You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Reynolds-Brown.
Thank you, Madam President. Good afternoon, Commissioner, and your team. Let me open by underscoring and echoing Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell's remarks about the out-of-the box thinking that your team has done over the past many months that you have been there, and one example is your recruitment of lifeguards that I read in your testimony. You covered a lot of areas. I would like to offer up for consideration maybe a connect with the Philadelphia School District Fiscal 1134 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget Education Department as another place where you can look to potential young people who might be interested in that kind of employment for the summer.
Great. Thank you. I believe it was this weekend it started running. Last year we were very fortunate to have Temple University reply to a request that I made to have a television ad developed and also I just sent the letters out the week before last to all the GMs of the television stations to begin running it, but we are also paying some of the movie theaters to run the television recruitment ad for the lifeguards in the local movie theaters and also there's four or maybe six McDonald's locations that have the little teletype TVs while you're standing in line so we are paying to do that, so it's a different way. I want to say last week or the week before, thank you, Mr. Carapucci and some of his team met with an official from the School District so we can enhance that relationship, so thank you very much.
You're very welcome. I too had questions about the 1135 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget after-school programming, but you covered it adequately for me in your testimony to Councilwoman Tasco. I am curious to know, however, when I came to Council 40 months ago there were 100,000 young people in the city still in need of after-school programs. With the advent of the additional ones you mentioned today what number are we at now of young people still not in some safe, secured structured setting between the hours of 3:00 and 6:00? Might anyone know what that hard number is today?
I'm not able to answer it now. I'm sorry. But I would seek some help from probably DHSC to get back to you.
Please. We have had conversations too around the safety of playground equipment and I know the, I'll use the word, pioneering disposition you have taken with regards to upgrading or at least meeting the national safety standards, so where are we in your inventory of playgrounds that indeed have met the national safety standard for playground equipment?
Good afternoon, Madam 1136 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget President, and honorable ladies and gentlemen of City Council. My name is Carlton Williams and I'm the deputy commissioner of the Department of Recreation. Earlier this year we had a very productive meeting in regards to an overview of where we are with our playground safety initiative and it was with regards to the standard ASTM 1491, which is the standard that allows our equipment to be in compliance with the national standard for safety for children. One of the things that we have identified as one of our immediate needs was to inventory the entire Recreation Department staff's play equipment and right now we have inventoried six districts. Also, what we are looking at also is the number of inspectors. Earlier today you heard Fairmount Park testify about the routine inspections that will be given. Our department also has taken on that initiative. We have 13 inspectors on board to date to go out and perform routine inspections which we plan to do in the spring also. Once the initial audit of inventory of all of our equipment is in place, we plan on putting together a program through the Procurement 1137 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget Department that would allow us to make repairs and upgrades immediately. One of the problems that we have been having in the past is the determination of what is considered a capital expense and what is considered a maintenance expense. This year what we have done is identify a contract that would allow us to draw down funds so that we can repair and replace equipment immediately. And that's where part of the funding will go through to so there is no 12 determination between what is capital and what is maintenance. It is a maintenance function and therefore we allocated funding for that in this year's budget. Also, some of the initiatives that have taken place around the play equipment initiative again is the routine inspections but to inventory and categorize over 771 pieces of play equipment, and that's not considering the individual pieces; that's the composite structures. So that has been a tedious and long process, but we have made progress in that area and we look to continue to do so.
If I may add, the directive that I gave a year ago was real simple. 1138 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget If it's not safe or you think it could fall and injure somebody, cut it out and I will talk to the community and the councilperson after, but if we know it could kill somebody, cut it out immediately.
And so the initiative, though new, I would imagine has been embraced by the committee advisory boards of your rec centers, has it not?
Camp William Penn, you have indicated or I have read in testimony that the number of campers attending each year continues to decline, so tell us how you plan to reach the goal of 705 for FY '04, what creative things you have in mind in terms of recruitment and outreach.
Bill Carapucci, recreation deputy commissioner. Councilwoman, in the past couple of years now our goal at Camp William Penn has been on the quality of the programming. We have very few incidents of problems either with the campers or with staff there as we had in the past. We had 630 children I think last year and we had a very safe 1139 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget summer. We have put a lot of attention into the camp. I have to say in the past three years more people from our department and management have visited the camp than I have ever seen in the 35 years that I have been in this department. I think that the fact that in the past you might have seen 900 children or 800, I don't think that is an appropriate standard on how to judge the job that is being done at Camp William Penn. I think 700 would be a nice goal. We are at 630. I think we could reach the extra 70 this year by extra recruitment efforts through the rec centers and through the schools. We are right now in the process of recruiting for a new camp director. We put different ads in the American Camping Association and various newspapers and, in fact, this week the commissioner and a team of other management people will be interviewing two of our top candidates that we recommended to the commissioner. So there's going to be more changes at the camp and I think it is on its way up.
Thank you. My final question for this round is your teen centers, you're proud to announce the third teen 1140 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget center, and I think it's great that you are responding to the changing times and making sure that we touch our adolescents, but we have to treat them differently than we do the young people in the after-school programs. So with that, the 13th center is about to open and after that the next one is scheduled for when, in this fiscal year or not?
Yes, ma'am. It was Kingsessing. As a matter of fact, it was a week before Christmas they had the first dance and they had close to 200-something young people hanging out and that was one of the challenges that the staff and my executive team had given back to myself particularly about doing a dance with that age group because they felt it was high risk and I already felt that it was high risk, period. Things were going to happen anyway and I would feel a lot more comfortable going in front of the neighborhood or anywhere and saying, yes, we did have an unfortunate incident, but we had it while we were trying to do something different or do something good, so I would much rather have an incident while we are participating in the game instead of standing on the side line. 1141 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget No. 4 is the Francis Myers one, and we had some problems with a contract, that it went into default. We finally got out of that default. As a matter of fact, the City is being reimbursed for the default, and, if everything goes well, we should have it finished and up and ready for the 1st of April and all the equipment for the facility has been delivered and we are working hard. I'm very proud of the work that our team has done in the whole and especially the pressure that I have put on the maintenance staff to take on this extra work.
I couldn't agree with you more. I did have another question. Your arts program -- could we please have Jane come forward?
I can wait until it's time for that. Thank you. Thank you, Madam President.
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman 1142 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget Miller.
Thank you, Madam President. Good afternoon again, Recreation Department. I just want to say that I think that you are doing a good job and I certainly like this maintenance program where it is not taking forever to get a Class A or any kind of center renovated with much needed repairs. In my district we have a lot of large old buildings, but we also have a lot of small buildings that are just so old, and when you talked about getting the items from the stadium, the first center I thought about was Panati on 22nd Street and you know when you and I toured, that bathroom is just so old, so I think that that has created an innovative. One of the things I wanted to ask though, and maybe you or Carlton could respond, does anybody go around and check snow removal after these large storms? It would do you good to do that. I called your office this morning and left a message. I'll tell about it later, but...
Yes, ma'am. We have a snow removal program that has been put in place to 1143 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget prioritize the areas that we would address first. They first start with the older adult centers and after-school programs, the facilities that get the highest usage with children and other people that visit our facilities and from that point on we go on to Class A, B, C and D centers and then parks in area neighborhoods also. So with the manpower we have, that is the priority order in which we address our snow removal.
You might want to make sure that you put on your priority list the playgrounds that are near schools.
I just want to thank you. I agree with all my Council members. I think Councilwoman Blackwell said that you are an exciting department. I know we have a lot of exciting things, and when we talk about pools, the first pool I think about for the summer -- and you know, Mr. Carapucci -- is Waterview, and I know that is something we are going to have to begin to work on now so that maybe we can do some intervention and prevention between now and the summer, but I do appreciate your patience last year with dealing with 1144 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget that pool because it is a much needed pool for 95 or higher percentage of children in the neighborhood. It's just a small percentage that continues to cause trouble, and I just wanted to thank you. Thank you, Madam President.
The supervisor of Waterview will be visiting me this week so we are going to discuss this already. Thank you.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Rizzo.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I know Camp William Penn is going to be here, but I think this is more than just the normal questions about the facility. I guess it was an oversight, but maybe it will be discussed when Camp William Penn gets here and I have a couple other questions also, but I'm pleased to report that I have requested of the United States Senator Arlen Specter a $100,000 appropriation for improvements at the facility and I want to thank Ed Fagan for completing that application, and it is interesting. I would like to take an opportunity to read this because this probably will paint a picture of what you are dealing with at Camp William Penn. This is 1145 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget the application for this hundred thousand dollar grant which I have requested Senator Specter to submit to the appropriations committee. This is the summary of the request. "Camp William Penn, a 677-acre ACA accredited overnight and nature-based camp located in the Pocono Mountains that is operated by the Philadelphia Department of Recreation. Philadelphia children between the ages of 8 and 12 of age can participate in a five-day or eight-day encampment during the months of July and August. The Recreation Department is requesting funds to address infrastructure needs that will result in increased safety for campers and staff as well as providing additional recreation and educational opportunities. Safety enhancements" -- here we go -- "will include a new roof at the dining hall, estimated $15,000, a new roof for the girls' recreation hall, $15,000, and replacement for one staff resident's cabin at $50,000. "In addition, $20,000 of this requested funds will be used to renovate the roof interior, lighting and physical plant in the camp's nature center. The nature center is the home of the 1146 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget environmental educational activities and provides initial exposure for many of the camp participants who reside in urban neighborhoods." When I visited last year, I saw these deficiencies there, and it bothered me that our kids had to go there and be exposed to this. Camping is supposed to be rough, but this is rough, and I would hope that the administration -- I understand that they are going to be plugging in the grants office. I don't think a councilman should be out looking for money for the Recreation Department or this administration, by since nobody else seems to be doing it, I decided to take this on and hopefully this hundred thousand dollars will come. If it doesn't, these conditions still exist, so someone that controls this budget really needs to understand that this facility, even though it is a hundred miles away in the Poconos, has our Philadelphia kids in it. Commissioner, correct me if I'm wrong. I remember that the eight-night encampment wasn't there, I believe, when I was there. I believe that I was told by the past director of the camp that they wanted to hopefully extend because the season 1147 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget seems to end prematurely in my opinion. You know, in mid-August it is ending and I was hoping that they could have another encampment, but what about the fact that it is a five-day or eight-day encampment? Do we have presently eight-day encampments? I don't remember that when I visited.
First I wanted to say thanks for everything. I know you made the visit last year and the year before as well and thanks for stepping out to identify some other monies. There are four encampments. Three of the four are five days and one is eight. I know they used to have more than that, but we are changing all of them to shorter because sometimes the kids are a little more homesick with an eight-day than keeping them all to five. Deputy Commissioner Carapucci stated that we are in the changing of the guard. The camp director has just recently retired a couple weeks ago. I believe there were six or seven candidates that the executive team interviewed and I asked them to present to me the top two candidates, which those two persons will be interviewed at 9:30 and 10:15 respectively with a group of outside managers and 1148 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget one other commissioner besides myself this Thursday. Last year we sent up approximately 60 to 70 employees that volunteered to go up to the camp and they spent the night. They had a good time working and we rehabbed and painted the exterior of the infirmary where two nurses are housed. All of the camps have a pavilion with a concrete deck for outdoor camp fires and all of those have been recovered and refurbished and pressure-treated wood instead of having to tear up the concrete. We were also very innovative last year before the end of the fiscal year and we were able to buy all new bedding, $40,000 worth of brand new bedding for every camp person. That's something else that I'm trying to accomplish this year with the team to address the bedding for the camp directors and workers as well. We are also looking at using capital funds if we have to in an emergency situation to address the roofing or any other needs that you have been so helpful in trying to help us fund.
Commissioner, the only thing I would like to get out of you today is do we have an opportunity -- how many encampments do 1149 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget we have planned for this summer, this season?
This is Bill Carapucci, Councilman. It is three eight-day encampments and one five-day. The very first one is a five-day and that is because it is the beginning of the season and then the three in the middle of the season are three eight days.
Deputy Commissioner Carapucci, what I observed was the fact that it seemed like it shut down a little bit early. In other words, when did the last encampment end?
I think it is approximately August 16 or so. I don't have the exact date in front of me, but it's in the middle of August. I know the last week of August has always been -- the end of August. Why they cut back was in the past it was almost impossible to get an adequate number of children to go there plus staff. Some of the kids that work there are college kids and today 90 percent of the colleges the kids are going back to school around August 20, 21.
That's fair. That's 1150 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget fair.
I think we begin -- I think it is June 29. I think that is our first encampment.
I just hope that this materializes. I know Senator Specter indicated that this was a top priority because I explained what I saw there and I figure if we can't get it done with City budget money, we can certainly go after the federal money and I would hope that we would be looking at every opportunity for funding and that's why I get so disappointed that -- I talk to people all the time -- that we allow money to get away from us in an area like this. There is probably hundreds of programs that we have in this government that possibly -- and I underline possible. I don't want to shoot from the hip -- would be eligible for some type of federal or state money and we just don't go after it as vigorously as I would like. If it is there, I want our people -- what's that old expression? I want my piece of the pie? 1151 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget Commissioner, another issue that I would like to --
If I may add something to what the deputy commissioner was talking about relative to your question of the length of time, the entire facility, as you know, is open and out, so it is up in the mountains. Normally the temperature degree is almost ten degrees colder up here than what it is here.
That's one of the challenges and, as Deputy Commissioner Carapucci was referencing, the staffing like the nurses that staff the infirmary, they are school nurses, and the majority of the staff that does the cooking and runs the cafeteria, they are all school employees, so we don't have the luxury of having folks that could stay up there extra weeks at a time and they come back, try to take a week off and then prepare themselves to go back to their permanent career as well.
You win that one. 1152 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget That's fine. I agree with you if that's the situation. Tell me about the relationship between city schools that have pools and the Recreation Department. I know I had a group of families come to me indicating that the swimming pool in Nicetown had no heat because the Recreation Department is responsible for taking care of -- this is some crazy relationship where you have a pool in a school and the Recreation Department is responsible for taking care of the pool heater in a city school. Is that --
All public schools, they all work under our budget, under our supervision. The maintenance of the facilities comes under the School District.
So if there is a deficiency, a broken piece of equipment -- are you familiar with the problem that occurred at that school?
So the School District is responsible. Are they agreeing to maintain that equipment? Because I understand that that pool gets very, very cold for these kids when 1153 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget that pool heater breaks and the response that the School District gives is not what it should be. How is that managed? How do you make sure that the commitment that they make is being carried out?
On my level I call the facilities director and basically beg him to do something for us over there. We have a relationship and they respond, but I would say if the community in your area has a problem with that particular pool, then they should make the people at the School Board aware of it. I could call and I did call, but --
But it shouldn't have to work that way. The deputy commissioner of the Recreation Department shouldn't have to call. That's like Sylvester Johnson going out and writing a parking ticket.
Councilman, I agree with you, but what I'm saying is when I call, it is a little bit better than the leader calling, but if somebody on your level makes a call, it gets even more attention, and that's all I can say. But I can tell you we are not responsible for the heaters in the pool. 1154 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget
You know it's funny. You mentioned Picket School. Now I don't feel bad. The auditorium at Picket School doesn't have heat so if the swimming pool doesn't have it, I can understand the situation there, so I'm going to be addressing that. In the budget I see that there is school bus service, the rental for the school buses. Is this the School District we are renting these buses from, and, if not, why? If these buses are parked all summer, why aren't we trying to cut a deal with the School District and maybe get a bus at a better price? I see 160,000 plus in the budget for rental of buses. It says school bus service, so I thought it was school buses. So why does it say school bus service?
It's not the school buses. I think last year we used Romano's Bus Service -- excuse me. It was Atlantic Express.
I would suggest we 1155 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget have a new team at the School District. Maybe there is some relationship you guys could put together. I'm not suggesting it is going to be cheaper; it might be more money, but I would hope in this big fleet of buses that the taxpayers pay for that we don't need to do business with somebody in Montgomery County or wherever Romano or the other person is.
Also, parking lot rental, what's that about? Rental for parking spaces. Not a big deal, not a lot of money, but I would like to have $15,750. What's that parking spaces?
That's the parking for the management team or any of the field team when they come down from the field to meetings to do business, personnel issues, or whatever the case may be.
So employees that pay to park get reimbursed, in other words, for their parking?
We have a parking garage that we have a contract and there is a list of 1156 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget employees, mostly management, that use the parking services, district managers, program directors, the executive staff including myself, but especially the staff, the management team in the field when they are coming back for either meetings, paychecks, whatever, conducting daily business, sir.
There is one right on the corner of 15th and Cherry and -- what's the other garage, Broad and what? Broad and Race I think.
It's interesting you are telling me that because we have a parking lot that the City owns right across the street under the MSB Building and we rented that lot out to a private operator and I continually said to the administration before we rent that out we should make sure we have enough space to accommodate our own City vehicles. Isn't it strange that we own garages and we have to go and pay to park? Something is not right with that story and I know it is probably bigger than the both of us, but we have hundreds of parking spaces across the street, maybe several hundred in that underground MSB parking facility that the City owns and we lease it out to a 1157 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget private operator and then we have to go pay there. It makes a lot of sense. But I just was curious about that. Good luck. Let's hope we can get Senator Specter to deliver the hundred K and take care of some of those repairs up there, and when the forecast is high humidity and 99 degrees, I will be on my way up this year again, Commissioner. Thanks.
Commissioner, what's the current state of the vending contract with the Recreation Department and various rec centers for vending machines? Is it the same contract we have had? Is something done differently? What's going on?
It is funny you mention that because this morning I saw the vendors taking the vending machines out of our building in the elevators. I want to say it was what it used to be preexisting, but I'm not able to say what the change is going to be because there was a citywide bid and 1158 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget I don't know the details yet.
It was handled through Procurement, or were you guys involved at all?
One of the problems I think I have talked to about before -- I know I have talked to the deputy commissioner before -- a lot of rec centers have had in the past their own vending machines, which the money that was generated there obviously was plowed back into the program. There have been some issues of concern with regard to the control of the money and accounting and other things, which I think could be accomplished and solved with a good management oversight of how much is taken and to where the money goes, but if you could find out for me what the current situation is, I would like to see the money that is spent in the rec center go to the rec center. I mean I have been involved myself as a coach down at Rizzo Rink and I know for years they made a substantial sum of money which went into equipment, into extending ice hours beyond what the 1159 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget City was keeping open, and then we entered into a contract with a company that wrote a minuscule amount of money and a check once a month, if they did at all, and basically kept all the proceeds of the young people from that neighborhood that utilize the facility and pay for the soda or whatever it is that they are buying. So if you could give me some feedback as to what exactly the situation is now, whether or not it is the existing contract, when it is over, we had Procurement here already, so I probably missed my opportunity to talk to them personally about it. But I would really like to see with the right financial oversight that money staying at that center for furthering those programs.
Thank you. I would like to go on record and say that I also agree with you. It was things that I previously had done as well. The money is being spent in that neighborhood. It is generated in that neighborhood and I think we should afford the opportunity for that funding to be spent to regenerate or to continue to help those children and adult programs.
Thank you. Just one 1160 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget final note. As always, your department operates with a tremendous amount of enthusiasm and effectiveness despite its lack of resources. All the people that I deal with in this department from the rec leaders to the part-time people to the top staff really do care about kids, really do care about getting things done in the City and making a better quality of life and environment for people that live in the neighborhoods. It is one of the departments in the City we should be proud of because you do more with less every year and you do it well, so I wanted to commend you and thank you and ask you to keep up the good work.
Councilman Kenney, I too would like to echo your words and compliment the staff. I will tell you they certainly are a joy to work with. They are always very courteous, always very responsive, and I appreciate their professionalism. I tell you they have a great deal of knowledge. If you combine all of their years -- Mr. Carapucci, I heard you say you have what years? 1161 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget
We have a league leader here, Council President, Lawrence Spiegel, he is going on 50 years.
Really? Wonderful. They are all very wonderful. The Chair recognizes Councilman Ortiz.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Commissioner, I was looking at the records in terms of professional service contracts for the Recreation Department and I have here a listing of personal service contracts that takes two and a half pages of personal service contract. This is for the year 2002 obviously, but there are companies that keep on appearing and I just want to know what these companies do for us that either, 1162 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget one, our own City departments cannot do and, two, how does it impact in terms of the amount of money that should be going to recreation centers and children and not to personal service contracts? I would like to begin with Ganza & Gans Associates. We have them for recruiting services and a couple of things and they are in here for recruiting services for the year 2/04. Who are they recruiting?
That must be a mistake on our part and that shouldn't be in there. I apologize if it is in there.
Recruitment 4000 something dollars for recruiting of deputy commissioner. Why do we pay 4000 for the deputy commissioner? 1163 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget
That's a mistake. If it is in there, it's a mistake. I apologize and will have it corrected. It should not be in there.
I'm just looking at this, okay? In the year 2002 you spent 11,000 for the Kimmel group. I just want to know where this money has gone.
It may be some expenditure for the children to go somewhere, but, I'm sorry, I don't have that sheet with me and if you could give me a copy of it, I would like to see it.
I'm going to make a copy of it and I would like a description of each 1164 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget one of these contracts, what did they perform, what did they do for their money. You know, you have Keel Communications, $50,000 in year 2/02. What did he do? $250,000.
'02. Going from memory, it may be the development of the Crawley newsletter and also the development of the new logo, tag line, and it may be some other stuff, but that is just what I can recall right now.
It has here Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition, 745, street workers program. What is that?
Good afternoon. My name is Josephine A. Mangano and that expenditure in fiscal year 2/02 was for the safe and sound program. That expenditure was made with grant funds, the juvenile accountability grant.
What is it? Don't you expect a report, something in writing, how $700,000 was spent of money that came out of your department?
Yes, sir, and I will be more than glad to give you an itemized line by line on each one of those on the list that you are 1165 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget working from, sir.
You have here Kelly and Myelo, Inc., architect and engineering services, 300, close to $400,000.
That probably was a capital, but I will be more than glad to go through it.
I'm just going down the line. I just want to know what they do for their money.
They are designing the Dorothy Emanuel Recreation Center. That I do know.
She knows. I want to give you a list of these things and I would like to have a rationale for these professional service contracts and how they were given, the RFP that was put out, whether it was sole-source and down the line. Okay? And I want to know whether the vending contract that Councilman Kenney just mentioned is included in these areas.
May I forward everything to Madam President? 1166 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget
The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Reynolds-Brown.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Simply, if I could put my colleague's questioning in context, as I mentioned maybe last week and earlier today, there has always been a sentiment amongst this body that we look out for Philadelphia residents and in more recent weeks it has begun to resonate that that is not being done at a level we would probably expect, so that's why we are asking a number of departments to provide for us that kind of information because we are looking to see where we are doing business with Philadelphia residents who are women, who are minority, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. We have just done homework which reveals that the City is not where it could be or should be in this area.
Following the line of Blondell Reynolds, in these contracts for 1167 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget professional services, I would like to find out who, if anyone, are minority contractors that are subcontracted who have been employed in any of these contracts, and, really, you know, give the rationale. If and how we decide to take money out from Recreation, which I consider hugely important, and that money that we spend on a professional service better make a heck of a lot of sense in terms of whether those monies should have gone to the recreation centers of the kids across the city. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair.
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter.
Thank you, Madam President. Commissioner, obviously a lot of questions have been asked. If I ask anything that has already been asked, please just tell me that. I will read the notes of testimony. We don't have to go back over it, but in the area where I know that Councilman Ortiz just left and possibly Councilwoman 1168 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget Reynolds-Brown, can you tell me on the capital expenditure side, the provision of equipment and specifically recreation-related equipment, the names of any minority or female firms that provide equipment to us for our rec centers?
I'm not aware of any off the top of my head, but I will look to see if there are any.
No, I don't think so, sir. Deputy Commissioner Williams and I directly handle all of the capital with the capital departments division and they know the detail better than I would.
Let me make sure I'm understanding the answer. Is the answer you don't know at the moment or the answer is you don't think that there are any minority or female companies that provide equipment to us for recreation centers when we upgrade or change equipment? Which is it?
We don't have a complete listing right now. We don't know at the moment. We know Kelly and Myelo was one of the design 1169 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget consultants.
They are an architectural firm. I'm talking about the actual equipment.
How much do we spend on an annual basis for capital equipment?
So we spend over $10 million on equipment in our rec centers?
Well, that's total capital, construction money, and a majority of that money is spent for hard stuff, big jobs.
That's what I thought. But no firm in particular is coming to mind in terms of providing that equipment that might be minority owned?
of the 1170 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget testimony makes mention of a written facility caretaker manual has now been implemented to assure customer and quality satisfaction on building conditions. Is it possible that you could forward a copy of that to the Chair for all members to have?
We will be happy to get it to you. It was a year's worth of work and we are very proud of it. Thank you.
The bottom of 1, recreational will be offering state-licensed after-school programs in six recreation centers in FY '04. What are the six?
Mary Platt-Coles, Department of Recreation deputy commissioner. The rec centers are Simons, Christy, Tarken --
I'm sorry. I don't mean to interrupt you. Were you here at last year's budget hearings?
I think you were 1171 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget relatively new at the time.
I know Deputy Commissioner Williams and Carapucci and what their respective areas are. What is yours?
That's okay. The recreation centers that we are looking to provide after-school license services are Simons, Christy, Tarken, Hawthorne, Max Meyers and Dendy, and we hope to rule out all six sites as licensed sites in the next coming school year, fall of 2004.
Let me make sure I'm understanding the testimony, because the next sentence says, "Simons, Christy, Tarken," which I think you just mentioned, "received licenses in FY '03." Maybe I misread the testimony. I thought it was six additional. Is it six in total?
Simons, Christy and 1172 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget Tarken. What are the others?
Where are all these centers? Simons is up in the northwest.
Simons is in the northwest. Christy's is in the southwest.
Tarken is in the Northeast. Hawthorne is at 12th and Carpenter. Max Meyers is in the lower northeast and Dendy is at 10th and Jefferson. I know the next question.
Right. That would be where is the one in the 4th District?
Of those six, sir, none of them are in Councilmanic District 4. 1173 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget
None right now are in Councilmanic District 4, but we can work on that.
I'd love to come over there, but it would be hard to take a couple thousand kids from the 4th over. Christy is the rec center that I actually grew up playing in in West Philadelphia. So on a more serious note, so why isn't there one?
There is really no reason why there wasn't one. The sites that are initially being done were sites that we had been working on and trying to accelerate the process to get state licenses based on the conditions of the facility, but our goal is to go throughout all of the districts throughout the entire city. Thank you.
Is this a funding issue, or what's the process on how you decide where to put them?
Tarken and Christy are two sites that are currently latch-key sites. They 1174 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget received licenses over the last few years. They have been licensed, so we thought that was a natural fit to look to do after-school subsidy payments there, eligibility. And Simons recently received a license because of the condition of the facility. Hawthorne is very close to receiving a license. L & I passed -- gave them certification a couple weeks ago and the state is coming out some time this month. Dendy and Max Meyers --
Who decided to pursue the licensure of the facility? How is that initiated?
It was initiated through the CIS, through Safe and Sound along with Rec and DHS. We sat down and looked at facilities and also the condition of facilities in after-school programs in particular areas where we could enhance the quality of that after-school program by having it state accredited.
And what were the selection criteria for determining what sites were going to receive a license?
Good afternoon. My name is Kathy Muller and I'm a district manager with the 1175 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget Recreation Department and I can speak somewhat to the issue around the selection process for the licensing. This began approximately two years ago through the -- excuse me. It goes back about four years ago through the previous mayor's children and family cabinet, and while we looked at the issue of licensing, the primary idea was where can we generate funding where we would be able to draw down on subsidy, balance that with where did we have the physical plant that required a minimal amount of adjustment, and we worked --
In other words, where would it cost the least amount of dollars to retrofit the buildings.
Many of our buildings are very old and it would cost a lot of money with fire detection systems and things like that that have to go on all the floors. So we worked with L & I. Safe and Sound worked with us and we also worked with some of the child care providers in the Philadelphia area. They went out, they did an 1176 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget assessment of the different facilities. We started with approximately sites. I can probably go back 4 and get to your office a list of those original 5 sites. A recommendation was made of I think six 6 sites, and we looked at them. 7
It was done with Safe and 10 Sound, the child care community, and recreation 11 staff. 12
And was there 13 something so unique about the northern part of West 14 Philadelphia or North Philadelphia or 15 Roxborough/Manayunk that didn't warrant providing 16 services to those children? 17
Primarily the sites 18 selected -- and we were trying to do some as a pilot 19 to see how this process would work with L & I and 20 with the state, and we looked at facilities that were basically easy, one- or two-room facilities, that did not require major capital improvements where there were at least 20 to 25 children in the program and where the economics would dictate that we could get subsidy from those children. 1177 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget
I think, you know, Shepard, Tustin, possibly Panati. I mean Shepard is actually mentioned two sentences before this. I don't think it is a mysterious facility to the department. I'm just trying to understand how this all works or in this particular instance does it work for people in an area who I'm sure by way of anyone's criteria, whether income eligibility, subsidy, need or reimbursement, would clearly qualify, so I think this has kind of moved beyond the pilot stage and is in the realm of why not. We are not still trying to figure out whether we should do these or not, right?
No, sir. We haven't started drawing down the money. We just got, I believe -- two of the facilities just got temporary type of accreditation, but, as Kathy was saying, the goal was to begin as a pilot, get it up, make sure that we made sure that we had all of the criteria in place and then continue to go and implement 1178 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget throughout the City. The piece that Kathy was saying was that we were starting out with some of the facilities that were in real good condition or either had just went through a major capital renovation and/or either one of the small facilities that only had a couple of rooms that we could go in there and accelerate the physical conditions.
I think we have put about a half million dollars into the Shepard over the past few years. Was it looked at a potential site or any other site in part of West Philadelphia?
Councilman, I do believe that Shepard was initially considered prior to the extensive renovations done by the Recreation Department. The other consideration was that it was a two-level facility and the fire alarm system -- and again I'm not really sure of the exact dollar amount, but it was a significant amount of money, someplace between 50 and a hundred thousand dollars.
I will give you that right now. Is that the issue? Are you saying I don't have a center because of 50 or a hundred thousand dollars? 1179 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget
I'm not saying there's a valid reason that you don't have one. We just haven't gotten to that stage, Councilman. We are beginning the pilot process and we are going to continue to grow and expand and every facility that we feel that we are diligent in becoming state accredited, we will actively pursue.
Commissioner, I hear what you are saying and I appreciate it. I would like to be in the pilot. I don't want to be in tomorrow. I would like to be in today. If it is about 50 to a hundred thousand dollars on a fire alarm system, I'll give you that right now. What I want to know is when is that center going to be No. 16 7?
Can I get back to you later on? I need to go back and look at all the criteria, open the files and let me make some recommendations to you and you can throw back some from your general knowledge of your district as well.
We can do it tomorrow. 1180 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget
I will certainly be here. I'll look forward to that. I like a pilot as much as the next person, but I would like to be able to participate in some of them and not end up on the list of we will get back to you when we get back to you, which often is never. I'm not saying that that's your policy, but I think as we spread these centers out and recognize that different neighborhoods have different needs, I mean kids are kids and to the extent that we can maximize our coverage and not have a big, gaping hole on one side of the city, again, I'm just going to make a fairness argument. Children need certain things. It is not a function of geography. It is not a function of location. It's not a function of what district they are in. If you are 8, 9, 10, 12, 14 years old, you want and need certain things and parents need certain things, regardless of where they are in the City. What I would like you to do as a part of our discussion is I would like you to put on a map the six that you have. I would like to visually be able to see where they are and how much they're covering and I think the map will probably tell the 1181 3/3/03 - Continuing FY '04 Operating Budget rest of the story.