COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA COMMITTEE ON PARKS, RECREATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Wednesday, November 3, 2010 1:10 p.m. PRESENT: COUNCILWOMAN BLONDELL REYNOLDS BROWN, CHAIR COUNCILWOMAN JANNIE BLACKWELL COUNCILMAN DARRELL CLARKE COUNCILMAN FRANK DiCICCO BILL 100674 - An Ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Parks and Recreation, on behalf of The City of Philadelphia (the "City"), to enter into a license agreement with the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development ("PAID") pursuant to which PAID will operate certain programs at the Scanlon Ice Rink... - - - 2
Good morning. Good morning. We want to thank you for -- fast forward. Good afternoon. I want to welcome everyone to the City Council Committee on Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, and a huge thank-you to Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell for being here and consenting at the eleventh hour to join us so that we could indeed have a quorum. The Council Committee on the Parks -- Thank you very, very much, Jannie.
The City Council Committee on Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs is now in a public hearing to hear testimony on Bill No. 22 100674. Let me acknowledge that also Councilman Frank DiCicco has joined us and is a member of this Committee. 3 11/3/10 - PARKS - BILL 100674 With that, we want to ask the Clerk to read the title of Bill No. 4 100674. Read the title of the bill.
An ordinance 6 authorizing the Commissioner of Parks and Recreation, on behalf of the City of Philadelphia, to enter into a license agreement with the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development pursuant to which PAID will operate certain programs at the Scanlon Ice Rink, the Laura Sims Skatehouse at Cobbs Creek, the rink at the Simons Recreation and Teen Access Center, the Rizzo Ice Rink and the Tarken Ice Rink, by entering into a long term sublicense agreement with the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation for such operation, under certain terms and conditions.
Thank you very, very much. Any members of the Committee care to provide opening remarks? (No response.) 4 11/3/10 - PARKS - BILL 100674
With that, then, we'll call up our first panel. Commissioner Susan Slawson, our distinguished Recreation Commissioner for the Department of Parks and Recreation. (Witness approached witness table.)
Does a great job. Even took care of me yesterday when I had five polling places -- not that I'm talking politics -- and one recreation center and the heat went off. I know all you at-large folks will be coming by there. And took care of it for me, answered the phone immediately and got it done. Thank you. COMMISSIONER SLAWSON: Thank you. Good afternoon, Councilwoman Reynolds Brown and members of the 5 11/3/10 - PARKS - BILL 100674 Committee. My name is Susan Slawson, Recreation Commissioner for the Department of Parks and Recreation. It's a pleasure to be here. I appear before you today to present testimony in support of Bill No. 8 100674, which, if adopted, will authorize the Department of Parks and Recreation to enter into an agreement with the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation. The agreement would be for years and 13 require the City to match the 14 Foundation's investment for the first 15 four years of the agreement up to one 16 million for capital improvements of the 17 facilities. The Ed Snider Youth Hockey 18 Foundation, along with the Commonwealth 19 of Pennsylvania, will make this a total 20 investment of $12 million of improvements to the facilities. The Snider Youth Hockey Foundation is a non-profit organization for the purpose of conducting programs at the following ice skating rinks: Scanlon Ice Skate Rink, 6 11/3/10 - PARKS - BILL 100674 Laura Sims Skatehouse at Cobbs Creek, the rink at the Simons Recreation Center, Rizzo Rink and Tarken Ice Rink. At the Scanlon, Sims and Simons Rink, the Foundation will supply full-time staff and equipment, while at the other two rinks, the Department will provide the staffing support and equipment needs. The Foundation-provided programs will help to expand current offerings, which, in essence, currently teach youth how to play ice hockey and will introduce a wider variety of children, youth, teens and families to the fun and enjoyment of skating. Because of the Foundation's generous support, the Department will commit to running a seven-day-a-week operation at all ice rinks to expand public skating. This represents an additional full day of public and community skating at all City ice rinks. During these difficult economic times, the continued support from the Ed 7 11/3/10 - PARKS - BILL 100674 Snider Youth Hockey Foundation has been extremely valuable to the City of Philadelphia and our young people. The Department of Parks and Recreation is extremely grateful for their commitment. The Department would also like to thank the following District Councilmembers for their ongoing support of ice skating rinks in their Council districts: Councilwoman Tasco, Councilwoman Blackwell, Councilwoman Quinones-Sanchez and Councilman DiCicco. Thank you for the opportunity to discuss this important partnership with you today, and I look forward to answering any of your questions.
Well, we thank you very, very much for your testimony. Any questions from members of the Committee? (No response.)
Well, let me just go on the record to offer a huge 8 11/3/10 - PARKS - BILL 100674 thank-you to Mr. Fred Shabel and all those affiliated with this effort. It's clear that public-private partnerships are the way of the future, and when you have corporate citizens step up to embrace what's happening with our young people, it's huge. So I commend your leadership in making sure that the partnership solidified itself. Councilwoman.
Thank you. I too would like to say thank you to Fred Shabel and all of the folks with Ed Snider. You know, old folks say from the street, they say don't look a gift horse in the mouth. So my position is thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you all. Thank you, Commissioner. We're very, very grateful. COMMISSIONER SLAWSON: Thank you. And if I could just go on the record also saying that the Snider Foundation came through at a time where 9 11/3/10 - PARKS - BILL 100674 we were in a very, very difficult place, where we were in jeopardy of having three of our five ice rinks close. And had it not been for their support, their willingness to supply the staff, we would have actually closed those three ice rinks that now we're talking about investing millions of dollars in. And so I'd like to just commend them and thank them for their commitment to the City of Philadelphia and to our communities but, most of all, to our young people.
And, Madam Chair, I totally agree. I've been at those meetings where we were afraid that the Laura Sims Skatehouse at Cobbs Creek Park would close. I've been there when we were frightened with Ms. Capers and with the children, who so wanted to skate and we just didn't know what we could do. And I've been there when they 10 11/3/10 - PARKS - BILL 100674 brought their own families there to skate, to sponsor programs, giveaways, play with the children, bring their own children into the neighborhoods. And they've done more than their part, and so we're happy to -- we're grateful to have them and happy to be here to say thank you and we support it.
Very well. Councilman Frank DiCicco. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: I just want to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues. You know, although I was a co-sponsor of the original bill, I will readily admit that I was not that deeply involved in this issue, not because it was not important to me, but in the life of a District Councilperson from time to time, we have so many issues on our plate and when we know other folks are involved in it, other Councilmembers are involved and taking care of that business, sometimes it allows us to continue to do things that are just as important 11 11/3/10 - PARKS - BILL 100674 throughout our district. Councilman Kenney is not here. He may be watching. He is under the weather. He's been hospitalized over the last few days, and I just wanted to take this opportunity thanking the Councilman for getting me interested in and involved in this early on, as has Councilwoman Blackwell and the other sponsors and the Chair of this Committee. So I want to take this opportunity to thank them and the Snider Foundation folks for being great corporate citizens, not only in this effort but in the past, and I'm sure we'll have more things going forward. So thank you, Fred Shabel. Thank you.
I should mention for the record that Mr. Scott Tharp, President of the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation, and Fred Shabel, Comcast-Spectacor, are here. Stand so we can acknowledge 12 11/3/10 - PARKS - BILL 100674 you, thank you and salute you, please. (Applause.)
Thank you, too, Scott. He's there all the time. And let me note that my colleague, Councilman Kenney, called me about an hour ago from the hospital, said, You know that hearing is going on today, and certainly we want to make sure we're okay. But he was committed enough to even call from his hospital bed, and we say a special thank-you to him.
So in his absence, allow me to read into the record a letter from Councilman James Kenney, the co-sponsor of this bill. Thank you very much for scheduling -- "Dear Councilwoman Brown, thank you very much for scheduling Bill 13 11/3/10 - PARKS - BILL 100674 100674 for a public hearing. As you are well aware, I am very supportive of youth ice hockey opportunities in the City of Philadelphia and fully believe that this legislation, which authorizes the Department of Parks and Recreation to enter into a 20-year agreement with the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation, will allow the City to continue to improve its ice hockey programs, facilities and resources at all five ice rinks. "Team work, sportsmanship and self-confidence are all important life lessons that are learned through sports such as ice hockey. The Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation will provide funding so that many more young people will have the opportunity to participate in this sport, get to know other youth from around the City" -- and Councilman James Kenney was particularly passionate about that -- "and experience an environment focused on life skills, education and team work. "I'd also like to thank 14 11/3/10 - PARKS - BILL 100674 District Councilmembers for their support of this partnership with the expansion of opportunities at the City's ice rinks. For these reasons, I respectfully request that the Committee on Parks and Recreation favorably approve Bill No. 8 100674 and suspend the rules so that this bill can be read at the next scheduled session of City Council." Again, signed by colleague, co-sponsor of the bill, Councilman James F. Kenney. So with that in the record, we want to thank the Commissioner and we want to ask Panel No. 2, Ms. Donna Sims of the Laura Sims Skatehouse Community Foundation, to please come forward, offer testimony. And while we wait for her arrival, we will invite up Marnie Loughrey -- please forgive me if I'm mispronouncing that -- and Donna Aument, Co-Chair of the Scanlon Advisory Council. (Witness approached witness table.) 15 11/3/10 - PARKS - BILL 100674
Thank you, Council, for asking us here and thank you for letting us testify. My name is Marnie Aument Loughrey and I am the President of Kensington Independent Civic Association and I am on the Scanlon Advisory Board. Almost five years ago, as you know, with the budget crisis that was going on, Scanlon was going to be shut down. Our community fought to save the ice skating rink. At that time, I met a gentleman by the name of Jim Britt from the Flyers Foundation, who I did not know, and he said, If you can keep an ice rink open, we'll put a program in there. We did it. Mr. Britt was always honest to his words with us and his dealings. The first time, we had almost 60 children in the program when it opened up. One of them was my daughter. They loved it. As of last year, I 16 11/3/10 - PARKS - BILL 100674 believe we had over 200 children in the program at Scanlon alone. This program is teaching children self-confidence, respect, how they should be dealt with and how they should deal with people. The Flyers Foundation is helping them with tutoring after school. They give them a curriculum that they expect them to adhere to. If you miss school, you cannot play hockey. If you're disciplined in school, you cannot play hockey. If you're picked up on the corner, you cannot play hockey. These children are learning life lessons that are going to keep them out of the prison system that we have now. There is no way with the City's financial crisis at this time that we can move forward for our children without partnering with someone like the Flyers Foundation with the Ed Snider Youth group. I cannot see anyone disapproving of a program that is such a win-win for 17 11/3/10 - PARKS - BILL 100674 the City and the children in our future. The only thing I can say is I thank the day that I met Mr. Britt, I thank the day that I met Mr. Tharp, and I thank the day that Mr. Snider put together such an organization that is willing to look at the youth of this city. We have children that are offered an opportunity they would never be able to receive. They have gone and traveled to other states and played against other leagues and see how other things work. They're getting a chance at a future that they never would have had any other way, and I cannot see how the Department of Recreation could ever do anything to go against the child. And I thank Council for this opportunity to speak, and I thank the Commissioner for asking me here, because I think she walked in at a difficult time to be the Commissioner of rec departments when we were closing pools and ice rinks 18 11/3/10 - PARKS - BILL 100674 and libraries, and this is the way to help keep them open for our children. And I will say, my children are no longer using the program, as it only goes up to 18, but I have a 14-month-old grandson that will be taking the ice come November 26th. And we did an article in our local paper. I will give it to Council. And the support when this hit the papers yesterday, when the people were coming to vote, to realize that they're getting such a benefit in our neighborhood, we have people from Bridesburg, Port Richmond, Fishtown, Juniata, Kensington, Mayfair coming all over. And when somebody said, Well, what's your neighborhood, I said, The City of Philadelphia is the neighborhood. Any child can come from anywhere and skate at this facility. And considering it's open to the public not just for ice skating, we use it with Impact Services to do parties with the children, where they never would get to skate any other 19 11/3/10 - PARKS - BILL 100674 way. They can come in for free. They have to rent a skate if they need it, and it's $2 to $4. And sometimes if the kids don't have it, the Advisory Board puts the money out. So they've never, ever, ever turned any child away. So this facility in no way cannot be here 20, 40, 60 years from now.
It's a little bit of a dream come true. When we fix the ice rink, I said kiddingly to Jim, how much would it cost to enclose the rink and we could use it all year round? Because 12 weeks just isn't enough, and for this to be actually happening is just mind boggling.
Thank you. Madam Chair, I've never been to Scanlon Advisory Council or their rink, 20 11/3/10 - PARKS - BILL 100674 but I know these two women and I'm just glad we're on the same side, because Donna Aument has that sign, she'll be here in with the sign saying something else if we're not on the right side. But they are just wonderful. Listen, I'm not surprised, if the kids don't come, they'll go to their mothers' homes and pull them out. I know how they are. But we're just happy to hear your positive remarks, and we feel the same way about the Laura Sims Skatehouse. Thank you both.
Good morning, Councilpeople. As you know, I am the Democrat Ward Leader, and this is one of the facilities in my area. I can't even find the words -- if she was passionate, I'm happy. How do you say thank you for a Godsend?
In 21 11/3/10 - PARKS - BILL 100674 multiple languages.
Any way you can. Jim Britt is the person that I've talked to the most and then we met Scott Tharp, and this has been a union of two men, two women fighting like two demons. Okay? Ed Snider I haven't met yet, but it will be my pleasure to thank him for saving the children of Kensington-Juniata. When everything else was going right down the tubes -- as you well know, Councilpeople, you fight, you fight for your area, you fight for 50 percent. If you get percent, you're 16 happy. We were fighting for 50 percent. 17 I think we got a 100 percent or 150. 18 There aren't enough words in 19 the vocabulary to say how thankful the 20 citizens of my area and my ward are for 21 the opportunity that the Flyers 22 Foundation, the Youth Foundation, 23 whatever way you want to say it, has 24 given to an area that has been 25 impoverished for a while. 22 11/3/10 - PARKS - BILL 100674 This is a step up that I never want to go backwards on. I want to go forward, forward, forward. And as Jannie Blackwell has so nicely said, when I want to go forward, I'm going forward.
Either join my band or get out of the way. Okay? And I want to thank this Council for being so supportive of the Ed Snider Foundation, of Scanlon, of Laura Sims, of Simons. Everything that they have done is nothing but positive, positive, positive. And I want to thank this panel for letting us vote. We're not quite as elegant as you guys are, but we are passionate about what we want. Thank you. Gentlemen, I applaud you. (Applause.)
Let me thank you both, and let me seize the moment and go on the record to say a huge 23 11/3/10 - PARKS - BILL 100674 thank-you to the two of you, because you are activists in the purest sense of the word, and if the City -- if we could just clone you and multiple it exponentially a thousand times, the City would be --
She has a daughter that's just as bad. So we can send you another one.
Anyone else to testify on Bill No. 100674? Please, come forward to the witness table. (Witnesses approached witness table.)
Please be seated, ladies. State your name for the record and proceed with your testimony. 24 11/3/10 - PARKS - BILL 100674
Good afternoon. My name is Delores Capers, spelled C-A-P-E-R-S, and I'm President of the Advisory Council at the Laura Sims Skatehouse in Cobbs Creek Park, and sitting with me is Stephanie James. She's Secretary of our Advisory Council.
The Laura Sims Skatehouse, we are celebrating our 25th anniversary this year, and we've had a long history of having programs at the rink, including hockey, for a number of years. And as happens with many programs, your attendance does drop, your participation does drop, and so we were quite pleased and thankful when the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation came to us at the other rinks and presented the 25 11/3/10 - PARKS - BILL 100674 program that they were offering to give us an opportunity to enhance what we have been doing and also to increase our numbers, and it has been a very, very successful program. Ms. James' son participated in both our ice skating program and our hockey program, and she may want to talk about some of the benefits that her son derived from it. As I mentioned, our rink is 12 years old, and with any 25-year-old 13 facility, there are upgrades and 14 improvements that need to be done. So 15 we're most thankful that the Snider 16 Foundation will be putting money in for 17 capital improvements that are much 18 needed, as well as expanding our 19 community room. 20 We have a small meeting room, 21 and we get requests from the community 22 time after time to have meetings and 23 events in that room. It can hold no more 24 than about 25 people comfortably. So we 25 know that expanded facility will give us 11/3/10 - PARKS - BILL 100674 an opportunity to offer more to the community in the West and Southwest Philadelphia. My brother was the architect who designed that rink years ago, 7 Theodore Capers, who is now deceased, and 8 the integrity of his design will remain 9 intact, and I'm very thankful for that, 10 and with the enclosure, we'll be able to 11 expand our program. 12 The concerns that our Advisory 13 Council had and was expressed at a 14 community meeting is that we have been a 15 year-round facility, and both 16 Councilpersons have been there to a 17 health fair that we give. So we want to 18 be able to still offer roller skating 19 during the summer months, to do our 20 health fair. 21 During the summer months, we 22 have a number of our daycare centers who 23 come in and bring their children 24 during -- when they're having summer 25 camps. So as long as that can remain 27 11/3/10 - PARKS - BILL 100674 intact as we move forward with programming, we are very much in agreement of it. There had been a meeting early this year with the three S's, as we call it, Simons, Sims and Scanlon, and some of the concerns that our Advisory Council had, which was not being able to have a Sunday program, I know that they will be able to have our Sunday program, which will make it a seven-day program that we've had for a number of years. That will be able to increase our public skating hours that we certainly would want to do. So we think that in working with the Snider group, that we'll be able to plan programming that's going to be beneficial both for our ice skaters during the skating season and the hockey players and then during the other parts of the year.
So we are very 28 11/3/10 - PARKS - BILL 100674 much in support of this.
No, I would not. My name is Stephanie James, once again, as Ms. Capers has mentioned. I am a parent of a participant in the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation and he was also a figure skating student at Laura Sims prior to their arrival. He ice skated with the Laura Sims ice hockey team. He's continuing on. He's now in ninth grade. He loves ice hockey. I was an ice skater from Simons. So when my family relocated to West Philadelphia area, I found a public ice skating rink so that we can continue to do the same things that I had been raised in doing as a child.
We have been very pleased with the participation with the Snider program. The number of children 29 11/3/10 - PARKS - BILL 100674 has increased. As a parent, I'm there on a daily basis on the evening, so I've seen the number of the children grow. I've seen the need to have a facility open for the children to come during the school week and on Saturday. So we look forward to extending the program. We hope that the program is inclusive of our daily programming, which Ms. Capers has alluded to, which is the daytime in the summer for the summer camps to utilize our facility at no cost, and then we also offered during the school year when the ice season had began and during the ice season, we also had schools that come in to use that facility as a gym class. So we had a school skating program as well that other schools in the area where schools will come in on buses and utilize the facility during the day. We just hope that some of our programming will still be included. We look forward to working with 30 11/3/10 - PARKS - BILL 100674 them. I would like to thank them. They're saving me a few dollars as a mother, and they do a wonderful job. The staffing that they bring in, the coaching -- Coach John is here. He's dedicated. Mr. Britt as well. But I would like to commend them. We look forward to working with them in the future.
Absolutely, yes. That's the value of the public hearing process. That concludes testimony on Bill No. -- Fred? Oh, okay. I just wanted to be certain. 31 11/3/10 - PARKS - BILL 100674 That concludes testimony on Bill No. 100674. This concludes the public hearing on the Committee on Parks and Recreation. We will now go into a public meeting. The Chair recognizes Councilman Frank DiCicco for a motion on Bill No. 9 100674. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that Bill No. 100674 be reported out of this Committee with a favorable recommendation and a further recommendation that the rules of Council be suspended so as to hear this bill on the first reading of the City -- next reading of City Council. (Duly seconded.)
This bill 20 has been properly moved and seconded -- it has been properly moved and seconded that Bill No. 100674 be reported out of this Committee with a favorable recommendation and further moved that the rules of Council be suspended so as to 32 11/3/10 - PARKS - BILL 100674 permit first reading at the next scheduled session of City Council. All those in favor signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
Seeing none, this bill has been moved and properly seconded and, furthermore, the rules of Council will be suspended so as to permit first reading at our next scheduled session of Council. And please let the record reflect that Councilman colleague Darrell Clarke has joined us for this important deliberation. And this concludes this hearing. We want to thank all of you for coming and want to congratulate the partnership in place. Thank you very, very much. (Applause.) 33 11/3/10 - PARKS - BILL 100674 (Committee on Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs concluded at 1:35 p.m.) - - - 34 CERTIFICATE I HEREBY CERTIFY that the proceedings, evidence and objections are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me upon the foregoing matter on November 3, 2010, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. -------------------- MICHELE L. MURPHY RPR-Notary Public (The foregoing certification of this transcript does not apply to any reproduction of the same by any means, unless under the direct control and/or supervision of the certifying reporter.)