this meeting Carol preparing for the meeting this morning raised it, and we chose to seek some guidance on that.
I can think of at least people who would be very prepared to give 10 some strong guidance. 11 The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Miller.
See, we have this state-of-the-art equipment, you know what I mean?
Anyway, can you tell people the new deadlines for applications or when applications are coming out that's different BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1027 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. from last year in an effort to get money to groups by the summer? DEPT. COMM. RICE: Yes. We have already printed the requests for proposals. They are ready to come to your offices as well as the other locates. The grant period will run from March 2nd -- which is earlier than it has been, I think, since its inception -- through April 15th. And then we hope to have them to the Council offices for review by the end of April so that we can make sure that the allocations and the notifications are to the people prior to the end of the fiscal year so that the money and the checks can go to them at the beginning of the year.
Okay, that's very good. I have one other question. You know, when I read the testimony and read the five-year plan and see initiatives such as the anti-violence violence initiative under the eight-year grant, what are the specific areas that are targeted? I think it says it's in North Philadelphia from river to river, or something like that. BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1028 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Right.
And what's -- it's not going to take you eight years to implement it. And will it ever spread across the City before those eight years are completed? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Well, we hope so. But with this particular grant, we had to --
Target the area. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: -- target the resources. However, the Children and Families Cabinet is seeking funding to not just to generate some money and funds, to do the same thing in other neighborhoods in the City. So we're not sitting on our, you know, flat-footed. We have this money and we'll just work where the grant allows us to work. We're attempting to generate both foundation dollars and other public dollars, particularly in this instance from the State, to do this kind of work on the ground with neighborhood groups and City agencies in other neighborhoods. BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1029 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. So depending on how we do in our development of additional resources, we'll impart -- or in large part dictate our ability to move beyond the foundation-mandated area. However, we're very interested in moving beyond the area.
Okay. And one other question. Should we as Councilmembers be advocating for you to get additional staff, particularly regarding building repairs and all of that? Because that's what I get a lot of, you know, that our center needs repairs, we've asked about it. So you're not supposed to say yes, but they're needed. I think they're needed. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Well, I think we've made a lot of progress and our staff has grown. I mean, I think in 1993, we only had 490 staff for Fiscal Year '93. I think it was '93 or '94. Don't hold me to the exact year, but I think it was '93. This year, we'll be 556. So our programs have grown, and we have expanded rapidly, but we have also increased our capacity to perform maintenance functions. For instance, in 1993, we did not have a full-time BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1030 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. custodian at every recreation center -- at every A center. Today we have a full-time permanent custodian at every A center. We were not fully staffed in our plumbing unit, our HVAC unit, we didn't have a tree crew. We have decent, adequate funding for those units. We are -- so I feel like we've made great progress in the trades. And I think we are looking within the Department very closely at attempting to do better with the resources that we have, to use those resources in a more strategic way, to make sure that the priority work orders get done, the things that the center needs that people are telling us and the leaders are telling us need to get done quickly, that we don't get swallowed up with getting the pools open or getting the rinks open or getting the grass cut. We have to do them no matter what, right? But to figure out how to make those other pressing needs come up in the system and be dealt with in a quick way. So even though I think we've made great progress, our staff is increased, I still have we BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1031 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. have some ground to cover in keeping the centers at a higher -- I mean the standards are higher now to. I mean our standards -- I mean, just to tell you, in 1992 or 3, I was getting calls every week about roofs leaking and heaters that didn't work, you know, toilets that wouldn't flush. I mean, we're past that now. I mean, we're past that now. We still have work to do -- I mean, I don't want to misrepresent that, but we're not dealing with major systems collapsing around us or an inability, when they do, to get them working again. I think we're past that. And now we're at a level of really trying to do -- like make sure that the fences that get cut, as soon as we fix them, how do we make sure that those fence lines and those fences are standing straight and doing what they're supposed to do. And that the locks in the center -- the locking system and the windows are maintained appropriately. So we're at a new level, but that's a demand, that's a legitimate, honest demand that people are making on us and it's one that we're BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1032 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. really trying to meet.
Okay. I just want to end by saying thank you to you and other members of the Department on all the help that you gave us on the lining of our rec center. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Yeah, that's great, isn't it?
Deal, right. Okay, thank you. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Councilman Mariano.
Thank you, Mr. President. Commissioner, first of all, I'd like to thank you too. As one "Kenso" to another, I'd really like to thank you for adding some more indoor facilities for the indoor soccer. You know how much I care about that and the ice hockey too. And I have a couple questions. The first question is the fences since you mentioned fences. BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1033 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Right.
If a work order comes in to repair a hole in a fence, say, at Newts. You know, they're probably 80-year-old fences down there. By the way, will we ever get grass at Newts or are we planning on cinders that are -- COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Well, that's up to you guys. That's part of --
I inherited Newts from Council President Street. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: I'll be honest with you, I don't know. It's the best training field in the system.
I know. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: It can rain for three days and if it stops for one hour, you can play soccer or baseball on that field.
You're absolutely right. But the problem is when them kids come from Yardley and they see them cinders, they don't have no idea what that -- COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: They try to park on the field. They think it's a parking lot. BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1034 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT.
Yeah, they think it's a parking lot. And they were all like that at one time. But if a request comes in for a fence, does Tommy handle that from Maintenance? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Yeah, we'll -- we'll --
I'm Tom Fox. Councilman, if get a request to repair the fence, it could depend on the type of fence. Some of them are the wrought-iron fencing. You might need a welder or a backhoe or something to pick this up. That's a big --
Like MacCauley has cyclone fences, Newts still has the old wrought- iron fences, right?
Yeah, the situations vary, but if it's a regular cyclone fence, we will, again, make out a work order. The work order goes to the depot supervisor, who then will sent out a fence crew.
How many fence do BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1035 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. you have, though, Tom?
Is the fence crew -- I guess then they're experts on cyclone fences, wrought-iron fences, stockade fences, whatever type of fences we might have?
Okay. What kind of equipment is at their disposal? Is there hole-diggers, front-end loaders?
We have two backhoes or front-end loaders that they use. They'll sometimes have to get that from the Grounds Maintenance Unit. The supplies are -- we try to stock the regular supplies like the four-, eight-, ten-foot high fencing. We try to keep some of that in stock. The vehicles -- they have a vehicle to get there to the job. For the most part, they have the equipment. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Rick, we're behind. I mean, I'll be honest with, we're BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1036 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. behind.
Yeah. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: And we have trouble -- right now, we're waiting for a list for the maintenance mechanics, and it's just sort of to the extent that we're like limping along until we get these positions filled and get a civil service list. We can pull a couple maintenance mechanics off that list.
But it sounds to me like you need more than one fence crew. I mean, we could use two or three. For a while, when you only had that one bucket truck, you know, we were renting a lot from T & T. And that's nice, but. . . I mean, is it the same deal? A fence crew here, a fence crew there? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Well, we'll have another crew. I checked in with Tom on this before we came over here. If we an get this list, when the list gets established --
Yeah, we're presently waiting for the Maintenance Mechanic I list to be active. And when that becomes active, then we'll get two BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1037 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. more mechanics on. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: That said, the fence line -- we're -- the vandalism is, I think, a problem that again is going down. The level of vandalism at the centers, because they're used more, because people are engaged more, because they look nicer. You know, the capital program has really kicked in, made a big impact. You know, people feel better about the recreation centers so they take a little more pride and there's a little more care going on. But one area where we still have a little trouble is our fence lines get clipped a lot. And I hear our skilled trades guy say they're fixing the fence and they see somebody across the street, you know, doing this with wire cutters.
Right. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: You know, if they want to play with us. And a lot of times we get behind because it's not usage or wear and tear, general wear and tear, it's vandalism. So that creates an issue for us. BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1038 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT.
Let me ask you this, Commissioner and Mr. Fox, whoever. When does a repair become a capital improvement? I mean, a capital improvement on a fence per se, I mean, that's a vague question.
Well, it depend on the situation. Sometimes it's a dollar-thing. But between 7500 to $10,000 might make it capital. If the situation requires somebody to get way up, you might need a crane, say it's a lighting pole that falls over and you need special equipment that we might not have, it wouldn't be wise for us to have that type of stuff. That makes it a capital.
It's cheaper to rent it. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Well, the rule of thumb, Councilman, for us anyway, is if the system needs -- if the system's broke, then we go to Capital. If it's a part of that system and we're capable of it, we try to keep that in-house before we bump it over to Capital.
Well, we talked -- I joked with you about Newts and the cinders, but BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1039 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. -- 'cause I've done some stuff up at Piccoli, and you guys have been great, getting the dirt up there and the diamond texture for North Catholic baseball, my alma mater. That has nothing to do with it. If I went to Frankford, it would still be done, I'm sure. What's the status of our grounds keeping? I mean, that's another big deal too, right? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Yeah.
I mean, I can imagine getting all them fields -- COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: 425.
Getting them ready every year for baseball and soccer and for -- COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Right. Tom has really, I think, creatively suggested that we increase our purchase of diamtex, which is the like kind of clay-like dirt that is used to dress infields, baseball infields, and in some instances, other parts of the playing field. Every field in the system is -- right now, I mean, we drop it right now in the winter. So spring cleanups come and whether it's in BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1040 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. conjunction with the Department staff or the clubs go out and the advisory councils do the work on their own, they have that dirt there, which is costly if they have to buy it. In addition to that, when clubs are working with us to really dress the field, which we might do at Piccoli, we will then drop double or triple the amount of dirt we normally drop to do a major dressing of an infield. But that, again, is based on the amount of volunteers we have and the amount of resources we can put in but we add a lot more to that. Our fence lines, we have a contract now for limited spraying of our fence lines, which has really helped keep the weed and weed tree growth along them. I don't know how much better we're doing at the trimming, but we made a big effort to, as we cut to trim. If don't do enough trimming, then we start losing battle. I would say that, again, in a general way, our Grounds Maintenance Division has improved in the upkeep of the fields, but we're only maybe in the middle of the journey.
Commissioner, BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1041 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. while we're on that subject, I grew up across from Piccoli playground. Now, somebody mention trees, I think, one of the Councilpeople. I came in late here. But the trees across from Piccoli, for lack of better words, I don't know they're called. When I grew up, we called them "vomit balls," because they do two things. These little seeds fall off the trees, hit the ground, and all the kids run through the trees, and this stuff smells like throw-up. So you can imagine if you had a house in Juniata Park -- I'm sure it's all over the City. This was a great idea for somebody. I don't know why. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: But a bad idea for us.
Yeah, because it gets tracked in on your wall-to-wall carpeting. And my mother, God rest her soul, was like, Don't go over on the vomit balls. I don't know, that's what we called them, you know? We don't put in any more of them trees in, do we? 'Cause I don't know what you -- can BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1042 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. you find that out for me next year when you come back, what those trees are called? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: I will.
Because I'm sure they have a purpose and somebody had a reason. They're beautiful trees, but they only do one thing, they make these seeds that -- maybe Councilman Ortiz knows, I don't know.
We have staff person in Engineering who's a landscape architect, I'll -- COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: No, you're right. I think they're horrible.
Find out what the purpose was. I mean, it was before Michael grew up and you grew up, 'cause I'm 42 and Piccoli was there in the sixties, so they were planted. My one last comment is Councilman Rizzo spoke about the lighting problem. And he is a Councilman-At-Large, and he's out till o'clock in the morning. I'm out till if he's out till 3, believe me. But the centers in my district where we went around and you did the good electrical contracting -- now, I won't say "union," 'cause BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1043 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. you know where I come from. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: I know.
But the guys whose names I won't mention that did Piccoli and Cione, when I walk in Piccoli or Cione, they're laid out different. I can close my eyes and tell you where everything is, and Tom knows this. So if we hire the same people if we can, the same kind of deals, we get the same thing. So, therefore, if a rec leader's at Piccoli and he gets transferred to Grays Ferry, everything's in the same place because, you know, with the contacts and the lights and the timers and the photo cells, you know, Eric's always looking at that. And that's a big thing, that they're in the same place. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: We do our absolute best to uniform all our capital programs so that heating systems, lighting, major systems, the more uniform they are, the easier it is for the Maintenance Division to prepare, and the easier it is for the Program Division to operate. So that is always something that we're working towards. BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1044 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT.
And let me ask you this, Commissioner, since David Cohen's not here looking over your shoulder, can you tell us anything? Or Greg Rouse may be hidden somewhere here. What can we do? 'Cause I appreciate it. Besides the Police Department, in my scope of the -- in my world, the Recreation Department's right there. I mean, if we're going to spend money in the Police Department or the court system, we might as we well spend it now for kids to play soccer, box, or baseball, or basketball, whatever it is, 'cause it really does develop well-rounded individuals. What can we do? If you don't want to say -- COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Look, I think if -- I mean, last year's increase, if you look at last year's budget, the Administration request was for, I think, $125,000 for after-school programs, and this Council boosted that up to $625,000. That was a significant increase. I think it really created an energy and a drive in BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1045 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. the City to look at this kind of programming in a new way. I think the increase the year before that, in our additional, you know, semiskilled 5 workers to fill out our custodial at our A centers 6 was a big increase. 7 So I would just say your continued 8 interest and understanding which this Council has 9 of the Recreation Department's role and potential 10 in neighborhood is a blessing to the Department. 11 And that kind of attention is a greatly 12 appreciated.
Thanks, thanks for your help. Tom, one last thing -- I know I said that three times. The boards at Tarken and Scanlon -- I know we have interest in ice hockey -- are they every going to be changed?
There's an ongoing discussion with Eric in Planning and Construction especially to see about Tarken.
They get a lot of banging and all of that, and I see 'em getting looser every year. Thank you. That's it, Madame Chairwoman. BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1046 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT.
Commissioner, do we have rec leaders at all of our facilities, do you know? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: No. 6
We do not? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: No. We have what we call "D centers," which are the smallest physical plant building and equipment at them, and they're not staffed except on seasonal, like a summer, spring-summer basis. So we do not have year-round staff at those facilities and at the neighborhood parks that do not have some sort of recreational facility built in them. For instance, like Mifflin Square, for instance, that's not a staffed facility. So those two levels.
Give me another example, like Eastwick Regional. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Carol can -- there is a staff at Eastwick Regional.
I believe there are two part-time staff in the afternoon and two in the evening. BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1047 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. DEPT. COMM. RICE: Yes. Eastwick, the previous leader, Darryl Nelson, was promoted and is at Finnegan, but he is still coming back in the evening to cover Eastwick. We also have a community outreach worker who is covering it during the day. We are in the process of interviewing for a replacement for Eastwick. And I would expect that within the next two weeks, there should be an assigned person who is being promoted to that position, which would allow them to admit to be there a minimum of two to three years, so there's some continuity. I know that Eastwick has experienced the young lady who took a promotion and went to the prisons, and we then put Darryl there and they loved him, and then he got promoted. And so we're trying our very best to get some stability in there. But we do have it covered. And we are also looking -- because of the large after-school program that they have there, they're awaiting another application for a part-time worker so they can spend -- there will be two people working with BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1048 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. that after-school program besides just the leader.
Can I have something in writing to that effect? Because there's a community meeting on Wednesday evening, and I -- DEPT. COMM. RICE: Yes, and I'll be with you on Wednesday evening.
Wonderful. I'm very happen to hear that. DEPT. COMM. RICE: Right.
Thank you, Madame Chair. Commissioner, the after-school programs, I see that we're going to have an increase of $700,000-plus, and that will permit the Department to service around 3200 more children. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Yeah.
About how many more children -- about how many children in total will BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1049 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. the Department then be able to serve? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: That will be the total, I'm sorry.
What? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: That will be the total of all our programs, after-school --
3200 -- COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Will be the total enrollment in our five-day-a-week, three-hour-a-day --
It's 3200? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Yes. That take us -- I think we were around 1500, and that would jump us up to around 32.
To 32. That seems an awful small percentage of the universe of children that are out there in terms of latchkey students, the other students that are not into the after-school programs that we are not servicing, especially in the poor neighborhoods that we have, do we have any idea? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Well, I don't have any number that's been generated by the Recreation Department or that I know of that's BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1050 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. been generated by a City department or agency.
PCCY probably does. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Yeah, I know PCCY probably has numbers.
I think they tell us around 40,000. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Right. And that's the number that -- their number.
So it's like 40,000, and we have around 3200. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: And in addition, there's after-school programs that the School District has instituted this year. I think they have about 30 programs operating and expect to expand on that number significantly next year. And, in addition, I think there are summit pledges, and I'm not sure of the exact number, but I think that's around a thousand additional slots. But if you use the 40,000 number, then it only begins to move us into the upward trend that we --
And the school programs is almost like a pilot program at the BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1051 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. current time, and we don't know how extensive that's going to be, we'll find that out when they come in. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Right.
And in terms of other programs that the Recreation Department has in terms of churches and other areas and so on, are those included in the -- COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: This year, we only have a handful of, I would say, maybe 5, a total of 5 programs out of 65 that we are currently operating that take place in --
How many? How many? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: We have 65 programs in FY '98. Of those 65 programs, 5 are non-recreation-center-based but are either in schools or churches or working with nonprofit organizations. Next year, we expect to have a total of 30 or more after-school programs that are non-recreation-center-based --
Are you including in that the schools? BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1052 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Yes.
The programs at the schools? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: No, no, this is separate.
Okay. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: If we do it in a school, it will be either in conjunction with the School District where did they did not have a program or resources enough to have a program, with a church or a nonprofit or some agency that is looking for a partner, and then we would then become the partner with that organization or agency.
Are the schools being looked upon as part of the expansion of the after-school program in terms of the Recreation Department? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: The School District has right now -- again, I'm remembering from a meeting from a few weeks back, but I think it's around 30 programs that they're operating right now. They hope to build on that next year, but there will be many, many schools in their BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1053 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. system that do not have after-school programs. So I think in those instances where there's either not enough or the School District doesn't have enough resources to fund in all of middle schools and elementary school, we would look to team up in certain instances with those schools to create the base.
What is the total amount of money for after-school programs that you're going to have? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: We will be spending approximately a million and a half dollars next year, the Recreation Department. I don't know what the School District's budget is or will be.
Last year, we proposed an amendment to add $2-1/2 million to that, to that budget. What would be the effect of adding $2-1/2 million projected to the after-school program? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Well, it would make my staff crazy, number one -- no, I'm teasing. I mean if that kind of money, we would BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1054 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. really begin to -- we would be programming almost exclusively outside of the Recreation Department system. So that means that we would be working exclusively with that money on churches, schools, and nonprofit organizations to create those programs. It would radically increase the number of participants and, I think, at that level, begin to measure impact.
The Police Commissioner said something -- I read something about what he said that is not new because I said it here in Council, and other people in hearings have said it, that public safety is an economic development tool, and after-school programs, according to all of the hearings that we've had in City Council, prove that it's probably one of the biggest public safety instruments that we can have. So that an investment of an extra $2-1/2 million would probably be a very good investment in terms of keeping our City safe and safer. And it's probably something that perhaps we should look into to and see how add that BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1055 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. money. Maybe we can get more votes this time around than we did last year. Okay, thank you. Thank you, Madame Chair.
Good afternoon. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Good afternoon.
I too want to thank you very much for your leadership as Recreation Commissioner. You've done an outstanding job in bringing the centers up to date in terms of repairs and staffing. And I think you've done it in a well-coordinated way, not a piecemeal, patch sort of way. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Thank you.
So you ought to be commended for the work that you're doing. And certainly, I have to commend you on Simons and the skating rink. It's wonderful, and we hope to develop some ice-skating stars out of the rink. It won't me be, though. I just have a couple of questions; one, BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1056 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. I think, that has been asked. It's a staffing issue. And I want you to know that with all the programs that we ask to you undertake and that you are asked to undertake, you've only increased your staff about one percent. I'm certainly sure you could probably use more staff. What would be a nice complement, increase in staffing, if you had a dream, if you could really dream. Let's just dream a moment and think about what you'd like to have. I guess you'd say you are dreaming in here, right? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Well, if I dream too much, I could get -- no. 16
Certainly around the issue, the programmatic issue as well as maintenance. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: I think we're all right programmatically. I'm really proud of the way we've increased programs in the Department. I think in some parts of City, we're literally running out of space. Now, it doesn't mean more does not to be done. It doesn't mean that the need is being BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1057 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. met, but all it suggests is that within our facilities in those parts of the -- in certain sections of the City, we can't do any more time. We just -- you know, from the time we open to the time we close, we're booked. And if we try to squeeze any more people in there, we start pushing people out the door in the back. I think that the Maintenance Division and the care of the facilities is our biggest challenge, the upkeep and maintenance. And this Council, I think, made some very wise decisions with the Administration to invest in the physical plant of the many departments, but obviously the one that I care about is the Recreation Department. It has done remarkable work in systematically lifting this system up in the last six years. And our challenge, if I had a challenge -- and that's the way I like to talk about it. It's our obligation not only to the kids who use them but to this Body and to this Administration to take care of that $100,000,000 investment-plus that this government has made. So our -- my goal and our challenge is BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1058 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. to focus our attention on how do we best do that with the operating dollars that we receive every year.
Councilman Mariano asked you this question, and I'm going to ask you again. What repairs are operating -- come out of the operating budget or and what are capital? It seems that there are some repairs that can be either operating or capital. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: That's true. For instance, in -- we had -- this a great story. And, again, it's something that I take some pride in with our Maintenance Division. We had from Councilwoman Verna's office a request -- and a needed request. The roof at Vare was leaking, and it was a capital budget item that we were waiting to get the design work completed so we could do the work. Due to the urgency of the request and really the deterioration that was going on in the building at that time, we -- and Tom gathered his men and women up at that time, and we did it within the Maintenance Division. And they put a BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1059 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. new roof on. They went out and did a capital job with the Maintenance Division. There are instances where we can do that, where the line is blurred, where we have the capacity, the skill and the capacity to do what might be a capital job. The problem when you go down that road is, you begin to use your allocated resources -- roofing materials and tar and things like that that you plan for every year, you begin to overuse on those supplies and equipment. So if you do too much of that, at some point during the course of the year, you're not going to be able to do your normal, day-to-day maintenance and preventive maintenance function. So there's a little bit of a balance.
Well, if you have supplies for roofs, for repair of roofs, is that to fix a patch or something? It's not to do major roofing, is it?. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: It's not to do -- we do not do generally do entire roof renovations within the budget. It's a patch job, it's a tar job to make sure just to sustain the BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1060 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. roof. Generally speaking, we don't do that kind of major replacement but we can in certain trades do that kind of work. And in certain instances where the need and the conditions are such, we try to do that. But the major system work is capital. A new heating system in a big facility, let's say like Simons, that's a capital job. A fence line, feet of a fence line that needs replaced is a 12 maintenance function. 13 If the entire system is rotted out and 14 the poster falling down and you have hundreds of 15 yards of fence missing, then that could become a 16 capital job because the fencing system is out of 17 order, not just a particular segment of the fence. 18
Would a tennis 19 court be considered operating or capital? 20 COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: If we were going to just patch the court, let's say there's a few cracks, we could come in.
I'm with you. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: That's a Maintenance Division function. If we have to BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1061 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. recoat or dig the entire surface up and replace it, that's a capital job.
Right, right, right. Oh, you have in your budget funding for a PHA site recreation facility. Where are the sites? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: I'll let Deputy Commissioner Rice handle that. DEPT. COMM. RICE: This is only one site, and it's the Passyunk Homes. The Philadelphia Housing Authority contracted or gave us a grant to cover the cost of salaries to operate their newly-built community center at Passyunk Homes.
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilman Rizzo.
Thank you, Madame Chair. BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1062 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. Commissioner, following the capital versus operating, and I want you to know that I appreciate and also the community appreciates very much that you allow community groups to have meetings and use the facilities for daytime activities. But one thing troubled me a little bit, and maybe your testimony just made me think of this issue. I was at a particular recreation center recently, attending a community meeting. And you mentioned that heat was a capital expense that the Recreation Department paid for. Well, I was a little bit surprised that this community group of senior citizens had to buy their own air conditioner for this facility. And I -- COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Do you know where this was? Do you remember?
It's right off the Rising Sun, near Olney Avenue. And the air conditioner, they purchased it, and it sat for months and months and months and months before it was installed. Do you think that in the future that BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1063 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. air-conditioning, especially for our senior citizens, could be considered an essential? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: In most instances, it is but -- oh, jeez. At our senior -- we have five senior centers that are part of our system and centers that are exclusively for senior citizens, and that program is built into our budget. And we do that, maintain the air-conditioning system just as a matter of course. When you get into our -- like you said, we open up our doors even like before 2 o'clock when we're supposed to open, we do everything we can to let our centers figure out a way to have the doors open before 2 o'clock, and we do this a lot with senior citizen clubs that exist. It is -- it would be a dilemma if we said as part of our mission or part of our mandate is every center in our system we will buy an air conditioner for that has a club and we will pledge ourselves to maintain that system, that's a step it. I mean, not that -- it shouldn't have sat around. I won't defend that. It should not BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1064 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. have sat around after it was purchased; it should have been installed in a timely fashion. But -- and I would have to consider this, so it's a good question, but I'm raising it back to you as a question. That if we said yes, every center that we own and operate that has, let's say, seniors or younger children in it on any kind of regular basis, we would air condition and pledge ours to see maintain that air-conditioning. That would be a big step for us.
Commissioner, could that be a goal? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Yeah.
That maybe we could to develop a budget on -- COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: That's very good question.