Committee Hearing, February 23, 1998

-- what that would cost because -- COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: It would cost money.

It would obviously cost money, but talking we're about our senior BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1065 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. citizens. Those facilities would be, in my opinion, probably more so utilized than they are now, because they tell me it's just incredible, the temperatures in some of these facilities in the summer. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: I hope my answer is not diminishing the need or, you know --

It's something we haven't done and -- COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: It would take a lot of money and thought and planning.

Well, let's try to figure out how much money we're talking about. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Sure, right.

At least let's deal with the locations that we know are being utilized for those activities, and maybe we could prioritize the locations that aren't being utilized. Until they are, they stay un-air-conditioned. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: I appreciate that, I appreciate your questions.

Thank you, thank you BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1066 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. Commissioner. Thank you, Madame Chair.

Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Clark.

Thank you, Madame Chair. I feel a strong urge to join the hallelujah chorus. (Laughter.)

So I will stipulate to all good things that other people have said about you and not enter any rebuttal. But do I have a few questions, please. What percentage of swimming pools in your centers will be operational this summer? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: All but one, which is under a capital program. The only pool that will not operate this summer, at least currently that we know of, which I'm assuming will be what it is in the spring is Awbury Pool at Awbury Recreation Center, which is in Councilwoman Miller's district, which has a significant appropriation -- capital budget appropriation. We have to literally dig up the entire BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1067 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. -- we have to contract to dig up the entire water-delivery system in the deck a major job. It's a major job, but we hope to have that done -- at least begun sometime within the next couple of month, but we don't think it will be completed to get the pool open this summer.

Just for the record, what number of pools do we have in our inventory? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: 81.

81. And 80 of the 81 pools will be operational? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: That's correct.

In the summer of '98? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Right, and we'll begin opening the pools projected some time in the first week of June.

Great. What impact, if any, will welfare reform have on the services provided by the Rec Department? And in particular, what impact would it have on your after-school program? Welfare reform, its impact BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1068 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. on after-school programs. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Right. I'm assuming that it will have an impact. But I'll be honest with you, Councilwoman, I don't understand at this point what those implications, like in detail what they might be. I think what we're guessing is that there will be more young boys and girls who are in need of care. And our assumption is if that's the case, then as these programs open up in the fall, these additional programs, we're assuming that we'll see that in the demand. I probably should know more and I should pay more attention to exactly what the impacts will be. But right now, that's about how we're looking at it.

Well, you're not late because it hasn't hit yet, but I do think we might want to start some program planning. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Right.

Because if we are correct in our assumptions, there are likely to be large number of people who will be in need of what is in essence day care service or supervised BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1069 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. leisure time. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Right.

Which falls directly in the scope of your services. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Right.

Okay.

Could I piggyback?

Oh, sure, of course.

Commissioner DiBerardinis, in reference to the swimming pools, last year the pools appeared to close earlier than many people would like. I got some calls that some of the pools closed -- forgive me for using the word "early" but I'll use it -- early. I think I contacted you, and you indicated that part of your problem is that many of the life guards are college students and have to leave very early, and that shut down many of the swimming pools. Do you think there's a solution to that problem? When did many of the pools close? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: I think on or about August 20th, we began. I won't see it BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1070 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. was the 19th or the 21st or the 18th, but it was around then that we began our school closing, which -- and that is a direct result -- it's not budgetary. It is a direct result of -- a large percentage of our guards are college students, and we're happy about that. College now, you know, kids go back in August now. You know, Labor Day, forget Labor Day for going back to college.

Commissioner, when I was a kid, August 20th, I had half the summer left. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Well --

That was a long time ago, Frank. (Laughter.) COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: No, I appreciate the question. We began closing the pools, but we ran a significant number of our pools into the Labor Day weekend and up until Labor Day. But life guard recruitment and retention is a big concern of the Recreation Department. And it is -- we are asking people to BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1071 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. do very difficult work, work that requires a level of maturity, a level of competency, and 40 hours of training just to get your certification, not just swimming, but CPR and first-aid. And they have to be renewed. So once you get it, you're not set. Then we have an issue of young people not wanting to work at some of our pools, and we train them and then they just trot off and work somewhere elsewhere where it may be a little easier. So all of those issues, put together, create in middle or late August a condition where those young people leave, the ones we do recruit, and we do get them on board and are able to run pools, they start going back to college. And they may want to take a week off. They've been working since, you know, June the 4th, and they want a week off. So maybe they're going back to college the 25th of August, they want out a week ahead of time. I can't keep 'em, I can't say you can't come back next year. I need them next year, so I'm not going to -- they're not permanent BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1072 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. employees, so if they want to take a week off, that's when they leave. We do everything we can to "incentive-ize" them staying. We will give them overtime hours, right? We'll give them more hours, we do everything we can, but we're stuck a little bit.

Is this job -- a life guard, I know, is a strenuous, physical job. Is this job strictly limited to young persons? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: No. 13

Old people can do it.

Is there other people out there that could fill the void or even be included in the program that would be able to work through August?

Gym teachers. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: We have done everything. I mean, we have articles in the newspaper, public television appeals, recruitment on every level we possibly can, articles in local papers. I mean, we do -- we've tried every BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1073 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. trick, and I'd be willing to try new tricks to expand the base.

Commissioner, the Councilman --

I'm not available.

He's much too modest. He wants to do it. (Laughter.)

Only if Michael Nutter agrees to help me.

Let Councilman Rizzo do a couple pools, okay? And, I mean, get him certified, and you'll be all right. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: But just one thing I would want to say in addition to all of that, we do see some beginning about the second week in August when we do our counts, we see a drop in attendance also. But in terms of that, that makes me feel a little bit better, but it still doesn't answer my question about trying to maintain and keep the guards there. They get another calling, they're advancing their education, they're in college. We can't do anything about that. BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1074 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT.

All the resorts have a similar dilemma. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: But if there are any ideas, we're open to ideas and we're trying to dig deeper into that well of potential guard, and age is really not a problem for us. In fact, we like college -- we like people in college, but we like adults too. If they can work for us and do that, that would be great.

And, again, I don't want to mislead Councilman Nutter. I would really like to know what the requirements are. I'm not personally interested, but I'd really like to know what the requirements are because there may be people out there that we can get. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: And we can get them to you. They're relatively stringent, though. You have to be a very good swimmer, you have to be able to save a life in a pool, and also the first-aid and the CPR. So we will get you the requirements.

Thanks. Thank you Madame Chair.

Thank you. The BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1075 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. Chair recognizes Councilwoman Clark.

One last question, Madame Chair. There's so much talk about violence in the City. And very often violence is said to play itself in and around playgrounds. What has been your experience with violence and what new approaches have you instituted so as to make playgrounds safe and inviting places for all who would choose to use them? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Well, we had probably the most serious incident of violence, not like on off-hours where there was something happened in a field where some people happened to meet, but where there was an active program going on and a young man decided to shoot up the gymnasium when there was a couple hundred people in the gymnasium. This was at Myers Recreation Center. That was about in December of 1993 or 1994. In all honesty, I thought it was reflective of the state of the center at that time. The center was in physically bad condition, it had only one program really that active and alive there, and that was the basketball program, and it was dark, it was dirty, and it didn't have BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1076 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. a lot of adults involved in that center. So to me, that's when we're most vulnerable to violence, when the young people or when we're up and operating. We've put our mind to it, and we've worked with Councilwoman Verna and Councilwoman Blackwell to begin to move that place forward, and that place is completely turned around. It has a ton of programs a great advisory council a lot of adult volunteers, and we have not had a single incident at that facility since that time. I think what we do just within our system is to say that a center that people care about and a center that's used, that looks good, that has a lot of adult presence tends -- and I use that word very consciously -- tends to be safe.

So, Mr. Commissioner, you are suggesting that there's a direct correlation between a program -- a recreation center that has viable programs and staff and a diminishing of non-acceptable behavior. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: That's BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1077 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. correct. That's right. There's a way to behave. And once you create that way to behave, people may be crazy somewhere else, but the chances diminish of them being crazy within your system.

Do you have other centers that need that sympathetic treatment? And if so, what's being done for them? In the light of welfare reform, we are likely to need more effective recreation than less. So tell me what your challenges are. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Within our system?

Within your system. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Again, I think we've raised the level of what's -- when you look at a center five years ago, the problems were the roof's leaking, the gym's a mess, the bathrooms, don't work, the fences are falling down, the light poles are falling down --

Wait, stop right there. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: That's where we were five years ago. BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1078 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT.

Okay. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: So they're no longer the questions.

So now we got all the roofs working? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Right.

All the bathrooms work? They're not dingy, they're not dark, they don't need paint. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Right. We are at a point where we are -- how do we keep graffiti off, how do we get it off, how do we keep it off. How do we engage more adults to be active in that center, and we're working with our advisory council leadership to look at generating more interest in the advisory councils. How do we create after-school programs that are consistent, you know, that parents and kids know that it's something they're going to like. How do we coordinate with the police and other City agencies that work around the center to make sure that we not only cut down on the violence at the center but cut down on the incidents of violence in the neighborhoods that BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1079 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. surround the centers. So we're at a new realm. There are challenges that are probably harder challenges than the ones we took on, this Council and this Administration took on a few years ago. So we're playing at a higher level, and I think the issues are tougher, but I think that's where we're at now, we're playing at a higher level.

Okay. Madame Chair, I won't prolong this. I thank you for your sensitive answers and suggest that the sociology that you describe is going to be more difficult than the physical refurbishment. But because you are headed in the right direction, it's not hard for us to follow your lead. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Okay, thank you very much.

Thank you. Councilman Nutter, do you wish to be recognized?

Yes, Madame Chair, very briefly. Commissioner, I want to renew two BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1080 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. requests that we've had previous discussions about. One has to do with the prospect of a recreational facility in the Wynnefield section of the City, and as a part of my district, we have, I guess, one of the D-size facilities unstaffed except on a seasonal basis. But there's no ability in Wynnefield or Wynnefield proper for one central place for kids to go, either to play basketball or baseball or other outdoor kinds of activities. And, obviously, one of the big problems is location, but I think we may have at least one potential site, and I'd like to follow up with you and take a look at that. There's been an ongoing need for increased recreation programs in the Wynnefield community. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Right.

Second is the ongoing discussion about the prospect of the ice-skating rink in the 21st Ward up in Roxborough section, which, I think we have now five ice-skating rinks across the City? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: That's correct. BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1081 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT.

But that particular area, as we look at the five centers and chart out across the City, there's a fairly decent distribution of centers, but there's kind of a hole over in the northwest section, I guess with the exception -- is there one in West Oak Lane? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Right, Simons.

Simons, which locationally (sic) probably won't serve very well the people in either Roxborough, Manyunk, possibly even Germantown and that area. My last question is your testimony is filled with mentions of either different programs or initiatives for which I certainly want to commend you. You almost have as many programs as HUD. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: I'm not sure that's a compliment, Councilman Nutter.

Well, HUD's not doing too bad. The one thing that strikes me, and I've thought about it more and more as I've tried to grapple with the need for coordinated recreational BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1082 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. programs out of -- the problem that I'm trying to deal with out in Wynnefield is, is there a handbook or guide that we would be able to give to a person by Councilmatic district to tell them all of the various programs that exist out in their community, where they are, how's their operation, who they serve, all of that kind of information? Short of giving someone a copy of this testimony and almost on every one of your categories, youth access center, neighborhood golf mini camps, I'm particularly intrigued by the Women and Girls in Sports programs and the Nike program. I mean, I could have asked you for each one of those, give me a list of where those are operating, give me the hours of operation, all of that kind of stuff so we can see where we have all of this activity going on. And so no matter where someone was or where they live, for instance, in my district, I could give them this booklet and say, These are all of the activities and programs, after-school programs, regular daytime programs that are going on in the district. You know, figure out which one is closest to you, and this BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1083 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. is where you send your kids, or as an adult, this is where you would go. Do we have something like that today? COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: No. I mean, it sounds great. And just let me tell you about some of the problems we confront when we try to do this. Our programs change. So what we might be doing in October will be very different than what we're doing in January. Now, some programs run like from September to May.

Yeah, I understand that. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Some programs run in two- and three-month segments, so that would have to be either something that says you could see this or you could see that. It's a great idea, though. I think --

Well, I mean, I understand that programs do change. On the other hand, I mean, it's like the more things change, the more they remain the same. I mean, we know that we're going to do certain things, and to the extend that we can do BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1084 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. facts sheets by center and when you have these kinds of updates going on, I mean, you either stick it in the back of the book or it ends up in the next version that comes out. And I'm not just -- I don't think this is a Recreation Department project. I mean, this may go up into either the Policy and Planning Group. I mean, someone would have to sit down and maybe you could -- I mean, maybe some outside entities that fund some of our activities would also like to see something like this. We should be able to give to a person and that it be relatively in date, you know, within a two-or three-year time period. I should be able to tell someone, These are all the programs going on in the Fourth Councilmatic District. Figure out where you live. Now, you know, if the thing is two years old, and a program has changed, that's kind of life in the big city. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Right, right.

But maybe something has taken its place, but we should be able to tell BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. 1085 BILL 980003 - RECREATION DEPT. people this and then they would be able to almost kind of plan primarily their children but maybe again for themselves or we have senior programs, they would be able to know almost all of the time what's going on in their center that's nearby but what's going on in their community. Because maybe one thing's going on at Sheppard, maybe Disston has something else where, you know, I can do something the Sheppard on Monday night, I can go over to the Disston on Tuesday, maybe I want to do something somewhere else on Wednesday, and you'd know all this information. And we'd be able to get it out through our offices, libraries, I mean the various City facilities. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: You made a very good point, and I think, based on that point, we'll begin to look at that. I think we don't do this stuff real well. You know, it's one of those things where you always say it would really be a great idea, but somehow you never get to it. I appreciate that.

I know a little bit about that. This is my one bright idea for this BILL 980003 - WILLIAM CAMP PENN 1086 BILL 980003 - WILLIAM CAMP PENN budget cycle. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Thank you, thank you for it.

I have no more ideas for the rest of the. . . Thank you, Madame Chair.

Thank you. Are there any other questions or comments from the Members of the committee? (No further questions or comments at this time.)

Thank you all very much. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Thank you. - - -

The next group to testify will be Camp William Penn. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Good afternoon, Madame Chairman. My name is Michael DiBerardinis, Recreation Commissioner, and I am presenting testimony in support of Camp William Penn's FY '99 operating budget request. Camp William Penn is requesting a total of $318,666 in General Fund appropriations for FY BILL 980003 - WILLIAM CAMP PENN 1087 BILL 980003 - WILLIAM CAMP PENN '99, which is $5,236 more than the FY '98 anticipated obligations and provides for full funding for negotiated pay raises. The FY '99 request supports 3 full-time employees and 65 temporary workers to staff Camp William Penn during the camping season which starts in July of 1998. In 1998, we will continue to provide one five-day and three eight-day encampments for boys and girls, ages 8 through 12. Nine hundred and twenty (920) children attended in FY '98. This is an increase in attendance of 152 children over the previous season. And, essentially, I will dispense with the rest of my remarks if you don't -- I can continue to read the testimony, but I think our goal is to run a quality camp every summer to make sure that we get the best possible staff, seasonal staff to support the facility. We have a full-time 25-year veteran Recreation Department staff person who oversees the camp, which hasn't changed the way historically that's been done. And we also seek to span usage of the BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1088 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION camp, and you'll see in my testimony that we had 200 children attend a shortened camp after the regular camping season from our environmental programs.

Are there any questions regarding Camp William Penn? (No questions.)

Thank you very much, Commissioner. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Thank you. - - -

Fairmount Park. (Members of Fairmount Park Commission panel come forward.)

Good afternoon. DIR. MIFFLIN: Good afternoon, Madame Chairwoman. I am William E. Mifflin, the Executive Director of the Fairmount Park Commission. With me this afternoon is Mr. James Donaghy, to my left, the Director of Operations and Landscape Management for the Fairmount Park Commission. To my right is Mr. Paul Nice, who's Deputy Director for Administration Support. And I guess joining me shortly will be Mr. Dennis BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1089 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION Waller, another Deputy Director from Fairmount Park for Business Administration. Madame Chair, for the sake of the time, I'd like to just paraphrase or highlight from my prepared testimony. And, of course, will be pleased to answer any questions that Members of Council might have regarding my testimony or any activities of Fairmount Park. It is my pleasure to appear before you today to present on behalf of the Fairmount Park Commission the recommended operating budget for Fiscal Year '99. 8 million in General Fund appropriations. It provides for $274,428 in additional appropriations above the FY '98 adopted budget, which will be used exclusively for the negotiated wage increased. The FY '99 budget provides funding for the continuation of service improvements achieved in FY '96, '97, and '98. In FY '96, Fairmount Park received $400,000 in additional appropriations for improvements in turf BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1090 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION maintenance and other Park maintenance tasks such as ballfield maintenance in preparation and support of special events. These improvements in budget will continue in FY '99. The budget also includes $1 million for street tree maintenance. I'd like to talk very briefly about some of the major accomplishments that the Park Commission has recently provided. Since 1992, the Fairmount Park has undertaken several important initiatives and projects to improve its delivery of services and to utilize its budgetary resources more effectively. These efforts have led to significant improvements and the Park has improved upon its operations and service delivery. 6 million grant to the from the William Penn Foundation. This grant, which was awarded in October of '96 and is now up and running, is completing the first we're its the planning. We have a full staff of 5 employees and we have been working with the community throughout the City of BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1091 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION Philadelphia as we begin to plan the improvements in the approximately 5400 acres of the 8900 acres of Fairmount Park. 3 million or 54 percent of the grant will be used for the restoration of woodlands in 7 major stream valley and estuary parks within the City, including FDR Park, Poquessing, Pennypack, Tacony, Wissahickon, Fairmount, and Cobbs Creek. 2 million will be used for the construction and expansion of environmental education and resource centers at each of the major estuary and stream valley parks. Regarding street trees, as I've mentioned previously, in FY '98, the Fairmount Park Commission received funding in its operating budget for the first time in years, thanks to City Council, for the pruning and other maintenance of the City's 250,000 street trees. This $1 million provided in '98 is expected to prune 6700 trees. We again have requested the same level of funding in the FY '99 operating budget. In the area of programmatic improvements, we do operate 10 summer camps. And BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1092 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION I would take note of our rowing camp, which continues to expand in the number of inner-City children that we serve. Last year, of 120 campers, which culminated in a, actually a regatta between the cities of Wilmington and Philadelphia at the conclusion of the program. It's a very successful which includes support from the private sector.

Again, the Fairmount Park Commission, a critical component of its operations is it's ability to utilize volunteers as well as obtain outside financial and service contributions. We are now up to 75 Friends groups; whereas in '91, we had approximately 63. We had over 18,000 volunteers in support of Fairmount Park last year, which, of course, culminated at the President's Summit on America's Future in the spring, where we had over 500 volunteers in that one day providing support for cleanup of six park areas. In the area of management initiatives, we continue to provide improved services in landscape maintenance. Recognizing the importance -- the important need and opportunity to improve BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1093 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION maintenance, in FY '95, the Park implemented a successful competitive contracting landscape maintenance initiative. I believe now we are maintaining -- over 75 percent or 80 percent of our acreage is contractually mowed. And we are doing this without any reduction in Park staff. We are pursuing other similar initiatives in other areas of maintenance services. And I think we'll continue to provide effective resources of our existing staff. One of the initiatives that we have that's been underway for the last six months and most recently into serious negotiations is with a master concessionaire for the facilities in Fairmount Park. As I have testified previously to this concept, we would hope to improve the quality and services throughout the Park system at our catering facilities and our concession stands and provide new attractive facilities across the Park, where people can obtain refreshments and other services. Another major initiative of the BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1094 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION Fairmount Park Commission is the Fairmount Water Works. And as you can learn from my testimony, we are the recipients of numerous grants from foundations that will assist in the improvement of the -- and the restoration of the Fairmount Water Works, and that will combine very nicely with the present restoration of the Engine House, which upon completion, will be outfitted for a restaurant, which is being -- that project's being completed with $4-1/2 million of City and State funds. The Fairmount Park Rangers continue to be an excellent resource for the Commission in providing information, interpretation, and code enforcement responsibilities. We are down to approximately rangers at this time. 18 And, as you know, this is a program that has been privately funded. The funds, since 1987, the funds are diminishing quickly. And unless we do find additional funds, this program could be reduced significantly later this year. However, the Fairmount Park Commission, as well as the board of the Ranger Corps have committed to do everything possible to secure additional funding BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1095 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION beyond the base grant from the William Penn Foundation to continue this program. In fact, very recently, I had a conversation with the Mayor, who has indicated that he wishes to help the Commission in its fund-raising initiative to enable us to continue to support the rangers. Actually, the City to date, supports the Rangers by approximately $100,000 a year in support of administration of Fleet Management and other in-house support services. And we will, of course, continue that support. The Commission continues to be a site for many special events. And, as you can see from the service levels that are attached to the testimony, we'll see an increase in those special events, and we are quite proud of being the venue for many events, from family picnics to the Welcome America events along the Parkway and the major events throughout the City of parades around the Parkway and in the area of Memorial Hall.

In conclusion, we're delighted to be able to be here this afternoon, to consistently work with the Council of Philadelphia, in BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1096 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION providing the services that are needed for our citizens. Thank you very much, and I'll be happy to answer any questions.

Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Rizzo.

Thank you, Madame Chair. Mr. Mifflin, it's come to my attention that the Office of Architectural Engineering Division of Fairmount is being moved to the Capital Program Office. Is this something that you support? And could you explain the rationale, why the Office of Architectural Engineering is leaving the Fairmount Park? DIR. MIFFLIN: Yes. The A&E Office of the Capital Program Budget Office has evaluated the productivity of the Fairmount Park Commission and has matched that against what they believe they can have produced since -- over the last year and what they can do in the future. And it would appear in the numbers that they're producing that the Park Commission delivery of services and the productivity with our BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1097 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION capital budget would improve or increase in the number of projects and shorten the timeliness that it takes to us complete the projects, so it would appear to be a benefit to the Park Commission.

My next question is something that you've already touched on, the Park Ranger Corps. It seems as though its a group that's now of 18? DIR. MIFFLIN: That's correct.

That would be, in my opinion, missed by the people that visit the Park. And I would hope that we don't have to rely entirely on outside funding to keep the Ranger Corps even at this minimum number of 18. What was its strength at one time? DIR. MIFFLIN: Well, at one time, we had 120 rangers in the systems in the early, early years 1988, '89, and '90. Not all of those 120 individuals were available for service in the Park. In those early years, we were completing two-year educational requirement that the supporting foundation required of the Commission. We dropped down, about five years ago, BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1098 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION to approximately 65 to 70, and we have just continued to attrit (sic) down to the number that we are at now.

Is the number of 6 even a number that's -- I guess what I'm trying to 7 say is that, Are you really able with just this 18 8 to do -- what are you able to accomplish with the 9 18? Is that the number that you can really 10 perform a service with? Or is there another 11 number that we -- what is your real requirement to 12 make it work? 13 DIR. MIFFLIN: Well, the 18 are very 14 effective in providing support throughout the 15 system but specifically in Fairmount and the 16 Wissahickon and in the Northeast and in the 17 Pennypack area where they are housed. 18 They do provide patrol measures and support throughout the other 63 parks on a very, very limited basis. More rangers, of course, would be helpful. The past two years, they have combined with an AmeriCorp grant, and there have been an additional 18 rangers through the AmeriCorp grant -- or "junior rangers," as we refer to them -- BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1099 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION that have been available to the Corps during the summer months, which almost -- or just about doubled the existing staff. It's a difficult question to answer as to exactly how many we need. As the Philadelphia Police Department has grown in small numbers, there have been additional officers assigned to the 90th and 92nd District. But if -- you know, at one point we had a 500 Park guard entity patroling the 8900 acres. So depending on where you go back in time and identify that particular number, it's a changing number. The rangers have been extremely helpful in code enforcement. They've been issuing warnings to people that have done everything from parking on the grass to mountain bikers on the wrong trail in the Wissahickon, and enforcing our permit system there. So they have been very helpful. And we, like any other department, you tend to assign your resources to those critical areas.

So what I'm hearing BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1100 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION is that you would really like to keep these Park rangers on duty in the Park, and hopefully, the Administration and the Fairmount Park Commission will figure out a way to make that happen? DIR. MIFFLIN: That's correct.

Thank you, Mr. 9 Mifflin. That you, Madame Chair. 10

Thank you. 11 Mr. Mifflin, regarding the street tree 12 pruning, the $1 million allocated for '98, can you 13 tell me if the RFPs have been issued on that? 14 DIR. MIFFLIN: Yes, they have. We had 15 a successful bid opening approximately two to two 16 and a half weeks ago. I believe today or 17 tomorrow, we are issuing the notice to proceed to 18 the successful vendor. We would hope to be underway in the first two weeks of March.

And who will decide what trees will be pruned? Will we go into different sections? I mean, is it just Roxborough that's going to be considered since the Councilman fought so hard for this? BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1101 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION DIR. MIFFLIN: No, we're going to --

Are we going to have someone in every section like south? DIR. MIFFLIN: The contractor has 6 weeks to complete his work. And at the end of the 7 20-week period, we will have pruned trees in each 8 of the ten Councilmatic Districts, so it will be 9 across the City, of equal proportions. 10

Well, our list for 11 tree pruning is so old, would you like us each to 12 send you an up-to-date list of those that we feel 13 have top priority? 14 DIR. MIFFLIN: Well, we're always 15 pleased to hear from the City Council offices, and 16 I encourage you to send those to us certainly if 17 you do have priorities. 18 We have been receiving those lists from 19 you for, as you know -- 20

I know. DIR. MIFFLIN: -- for many, many years, so we believe we've identified those really hot spots, if you will, that have not be pruned for 10 or 12 years and are in desperate need of pruning. In order to ensure that we were going BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1102 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION after those particular problem areas, we inspected the entire City and identified the blocks in each of the ten Councilmatic Districts that are, we'll say, worse-case scenarios, where the work, you know, must be done immediately.

Will you notify us? I'd like you to notify me what you think are the locations that should be attempted to -- DIR. MIFFLIN: I certainly will.

-- in March. Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Fernandez.

Thank you, Madame Chair. Mr. Mifflin, I wanted to follow up on the question of the rangers. Could you repeat what you said in terms of the status of the funding? DIR. MIFFLIN: Well, the funding, it's been over a ten-year funding project from the --

No, I meant the bottom line right now. DIR. MIFFLIN: I'm sorry? BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1103 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION

I meant the bottom line right now. DIR. MIFFLIN: We have established an endowment with the amount of funds that are remaining that would provide for about $148,000 a year income from that endowment. And that is the operating money that we have available to us for the future, beyond this year. In order to maintain the existing staffing that we now have of rangers, it's 12 approximately a $920,000 annual budget. So we're 13 approximately 760 or $770,000 short right now. 14 That's the bottom line. 15

And you said 16 people were in discussions, did you say? 17 DIR. MIFFLIN: Both the Fairmount Park 18 Commission has identified this as the number-one funding priority for us as commissioners. And secondly, the court itself has its own separate 501c.(3) not-for-profit organizational board. And, of course, they have that as their number-one priority. So those two boards together have identified this as their priority. BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1104 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION The Mayor has indicated -- and I believe the Chief of Staff here testified -- that the Mayor's more than willing to work with the Commission and the Board in identifying funds for the future in the private community.

What about the public sector? DIR. MIFFLIN: This budget does not provide funds for the Ranger Corps.

Well, I would like to suggest that if some additional funds can be fund in some private sources, that this may well be a valuable enough service that there could be some public-private partnership, some public- private match. Because your rangers are paid, what, to $30,000? 18 DIR. MIFFLIN: Yes. 19

Does that 20 include benefits or not? DIR. MIFFLIN: Yes.

While a police officer is 50-plus? And it seems to me you're going to have additional security and policing issues in not only Fairmount Park but some of the BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1105 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION others neighborhood parks if the rangers are gone. So I think we really need to take a look at what it may cost us if the rangers are there, lower-paid, yes, but also there to deal with some of the, quote, quality-of-life crimes that I know many of us have been urging the Police Department to make sure they see as part of their purview. In addition, the rangers do some educational programs with kids and set a really nice tone and example. DIR. MIFFLIN: Yes, they do.

So I would like to suggest that after a major grant like that from a major foundation, that part of the exploration some include some public dollars perhaps as a match to some private dollars. DIR. MIFFLIN: Okay.

The other issue is, I do have problems with this word "attrit." You said people had -- DIR. MIFFLIN: Had attritted (sic), I'm sorry.

They BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1106 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION attritted. It's either cut or fired or let loose or quit. But this word "attrit," I just think it's sort of really inhuman. And to be attritted, I've heard of people saying it, but I find it rather offensive. DIR. MIFFLIN: Okay.

So if the program has been cut back to or is being phased out, maybe that is -- even "cut back," I guess, is pretty prudent too. DIR. MIFFLIN: Yes.

I'm looking at your service level impact statement. I was a little surprised or couldn't quite figure out the difference between some of what your actual performance was in '97 and then how the projections for this year could be so different and sort of so far off. To give you an example, under "Recycling the Compost," it says that in 1997, you did 17,324 cubic yards of compost went out. I assume that means you got it out to people. DIR. MIFFLIN: That is an incorrect number. I apologize for that, it's a mistake. BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1107 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION

Oh, I see. So what was the real number? DIR. MIFFLIN: I don't have that.

I thought it was a mistake because it's way out of line. DIR. MIFFLIN: It's approximately 3,000. But if you look at '96 and the original '97, it was approximately 2700.

Fingers must have slipped. But also, there were some issues under "Interpretive Centers," for example, Fox Chase Farm. Again, maybe there's a reason, but actually you show numbers of visitors in '97 at 21,000. You projected for a goal significantly less than that, like 17,000. But, in fact, your current estimate now is it will be up to 18,000. I don't understand in a sense how there could be such fluctuations or estimates being off. DIR. MIFFLIN: These numbers are driven largely by the School District of Philadelphia. It has been the number-one site visitation location for schools. And as the schools provide the transportation to off-site facilities, I think BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1108 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION the numbers have changed somewhat. In addition, as you probably know, we did suffer a fire and lost the farm. It was right around the time when we were attempting to project numbers, and we weren't quite sure whether we would be able to have all four of the major public events that we have at the facility, so we were a little cautious about the number.

Okay. Thank you, Madame Chair.

Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter Chair.

Given the current situation with funding and the attempts to secure funding, do you think that the program will continue to operate in the fashion that it has in the past? Or with the need to get additional funding, and depending on where the funding comes from, whether there would be any shift in focus or activity by the rangers, whether it's the 18 or if the program were to grow. If I wonder if you can briefly tell us, what do the people do now and what would you like BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1109 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION to see them doing, going forward? DIR. MIFFLIN: Well, now their functions are basic patrol, which is out into the Park, walking along the paths, riding bicycles, even roller-blading on the River Drive. So they get a significant level of visitor contacts and provide information to our Park users. During patrol, they also will issue code enforcement violations if they -- if it's appropriate. Another major function they provide is support of our special events, whether that be for crowd control or a support of the sponsor in traffic flow, or just working the crowd, being there in a uniform, a visible presence. Another area is interpretation of our historic areas. They provide tours of facilities. In addition, I previously mentioned the AmeriCorp program, and we have increased the number of rangers in the Park by this program in providing support of conservation projects, among other initiatives. There's a separate Friends group, Friends of the Ranger Corps as an example, which BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1110 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION provides volunteer hours in support of maintenance of the Park. And at this time of year particularly, we're in the school system, providing educational outreach programs for the youth.

Then you would expect, going forward, to pretty much continue the program the way you've outlined it? DIR. MIFFLIN: If we are able to sustain this level of staffing, yes.

Okay. The bikes, were they purchased by Fairmount Park or by the Ranger Corps through their own board? DIR. MIFFLIN: They were purchased by the Ranger Corps funds.

Okay. As had been mentioned earlier, the thought had also occurred to me that given some of activity of the rangers certainly is -- I mean, whether you call it "enforcement" or just giving people notification. I did wonder whether, for instance, similar to school crossing guards who are technically under the jurisdiction of the Police BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1111 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION Department, whether some possible shift in physical location and jurisdiction of the Ranger Corps primarily based on either service or funding, whether that might be an option? In addition, naturally, we have the much-discussed natural lands restoration and education program. You mentioned an educational component that the rangers provide. I guess, lastly, many of us also are familiar with the City Year Program, which are obviously different outfits, but providing some similar kind of function in the areas outside of the Park system. So I just have begun two wonder whether some way through a combination of various funding sources, there might be funding that already literally exists in various departments that could be allocated for use by the Ranger Corps or you may to actually shift the program into another department. DIR. MIFFLIN: Councilman, we are investigating all of those opportunities or potential possibilities of continuing the program. As an example, as we've learned most BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1112 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION recently about the Welfare Reform Act and the individuals that will be coming, seeking employment as they move off the ranks of welfare. And the opportunity might be there to use rangers as mentors for that program in some way, with the conclusion that -- of the program meeting some security system employment. And so that's something that we are presently considering. The natural lands restoration project that I mentioned previously, upon completion, it will have five environmental centers. It would be a natural for the rangers to staff those facilities, and there's funding in the grant for staffing of those facilities. These are rangers. Many of them have been here for ten years, so they could literally hit the ground running and know the Park and be able to interpret the natural areas of the Park. That's another consideration that we have.

When there are major events at the Park, you mentioned that sometimes the rangers participate in those. I know some of the other operating departments when they are called on to provide service generally BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1113 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION again with the sponsors, there is some charge. DIR. MIFFLIN: Yes.

That is put forward to cover the municipal costs. Are the rangers usually included in the calculation of the cost of the event? DIR. MIFFLIN: Not all the time, but that's certainly an opportunity for us to recoup some support.

Okay. Well, I think you know, and it was discussed in a meeting immediately prior to the Mayor's budget announcement back in January. There is a fair amount of support, I believe, here in the Council and certainly outside of this Body in the general public for the Ranger Corps. We would like to try to figure out how to fund it and staff it properly. But I would like you to encourage you to maybe keep open an mind about either its current focus, future focus, and where it might actually be. There may be some opportunities based on some flexibility that don't exist today. DIR. MIFFLIN: Sure. Thank you, I BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1114 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION certainly will.

Sure. Thank you, Madame Chair.

Thank you. The. Chair recognizes Councilwoman Miller.

Thank you, Madame Chair. Good afternoon. DIR. MIFFLIN: Good afternoon.

Good afternoon, Mr. Mifflin. I just want to initially say that I support my colleagues' interest, advocacy, and requests for continued funding some way for the Ranger Corps program. In your testimony on , second paragraph, near the bottom, it says, "The Board of the Philadelphia Rangers Corps and Fairmount Park have had limited success raising new funds to continue the Ranger Program." Can you further explain why you've had limited success with that? DIR. MIFFLIN: Well, I -- we have tried to do a public relations campaign to increase the awareness of the rangers in the hope that a corporation or foundations would be so interested BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1115 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION and so inclined to support it. We did get a small contribution from a local corporation that would sustain us for a very brief period of time, so that's the limited success. The Friends of Philadelphia Parks has done -- has completed some fund-raising for us, and I think we're going to, you know, continue working with those organizations to, first, increase the awareness of what does a park ranger do and how valuable they are, and then really take that campaign on and start knocking on some doors to really get some cash coming in for the program. So I think it's -- it's -- we're at a point now where the Commission really recognizes the importance of it, and we need to make this our number-one priority.

All right, thank you. When there is a special event that goes on in the Park, your department has special event applications at all of the District Offices, yes or no? DIR. MIFFLIN: No. We have a Special Events Office in Memorial Hall, and the BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1116 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION special-event permits engage from that office in concert with the Operations or District Offices. It would depend upon the special event that -- if you have one in mind. Or if it's a large one, it emanates from our Special Event Office. If it's a small volunteer cleanup or, you know, a small picnic, it may emanate from the District Office.

Okay. Do you have the same type of equipment that the Managing Director's office has? If someone wants a stage, do they that they need to contact your office and the Managing Director's Office? DIR. MIFFLIN: For a -- for a --

If you need a stage? DIR. MIFFLIN: Oh, if you need a stage, I'm sorry. We do not have staging, stage equipment. We turn to the City's Special Events Office and Public Property Department which provides staging and PA systems.

Okay. But using the Park for a special event, the Park makes that decision, not the team that needs to review special events under the Managing Director's BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1117 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION Office? That's totally separate except, I guess, if you need a piece of equipment. DIR. MIFFLIN: Well, some of the special events are a City-wide event, and the Managing Director's Office is involved in them. Obviously, all the ones along the Parkway,, some of the large community events, I'm thinking of your district and --

Our picnic, the picnic we have every year. DIR. MIFFLIN: Yes. Because that's so large, with thousands of people in attendance, it's considered a City-sponsored event, so we work in concert with the Special Events Office, which includes the Managing Director's office.

Okay. I just want to understand more about tree maintenance -- DIR. MIFFLIN: Yes.

-- versus -- wait a minute. In your five-year plan, you called it "Maintaining Street Trees," and then in your testimony, it's "Street Tree and Street Maintenance Programs." Maintenance programs. BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1118 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION I understand you prune. I don't really know much about pruning, but whatever you do when you prune, do you that to trees. And I was wondering specifically around -- I know we get a lot of constituent calls about tree that are on an abandoned lot. And you know, one year when we were doing community cleanups, and you know, we ran into the same problem. If we were cleaning a lot, if a tree was on the lot, we had a difficult time trying to figure out -- Sanitation wouldn't help us, L&I, and they kept referring us to Fairmount Park. When we called Fairmount Park, it seems like you have to get permission to cut a tree down. Some of the neighborhoods the cement's cracking because the roots and things are growing up out of the cement. And then dead trees in maybe the backyard of an abandoned building, are those the things of things that the Fairmount Park Commission would be involved in? DIR. MIFFLIN: Yes. To an extent, we have jurisdiction over the street trees, so we are very much involved in the estimated 250,000 street BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1119 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION trees in the City of Philadelphia. Our jurisdiction ends in that public right-of-way. So trees that are in backyards, even in alleyways or private lots are not under our jurisdiction. We assist the City agencies and even assist homeowners with their problem in giving them our expertise. If it in fact is a City-owned lot, we'll work with the Department of Licenses and Inspections in removing that tree generally. They have contractual services available to them to do that if it's deemed to be a dangerous condition and the tree should be removed. But our -- given our resources and the need and the concern for the street trees, we maintain our responsibilities within the public right-of-way.

Do you replant? I have a constituent right now who took a tree down, and she wants another tree in front of her house. DIR. MIFFLIN: Yes.

Will you replant? DIR. MIFFLIN: We will. Planting is BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1120 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION part of our capital project initiative. We'll inspect the location, and that location will be placed on a list for future tree planning. It is a function of the -- actually, tree planning can be both Operating and Capital, and would be done through that program. There is a waiting list. It's not something that we can do immediately, unfortunately, and it may take as long as two to three years, at the longest, to get a tree planted in a requested location.

Okay, I think I have two more questions. One is about the rowing program. DIR. MIFFLIN: Yes.

Just a general question. Are Philadelphia residents only allowed to come to these various programs and day camps and all those things, or is residency not a requirement? DIR. MIFFLIN: Residency is not a requirement. The majority of our campers are Philadelphia residents.

Okay. How many BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1121 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION of the campers -- now, this is only a summer program, the rowing program? DIR. MIFFLIN: Yes, ma'am. At the present time, it is.

Okay. And what percentage comes from outside of Philadelphia versus those in Philadelphia, do you know? And how do you advertise and publicize the camp? DIR. MIFFLIN: That particular camp -- and I'm going to do this from my own sort of personal observation. It's largely a majority of Philadelphia residents. Our approach was to go into the, you know, inner-city and expose the sport of rowing to children in Philadelphia. So I know the majority are Philadelphia residents.

Those children come from City-wide? When I was a child, if we went to a camp that Fairmount Park ran, there were buses that would pick you up at designated recreation centers or whatnot. Are they doing that with that camp too? DIR. MIFFLIN: We ask -- although we ask the children to get to the Gustine Recreation BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1122 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION Center, which is in the East Falls section. And from there, we take them down to the river.

Okay.

One more question basically about the restoration and construction activities that you'll be involved in. Originally when I reading it, I thought the same thing Councilman Nutter thought, that maybe the park rangers could be funded under some of this extra new help. Will any of the restoration or construction projects be done in-house, or will you be contracting this work out to competitive bidders? DIR. MIFFLIN: It will be a combination. It will be a combination of outside contractors doing the major heavy renovation work, and it will then be maintained by in-house staff as well as volunteers. The project, of the 21 million, roughly 15 million will go towards 22 natural lands restoration. 23 And probably the biggest problem that 24 we have in our natural lands area is uncontrolled 25 storm water, and it's really scoured the hillsides BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1123 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION from development and road construction and just years of really uncontrolled runoff. And so we have to fix what's really broken first. And that will require some heavy equipment and contractual services. But then once we fix the basic path or the hillside, the reforestation project, and we've completed one in the Wissahickon, can be a joint effort with the schools, universities, with volunteer groups and with Park staff.

Okay. How many new staff people will you be hiring? And when? DIR. MIFFLIN: How many staff people?

New staff people for the construction project? How many new people staff will you be hiring? DIR. MIFFLIN: Well, we have hired five new employees as part of the grant, and they're sort of the core team As we move into the restoration projects, we'll be hiring five full-time and two part-time for each of our five districts as volunteer coordinators and trail coordinators.

Will these be BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1124 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION civil service? Or what will be the hiring process? DIR. MIFFLIN: Presently, they're not civil service. They're what we call "grant employees." We are looking at the opportunity to phase them into the Park system over the next five years.

Okay. I'd like to get information on the types of people you're looking for in order to do some referrals. DIR. MIFFLIN: Sure, I'd be happy to give you that information.

Thank you, Madame Chair.

Thank you. Councilman Nutter, do you care to be recognized?

Yes, very briefly, Madame Chair. Mr. Mifflin, I've read different things over time about the Fairmount Water Works. Could you tell me in 15 words or less what the project is? DIR. MIFFLIN: No. Okay, I'll make it 14. BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1125 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION

At least he's honest. DIR. MIFFLIN: It's a restoration project of the Historic Water Works that shares a combination of funding from the City and State which will do the Engine House, which is the largest building on the southern terminus of the footprint. Eighteen months from now, it will be completely restored, and it will be prepared if we are successful in bringing a restaurant operator to the facility. In addition, both the William Penn Foundation and the Pew Charitable Trusts have indicated their interest in funding improvements to the remainder of the exterior of the facility. We'll improve the balustrades, replace the balustrades, we'll put new -- we'll improve the Greek Pavilion and the other two structures, the caretaker and the watering committee buildings on the decks. The decks will be fully restored for seasonal activities.

Okay. You were right, you couldn't do it in 15 words. DIR. MIFFLIN: Didn't think so. BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1126 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION Something.

Lastly, Madame Chair, I think it's important to note for the record that in our excitement about the current fiscal year funding of $1 million in the street tree area which will be spent in the last half of FY '98, I think it's important to note that there is $1 million scheduled for FY '99, the entire fiscal year. And so in the first year after the start of funding for street tree maintenance, there is already a cut in what the Park will be able to do, going from a million and a half of a fiscal year to a million for a full fiscal year. And I think it should be noted for the record that we will not be happy about that. That was not the nature of the discussions that we had last year on this topic. And we will revisit this issue. But we look forward to the work being done in this fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Mifflin. DIR. MIFFLIN: Thank you.

Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Mariano. BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1127 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION

Thank you, Madame Chairperson. How you doing? DIR. MIFFLIN: Hi, Councilman.

All right. How we making out with my golf courses? Are we still hiring contractors or are we destroying the prevailing rates? I mean, you and I have been over this. DIR. MIFFLIN: No, we're not.

For the record, we're not hiring any -- I don't want to say "nonunion" or "scab," 'cause that wouldn't sound right, but any contractors that don't work with the prevailing rate. DIR. MIFFLIN: Certainly none that I'm aware of, no. 19

How's the Golf Corp. Company doing? Ya know, that's one of my pet peeves. DIR. MIFFLIN: We are in the final stages of negotiation of an assignment, and Golf Corp. wants to leave the City, and we'd like to make sure -- BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1128 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION

No, we had Golf Corp., but were they tied up for like or 20 4 years? 5 DIR. MIFFLIN: I'm sorry, what -- 6

What was the 7 length of the original contracts? 8 DIR. MIFFLIN: 25, mm-hmm. 9

So how long are we 10 into that? 11 DIR. MIFFLIN: About halfway. 12

So we're like 12 13 years into a 25-year contract, and we're going to 14 let them out of the contract because they're -- 15 why? They're not making money or they're not 16 happy here? 17 DIR. MIFFLIN: They wish to be. First 18 they approached us to see if we would agree to an 19 assignment. And as we look at what the new 20 company is suggesting, we think it's a benefit to 21 us. 22

I don't mean to 23 beat you up, Bill, but we've been through this 24 with these companies, and you've been fair, you've 25 been more than fair. I think maybe some of the BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1129 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION people on your -- under you, whoever picked certain people along this process and the process that you know I'm alluding up at Juniata, which was a great embarrassment to me, being my history in the building trades. I just think they got to think, when they're doing certain projects in certain people's areas, they got to understand what it means. Everything has a ripple effect when you're a District Councilman. It's like being a marine in Okinawa, you're the first one off the amphibious landing vehicle and you're the first one getting shot at, and you're the last one that gets removed from the beach if you get killed or wounded. I mean, that's basically where we're at with Juniata. I mean, I hear from the people, I hear from the tradesmen, and I hear from the golfers. I'm sure you hear the same thing. DIR. MIFFLIN: And I do, as well, yeah.

Okay. DIR. MIFFLIN: We will not have a recurrence of that.

All right, thank BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1130 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION you. DIR. MIFFLIN: Sure.

Thanks a lot.

The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter.

Will Councilman Mariano submit to questioning? I just wondered, because your great interest in the golf situation, what is your handicap these days?

I'm not allowed to golf. Because if I did, Councilman DiCicco would get jealous. Everything I do, he has to do. I don't understand it, Councilman.

Oh, okay, all right.

You'll just have to ask Councilman Mariano, and he just went downstairs for a sandwich.

Thank you, I was just wondering.

Thank you. Thank you, Madame Chair.

Are there any BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION 1131 BILL 980003 - FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION other questions or comments of the Fairmount Park Commission? (No further questions or comments for the Fairmount Park Commission.)

Thank you very much. DIR. MIFFLIN: Thank you. - - -

Next is the Philadelphia Museum of Art. (Members of Philadelphia Museum Art panel come forward.)

Good afternoon. Please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.

I'm Anne D'Harnoncourt.

Excuse me, would you mind pulling the microphone closer to you so that the stenographer can hear you.

Sure, absolutely. I'm Anne D'Harnoncourt, Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. 25 million in operating support for Fiscal Year 1999. With me today are Gail Harrity, our Chief Operating Officer, who joined the Museum last year, about a month ago this time, and who is part of a wonderful new team. But the new team includes also some venerable members who you have seen before at this Council meeting. And on my immediate right is Cheryl McClenney-Brooker Vice President for External Affairs. And to her immediate right is Robert Morrone, Vice President for Operations. I should also say that I will not take the time to go over much of our written testimony; you already have it in your hands. But this has been a major year of change for the Museum in that we lost our Chairman of the Board for the last eight years Phillip I. Berman, who was a valiant and energetic and enthusiastic supporter of all the arts in Pennsylvania, and most particularly of the Museum, who passed away on Thanksgiving eve. And much as we mourn his departure, we BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART 1133 BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART were also, I think, extraordinarily fortunate to have on the board a veteran of the Museum's trustees, Raymond G. Perleman, who is a Philadelphia resident, who has taken on the leadership of Chairman of the Board with great alacrity and enthusiasm. If I may, I will just summarize a few of the most important points in our testimony, beginning with the fact that it's very hard to believe for me, since the building looks ageless, that the building on the Parkway is just about to be -- sorry if I'm making booming noises -- 80 years old, and -- 70 years old. I'm corrected by the Chief Operating Officer who has her facts correct. It was open to the public in 1928, and it will have had its doors open for seven years as of this coming March. It will also be the Museum's 125th anniversary in the year 2001. We will be 125 in the same year that the United States will be 225 years old, and we have that reflected glory because we're a part of Philadelphia. And Philadelphia, of course, was where this country was born. And our museum, as you all know, was BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART 1134 BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART born out of the Centennial Fair in 1876. As we plan for this anniversary, it's fair to summarize the twin goals of the Museum: to maximize our service to the citizens of Philadelphia, citizens of all ages, I particularly emphasize; and to maximize the reach of our exhibits and programs to potential visitors around the world. I think for art museums across the country in this day and age, our two mantras, if you will, are education and cultural tourism. And in education, I would just like to say, which we say in the report, but I'd like to emphasize again, that everything we know about how young people learn and particularly about how very young children learn has to do with their -- where their early exposure to the visual arts and to their -- it makes an enormous difference not only in their, obviously, their education in the arts themselves, which is so much a part of our life in society; but also in their ability to learn and understand other major fields. To my delight -- you would think as an Art Museum director, I would have known it all my BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART 1135 BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART life, but I did not -- young children introduced to the arts in their early ages are better at math, better at history. It provides a kind of language and a way of talking about things that they perceive. That for young children particularly with language difficulties, with disabilities of any kind, even with deprivation in their own educational circumstances, it is a way in to learning. And we at the Museum are dedicated to work with the School District of Philadelphia in order to maximize that potential.

Cultural tourism is the other very important side of what we're about. I think that we might all agree that one of the great as yet still unrealized potentials of the City of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia region, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is its great and rich diversity of cultural resources. And we are committed to working with as many partners as we can find in this enterprise to bring those resources to the attention, first of all, to all of the citizens of this region; and beyond that, to the citizens of the world. BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART 1136 BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART And I should say that our partnerships are first and foremost with the City itself, with the Convention and Visitors Bureau, with the School District of Philadelphia, with the Department of Recreation. You heard something about the Mural Arts Program. We're very proud to have some role to help in that. We've also been very active on both a community level and on a broad level with small and large cultural institutions in the City from the Taller Puertorriqueno to Point Breeze Performing Art Center, and the Norris Square Neighborhood Project, as well as many of the large institutions in the City. One of the most important facts that I can't help reiterating is that in calendar year 1997, we welcomed about 800,000 visitors to the Museum. That was a year with wonderful programs, but not with the Cezanne exhibition, not with something that was so extraordinarily well-funded and promoted to reach visitors from all over the year, but the base level of the Museum's attendance in a good year, therefore, has risen by BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART 1137 BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART 33 percent over the years before Cezanne and before the serious of great exhibitions immediately preceding it. This is a source of huge prides to us, but it only sets the goal higher. We would like to reach a million visitors in a normal year by the time we hit our 125th anniversary. And we are exploring every way in which we can increase not only our visitorship but repeat visitorship and our use in every way, by every member of the community. We're working with new technologies, we're working with the Free Library to be part of their network. We've got a web site, which has now approximately 40,000 visitors a month. There will be a lot more very soon. And we created our first interactive CD-ROM. What we most of all want to is reach everybody that we can with what our great collection gives us the potential, which is to effect, deepen, and enrich everybody's lives. As you all know, the Museum itself is a not-for-profit Pennsylvania corporation, which operates the Museum facilities. And you've just BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART 1138 BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART heard that our building itself is about to be 70 years old under a written contract. 25 million covers less than half of the cost of providing the janitorial and electrical and security and mechanical services to the Museum's main building, the Rodin Museum, and the two historic houses in Fairmount Park. We are dedicated to increasing our reach in every way. I should just make a quick note of three of the exhibitions which will be coming up very soon in our current year. A marvelous exhibition of self-taught artists in America, ranging from Grandma Moses and Horace Pippin to the present, surveying a field which is just becoming as visible as it deserves to be, and which I think it's actually created one of the participants in the exhibition is a scholar in Moore College of Art in Philadelphia.

A counterpoint to that very large and exuberant exhibition will be a tiny exhibition focussed on our treasure by Jan Van Eyck, a 500-year-old painter, as it were, from the 15th BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART 1139 BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART century, whose works are among the most precious in the world, and which we will bring together with several other works from around the world to focus on his extraordinary talent. And, finally, a major exhibition, the most important one arguably since the Cezanne show, which will celebrate the 200th birthday of the great French painter, Eugene Delacroix, who was, among other things, one of the great inspirations of Cezanne. S. for this sure show, and we do anticipate a really very a substantial audience and a substantial increase on our operating costs. In closing, I can only just say again that it is our ambition to play an even more vital role in the arts education of our young in the lives of all the citizens of Philadelphia. And we're deeply grateful to the Members of City Council and the Administration for their support in helping us do that and in strengthening our collaborations which build on the cultural resources of this great City. Thank you. )

Thank you, Miss D'Harnoncourt. Mr. Nutter, your light is flashing. Would you like to be called on later?

Good afternoon. I'm sorry, I was out of my seat. First, Miss D'Harnoncourt, I wrote to you some time ago and you did respond, but I thought it important to still raise the issue. With your great success at the Art Museum, whether pre-Cezanne or post-, there increasingly seems to be, I guess, a concern about parking at the Art Museum. And I just wondered -- and your reaction tells me that this may be an answer that requires more than 15 words. So you can write back to us. But are there plans to try to address the parking situation at the Art Museum? And especially, I guess, now in the context of reopening of Fairmount Water Works, other activities that take place on the Parkway, as well as Kelly Drive and West River Drive, and various BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART 1141 BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART closings that take place, and you're trying to get up over a million visitors a year. And, at times, the Art Museum seems to be at ground zero. Are there any plans that we might anticipate to deal with parking out at the Art Museum?

Councilman Nutter, I thank you for your question. It's one that concerns us virtually every day of the week. I would say there are no immediate solutions at hand, but there are a lot of people thinking hard about the problem. Fairmount Park itself, as you say, there are a lot of new or newly-refurbished facilities in the Park, which make it an evermore attractive destination. The Museum itself, I think our surrounding podium has something like parking for about 300 people. And on a good Sunday, we get 6,000 people, 7,000 in the door. There is obviously additional parking around the Museum, but it's clearly not enough. However, this is -- I think the issue has gained the attention clearly of some of the people who BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART 1142 BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART write letters to you and to me. I will say we have received several as well. It is an issue we care about enormously because the Museum's accessibility in every way, on foot, by public transportation, by automobile, any other way anybody could get to the institution is of enormous importance to us. So there is no immediate solution in sight, but I think that we will doubtless be coming to this Council, perhaps to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with some requests, probably joint with other Parkway institutions and with the Park for some amelioration of this situation.

Okay, thank you. That's all I have, Madame Chair. (Councilwoman Verna takes over the Chair.)

Are there any other questions? The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Clark.

Madame Chair, it is my pleasure to represent City Council as a BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART 1143 BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART member of the Board of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. And so in my capacity as both a Board Member and as a Member of Council, I'm interested in reporting on the progress that the Museum has had. Specifically, Miss D'Harnoncourt, could we just talk a little more about the parking situation that my colleague Mr. Nutter raises. That parking that's at the foot of the Art Museum, is that Aikens Oval?

That's correct.

How do people get from there to the building?

Oh, Councilwoman Clark, you've put your finger on a -- they walk. And they can walk against --

You mean up those little cathedral steps that I talk about all the time?

They have -- they have the choice. They have the cathedral steps, or they could go around the side and walk up a much more gradual slope, but it isn't easy. And I will say, if I was permitted to dream, one of the dreams that I would have is a BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART 1144 BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART little shuttle bus.

A little van, a little shuttle.

A little van going between wherever our off-site parking is. And Aikens Oval, it should be said, is by no means sufficient on a very crowded day to --

Well, let's just spread this out just a little bit.

Yeah.

Because that's not just pipe dreaming. If you use the airport and you use remote parking, you're not expected to walk from the airport; you'd never make your plane. So that there are buses that you can get on at no additional cost to yourself to come from remote parking to the terminal. Have we explored that kind of motorized assistance to get from remote parking to get to the doors of the Art Museum? And if so, what would it cost?

In honesty, Councilwoman Clark, we are beginning to explore that option. In fact, there are more sites of BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART 1145 BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART off-site parking than just the Aikens Oval, so it's rather a complex network of potentials. And we are trying to look at the whole. At the moment -- and this is only my uninformed guess, and I will give you a better response to that in a real report -- the number of parking places available and the amount that would be reasonable to charge may make it impractical to have a van to just that place. But I'm only hazarding that as a guess. I should say that there are three SEPTA buses that go past but not up to the top of the Museum; one that goes to the top of the hill but rather inconsistently, I should say, because that bus at intervals is subject to being diminished in service. Let's put it that way. And it is a disappointment that we've registered quite often with the Convention and Visitors Bureau, that the Philadelphia Phlash Bus, that little Phlash Bus does not go beyond Aikens Oval. But in answer to your shuttle bus suggestion, I think that this is potentially one of the great solutions. I think it would have to BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART 1146 BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART be coupled with larger areas for parking and then publicized very well to make it economically viable. I can't tell you what it would cost on a regular basis, but I can certainly find that out.

Well, I think it's one of the things that we might need to explore to make the Art Museum accessible. As I join a group of wheezing seniors, it is very clear that standing down at Aikens Oval and looking up there makes it totally not possible to do. And so maybe those are things that you might to consider. Now, I had another little question. Could you tell me a little bit more about the Art Museum's web site? Is it accessible to public school classrooms? How about collaborations with Bellcore scientists and the Education Management Group using digital phone lines?

Councilwoman Clark, it's a great question because we have a great many things going on simultaneously right now. We have had support from Bellcore to develop some long-distance learning experiments, BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART 1147 BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART which are very exciting, which do run over phone lines. The web site itself, of course, is essentially accessible to anyone who has a computer with a modem and is able to go on the Internet. So within, I believe, quite a short time -- I believe the testimony of the Free Library follows ours -- but I believe that it will, therefore, be accessible to anybody in any branch of the Free Library. The School District of Philadelphia is also extremely interested in this option. And, in fact, tomorrow afternoon, it's fair to say we're having a brainstorming session, which will -- we invited and I hope they're able to attend representatives of the School District as well as a number of area -- the state college system and a number of people who are really gifted in the field of this kind of electronic communication. My ideal ultimately would be to have the Museum's entire collection of 300,000 works of art with images on a web site and a great deal of information to boot, which could be accessed by any school child in the Philadelphia area and BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART 1148 BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART ideally by visitors and school children and lifelong learners around the world. But the partnerships -- if I may just extend the question a little bit -- with the School District seem to be particularly vital. It's an area they are developing and it's an area which we want to be sure that how ever we develop it, it goes hand in hand.

Right. I really commend you for the collaboration at this stage. Because if we don't, we may find out that we've just built parallel lines that will just go on forever and ever and never touch or interact with each other. Let me speak just a little bit about money. Your request this year, $2.2 million is exactly the same as in the operating year 1997. Tell me how we're doing with that, what's going on, is it adequate? And how does it relate to our contribution to your capital programming, which I understand is about what, 57 million over six years?

Well, I think if I may -- I don't want to put the chicken before the BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART 1149 BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART egg, but the capital program budget does incorporate or it envisions let us say, because, of course, it's really approved year by year by this Council. But it envisions a very substantial, and may I say, rather serious expenditure of City capital funds on the Museum's building over the next six years. In areas of fire safety, fire prevention, safety measures of all kinds, supplying new equipment to get the heat, the steam system to into the radiators in front of every single window of the Museum, and there are about 500 windows. There are really vital programs in the Museum -- and Robert Marrone can speak to them more eloquently than I -- which are not only important to do in this elderly building at this time, but they also need the sustained funding over a period of years. If we start one of these projects and stop it midway, we will be in big trouble and they will cost a lot more as well as interrupt really important service, so we're enormously grateful for that. BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART 1150 BILL 980003 - PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART

They're trying to hurry me up.

Yeah. In terms of the operating budget, shall I answer that, or shall I --

Marian, do you mind? You're briefest recitation for my edification, please.

The operating budget essentially has been flapped for the last two years at 2.25 as well as for this coming year. It therefore represents a diminishing portion of the major operating expenses of keeping the building going, of security and maintenance, and it is a major cause of concern to us, particularly next fiscal year when we anticipate the Delacroix exhibition will bring additional visitors, additional attention, more pressure on all of the building systems. It does concern us but we understand the limitations that the Council and the Administration are working with.

Well, under the BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY 1151 BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY great pressure of my colleagues, I think I will let that be my last question on the record. Thank you.

Thank you. Are there any other questions? (No further questions at this time.)

Thank you all very much.

Thank you.

The Free Library is next. (Members of the Free Library panel come forward.)

Good afternoon. Please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.

Thank you. I'm Elliot Shelkrot. I'm the President and Director of the Free Library. With me at the podium is Helen Miller, who is our Director of Public Services for the Library; Bill Roberts, who is our Administrative Services Director; and Al Johnson, who is our Fiscal Officer. BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY 1152 BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY I do want to mention that there are several members of the Friends of the Free Library still here in the audience and also the Chair of our Board, Alec Cur cure who was elected Chair of the Board just this past June. Rather than recite what is in the testimony that was submitted to you, I'm only going to highlight some of the items that are there. 4 coming from State grant funds. 4 million. If approved, it will first fully fund the negotiated salary increases, it will enable us to hire additional people so that we can open 19 every branch and regional library that is now 20 undergoing renovation. And it will allow us for 21 the for the in many, many, many years to begin a 22 schedule of roof maintenance at our branches, 23 preventive maintenance, something that is 24 especially important now since we've made so many enormous strides with the Changing Lives Campaign BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY 1153 BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY of the Free Library, that public and private partnership that's bringing all of the new technology and renovations into the branches throughout the City. This operating budget will also allow to us continue some of the extraordinary progress that your support and the Administration's support has made possible, especially in the area of children's services. And because 1998 marks the 100th anniversary of the Free Library's services to children, I want to focus just a few moments on some of those services now. It is probably be a surprise to many of you, just as it was a surprise to me, to realize that when the Free Library opened 107 years ago, we did not provide library service to children. And it was in 1898 that that service was first inaugurated. In the last three years, we have designed preschool library centers in every single one of our renovated libraries to meet the needs of our youngest children, and we now have 28 of those completely renovated libraries with the new BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY 1154 BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY technology and the new interior and the structural changes. We've created many new programs for children and youth, especially using this new technology. And one example of that, thanks to the grant from the William Penn Foundation, is a City-wide computer training program for teenagers an young adults known as "Bytes and Bits" -- no, it's "Bits and Bytes," they keep reminding me. And it combines technology, mentoring, education, and fun. College-age field trainers go from branch to branch, teaching computer skills to high school students in every neighborhood, every neighborhood library. In turn, these high school students working part-time teach younger children as well as older adults how to use the Library's computers and online systems. Last fall, the Bits and Bytes field trainers held a workshop at the Youth Study Center, and there they introduced some 48 teenagers to job research and computer skills that can be done at computers. In 1999, fiscal '99, we will expand this Bits and Bytes program so that our newly BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY 1155 BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY renovated libraries will also have this program, and we will continue the program at the Youth Study Center as well. So many others programs of ours engage children on a year-round basis. "LEAP," the after-school program is offered at more than 30 branches now. And through LEAP, thousands of youngsters get help with homework, learn study skills, and receive cultural enrichment at their local branch library. City-wide, 42,000 youngsters participated in the summer reading program last year. And I might point out that in 1990, that figure was just 5,000 children.

Last summer, we conducted more than of these programs at 17 recreation centers, Housing Authority developments 18 and communities centers, and extended the program 19 to include a summer reading program for high school students. In addition to this work with children, we believe Library's contribution to economic development in the neighborhood is also growing. As example is our Workplace Career Center at the Central Library. Last year, the Workplace BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY 1156 BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY answered nearly 20,000 reference questions from people who were looking for jobs looking, looking for ways to apply for jobs, looking for how to do resumes in a more successful way. In 1998, the Workplace sponsored its first job fair, and more than 2,000 job seekers met with potential employers at that time. As we prepare for the 21st century, improving service to the growing number of people who need and use our libraries is absolutely our top priority. To achieve this goal, we will continue to open branches six days a week during the school year, continue to recruit volunteers. I might say that in 1999, we expect more than 1600 volunteers to contribute over 100,000 hours of time to the Library. In closing, I want to thank you, City Council, as well as the Mayor for the outstanding support the Free Library has had over the last several years. With your help, the Library has entered the information age, making sure that we have a literate citizenry because they, indeed, become an employable citizenry. We continue to enrich people's lives, BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY 1157 BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY to enhance their educational achievement, and promote economical development in our neighbor. And we hope with your help, we can continue this in the future. Madame Chair, I'd be happy to answer any questions that you or other Councilpeople might have.

Thank you. I've noticed for the last several years that the cost of books remains the same appropriation. Can you tell me why we keep it at that level? If we're doing all the renovation of the libraries, aren't we buying new books for any of them?

Yes, we are. Last year, as a matter of fact -- or the year we are in, I should say, there was an increase in the amount of money that was appropriated for books if I'm not mistaken. We continue to purchase books although the costs do go up. We have been able to use a very small increase that we've received in State grant money to increase that so that our target is to keep at least to keep 12 percent of our operating budget BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY 1158 BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY focussed on books and materials that we circulate. And thus far, we've been able to hang in there and do exactly that.

So you think it's ample?

What's that?

Do you think it's ample.