COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC HEARING AND PUBLIC MEETING BEFORE COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON PARKS, RECREATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS - - - Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Tuesday, 6/5/01 10:01 a.m. - - - BILL 010374 - Authorizing the President of the Fairmount Park Commission and the Executive Director of Fairmount Park, on behalf of the City of Philadelphia, to enter into an agreement with the Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Education Center, Inc. ("CCCEEC"), a not-for-profit corporation organized and existing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, pursuant to which CCCEEC shall be licensed to use a portion of that certain premises known as the Cobbs Creek Environmental Education Center located within Fairmount Park, under and subject to certain terms and conditions. PRESENT: COUNCILWOMAN B. REYNOLDS-BROWN, Chair COUNCILWOMAN JANNIE BLACKWELL COUNCILMAN RICHARD MARIANO, Vice Chair COUNCILWOMAN MARIAN B. TASCO COUNCILMAN FRANK RIZZO - - - VINCENT VARALLO ASSOCIATES, INC. Registered Professional Reporters Eleven Penn Center, Suite 600 Philadelphia, PA 19103 (215) 561-2220 I N D E X William E. Mifflin, Executive Director. . . . Fairmount Park Commission Dennis Waller, Deputy Director. . . . . . . . 5 Fairmount Park Commission Alan Fastman, Executive Director. . . . . . . 7 Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Education Center, Incorporated 3 P R O C E E D I N G S
Good morning. We will now proceed with the opening proceedings for the committee on Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs. Before us are Councilman Mariano, Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell and Marian Tasco and my colleague Councilman Rizzo and myself, Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, Chair of the committee. We do have a quorum, and we're here now for this public hearing to hear testimony on Bill 12 010374. I want to ask David Forde to read the title of Bill 010374.
010384, an ordinance 16 authorizing the President of the Fairmount Park Commission and the Executive Director of Fairmount Park, on behalf of the City of Philadelphia, to enter into an agreement with the Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Education Center, Inc. ("CCCEEC"), a not-for-profit corporation organized and existing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, pursuant to which CCCEEC shall be licensed to use a portion of that certain premises known as the Cobbs Creek Environmental Education 4 6/5/01 PARKS & RECREATION, BILL 010374 Center located within Fairmount Park, under and subject to certain terms and conditions.
Thank you. We now invite the sponsor of the bill, Councilwoman Blackwell.
This morning, we come to this committee meeting certainly to support this application. We have been dealing with group. So many of you know about the black cowboys and (indiscernible) and the stables. Well, this is that area that's redone as an Environmental Center. We've been involved in this project since its inception, and we've come a long way, but now we have finally reached the point for the Cobbs Creek Environmental Center to enter into an agreement with the City and with Fairmount Park, and we certainly hope that the committee would consider this legislation favorably and that they would suspend the rules to allow this to happen. Thank you.
Thank you, 5 6/5/01 PARKS & RECREATION, BILL 010374 Councilwoman Blackwell. My own editorial comment is that I too am very much aware of the important work of Cobbs Creek Environmental Center and have been aware of that even before my arrival here in City Council. So it is a good thing, particularly for the young people in that section of Southwest Philadelphia. We now invite those up who are going to speak on its bill, Mr. Bill Mifflin of the Philadelphia Fairmount Park, and anyone you care to join you. (Witnesses come forward.)
We want to ask each of you to please state your full name and your position with the City of Philadelphia.
My name is William E. Mifflin. I am the Executive Director of the Fairmount Park Commission.
Dennis Waller. Good morning. Deputy Director, Fairmount Park Commission.
Good morning and thank you 6 6/5/01 PARKS & RECREATION, BILL 010374 very much, Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown. I am pleased to be here this morning to represent the Fairmount Park Commission in support of Bill No. 5 010374. This legislation, along with a license agreement, will provide for the occupancy of the Cobbs Creek Environmental Education Center. This facility, a former stable located near 63rd and Cobbs Creek Parkway, is presently being restored as an environmental education center, utilizing funding from the Commonwealth, the City of Philadelphia, and the William Penn Foundation. Councilwoman Blackwell has contributed directly through her available capital funding as well as providing her personal leadership to this project. When construction is completed, it is anticipated that the Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Education Center Incorporated will utilize the facility to provide environmental education programs and opportunities in partnership with the Fairmount Park Commission. We look forward to working with the community and City Council in realizing the benefits of providing this valuable service to our citizens. That completes my formal remarks, 7 6/5/01 PARKS & RECREATION, BILL 010374 Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown. Thank you.
You're very welcome. Mr. Waller, anything you would like to add?
No, but we are prepared to answer any questions you may have, Councilwoman.
Very well. Any members of the committee have questions? (No questions.)
Seeing none, is there anyone else here to testify on behalf of this bill?
Good morning. Please state your full name for the record and your affiliation with this initiative.
Madam Chair, my name is Alan Fastman. I'm the Executive Director of the 8 6/5/01 PARKS & RECREATION, BILL 010374 Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Education Center, Incorporated. I have no prepared statement and I only came forward to thank the committee for its consideration and especially to thank our district councilwoman, Jannie Blackwell, for her support of the project and particularly for her investment of capital dollars to the project.
Thank you very much. - - - 9 6/5/01 - PUBLIC MEETING - BILL 010374
I will now ask Councilwoman Blackwell, can I have a motion on Bill 4 No. 010374.
Thank you. I move that Bill No. 010374 be reported out of committee with a favorable recommendation and also a recommendation -- excuse me, I'm sorry. I make a motion that Bill No. 010374 be amended to include the word "Community" after the words Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Center." (Duly seconded.)
Thank you very much. Councilman Rizzo has offered a second on that amendment.
Thank you. And now, Madam Chair, I move that Bill 18 No. 101374, as amended, be reported out of committee with a favorable recommendation and also a recommendation that the rules be suspended so as to permit consideration at our next session of Council.
This bill, as amended, has been seconded by my colleague 10 6/5/01 - PUBLIC MEETING - BILL 010374 Councilman Rizzo. Bill 010374 has been moved and properly seconded. May I hear an aye in favor of this bill? Councilman Mariano?
Councilwoman Tasco and Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown. Bill 010374, as amended, will be reported out of this committee with a favorable recommendation and a further recommendation that the rules of Council be suspended to allow first reading at the next scheduled Council session. This concludes the meeting of the committee on Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs. Thank you for your interest and support to all of those who testified on behalf this very important measure. (Adjourned 10:17 a.m.) - - - 11 C E R T I F I C A T E I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing proceedings of the Council of the City of Philadelphia of Tuesday, June 5, 2001, were reported fully and accurately by me, and that this is a correct transcript of same. RE: COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON PARKS, RECREATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS BILL NO. 010374 __________________________________, JOSEPHINE CARDILLO, Registered Professional Reporter