And City 1069 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 Councilmembers. I am Bill Carapucci, the acting Recreation Commissioner. To my right is Jo Ann Mangano, Administrative Services Director. And to my left is Tom Fox, Maintenance Director. I would like to present to you the Recreation Department's FY 2001 Operating Budget request of $38,279,762 in General Fund appropriations. FY 2000 Funding Increases. In its FY 2000 budget appropriation request, the Recreation Department is asking for $612,669 in additional funds over the FY 2000 estimated obligations to fund increased staff services and supplies for an expanded after-school child-care program. This increase will help improve the quality and services of children's out-of-school care. The Commission on Children will be reviewing the Recreation Department's plan for after-school program expansion to ensure that the additional funds are put to the best use. Our goal in FY 2001 is to enhance the quality of care provided for children in the after-school programs by providing dependable supervisor care on a 1070 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 year-round basis. The FY 2001 budget appropriation request also reflects a transfer of funding and positions from the Mayor's Office of Community Services to fully fund two additional full-time positions in the Recreation Department's budget, a mural arts director and a mural arts assistant director. In our testimony scheduled for February 23rd, Jane Golden, the director of the Mural Arts Program, will discuss this increase in more detail. Recreation Department Mission. The Recreation Department's mission is to maintain and professionally staff safe, clean, and fully functional recreation facilities throughout the city in order to develop, coordinate, implement, and encourage recreation programs. The programs are responsive to neighborhood goals enjoyed by participants of all ages and create positive learning experiences. The Department operates approximately 161 staffed centers and playgrounds 5, ice rinks, the Dell East, 5 older-adult centers, 77 outdoor and 8 indoor pools, 130 after-school programs, 5 youth access centers, 34 1071 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 district parks, Veterans Stadium, and various other facilities and programs. FY 2000 Accomplishments. Development and implementation of standards. In FY 2000, the Recreation Department expanded the range of dedicated custodial services at rec. centers. Not only do the 46 larger A sites have full-time custodial care, 72 midsize B sites each have a full-time custodian assigned to keep it clean and perform minor repairs on a daily basis. The 32 small C sites have dedicated part-time coverage. Thanks to the support of City Council and the additional FY 2000 funding, the Rec. Department developed maintenance and programming standards for each of the full-time permanently staffed 150 rec. centers and 34 district parks. The Buildings Trades Division Standards outline inspection schedule of major facility heating mechanical, air-conditioning, electrical, and plumbing systems, including 77 outdoor pools and 5 ice rinks. With an emphasis on preventive maintenance and attention to seasonal priority, the Maintenance Division strives to protect the City's capital investment in rec. facilities and 1072 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 minimize the frequency and extent of emergency and major repairs. The Food Program and Reinventing Government Initiative. The Rec. Department, because of its success in expanding the summer food program, is now providing snacks funded by the State to children enrolled at rec. centers' after-school programs. In 1997, the Rec. Department, in cooperation with District Council 47, launched the Reinventing Government Initiative aimed at improving the Department's summer meal program for eligible children. S. Department of Agriculture. 27 million meals and snacks in FY 2000 and FY 2001. Maintenance of Rec. Centers.
Recreation's Maintenance Division plays a critical role in program expansion as well as its efforts to protect the City's capital investment in our systems. In the last five years, with the support 1073 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 of City Council, the City invested $61 million in capital funding in recreation facilities. We were able to upgrade roofs, heaters, field lighting, courts, play equipment, and parks. They completed major renovation efforts at five youth access centers and significantly upgraded conditions in three of our oldest and most active facilities -- Vare, Waterview and Cruz Recreation Centers. We are currently upgrading two additional centers -- the Athletic and the Cecil B. Moore Recreation Centers. The Maintenance Division also converted an old, empty, deserted stone building into a well-equipped and attractive neighborhood health center that is part of the Francis J. Meyers Youth Access Center. Recreation's Maintenance Division also engaged in new approaches to service. The Department began to work closely with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and various Friends groups to upgrade the infrastructure, maintenance, and programs in our parks and squares. The Maintenance Division, working with Friends groups, PHS, and dedicated neighborhood 1074 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 volunteers, installed major play equipment at Carol Park, rehabilitated the park building, and installed new play equipment at Gorgus Park and installed a storage shed and drainage system at Elmway Park. With additional funding the Council provided in FY 2000, the Rec. Department now provides custodial service on a part-time basis to 34 parks during the months of May to October. Expansion of Core Services. In pursuit of the Department's mission, we dedicate ourselves not only to investing in the development of our employees, but also challenge ourselves to expand and upgrade our core services throughout the city, with a particular emphasis on under-served communities. The Rec. Department has radically expanded the outdoor pool season. With the help of many Philadelphia corporations, we are expanding our Swim for Life Program to ten facilities. This is a competitive and developmental swim program that now has participants from every part of the city. For the last two years, the Rec. Department had the longest pool season in the 1075 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 Department's history. In FY 2001, the Department will continue the service-friendly schedule and start opening its pools the first week in June and keep many open until Labor Day. The Department focuses on expanding our sports programs across the city and reintroducing them to neighborhoods where they had disappeared. We enlisted the support of our professional sports teams, local companies, and a cadre of volunteers, and expanded the support of our longtime adult volunteers to provide more organized sports opportunities for our young people. Through a corporate community alliance, we expanded our ice rink season from 9 to 14 weeks, and substantially increased both free skating and organized sports opportunities. We expect 70,000 participants to use the ice-skating facilities in FY 2000 and in FY 2001. New Directions. The After-School Programs. With the vision and support exercised by City Council, the Rec. Department established over 130 after-school programs in the last three years. The after-school program enrolled 3200 participants in FY '99 and expects to enroll the 1076 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 same number in FY 2000. To enhance the quality of care provided in the after-school programs, the Rec. Department sought and received a grant from the State to provide snacks for eligible children enrolled in the after-school program. The FY 2000 proposed operating budget includes more than 600,000 in additional funds for the Department's after-school program.
Before the start of the next new fiscal year, the Mayor's Commission on Children will be looking at the City's after-school programs to ensure quality programs throughout the city and to determine the best way of using the additional funds to enhance our current programming. , at recreation centers, churches, schools, and community centers. After-school programs have a strong anti-violence component. They offer school-aged children a safe environment in which to play and learn as an alternative to unsupervised activities. 98 million in general funds dedicated to 1077 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 after-school programs administered by the Recreation Department since FY '98. Specialty Camps. In FY 2000, the Rec. Department continued its special program to involve girls from economically distressed neighborhoods in sports programs. We plan to increase FY 2000 participation to 220, up from 155 participants. Last summer, the Department established the first neighborhood summer golf camp, with golf instruction and short courses at centers throughout the city. The summer golf camp provided instruction and practice for 307 participants in FY 2000, and is expected to enroll 325 in FY 2001. The Rec. Department introduced a baseball camp in FY 2000, and plans to begin a girls introductory basketball camp this year. The baseball camp offered a one-week instructional camp that accommodated 60 children. Because of its success, the Rec. Department plans to add another baseball camp at Cobbs Creek Rec. Center. This will double the baseball camp participation to 120 participants in FY 2001. 1078 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 This summer, the Rec. Department plans to conduct one-week instructional basketball camps for a total of 150 girls between the ages of 5 and 12 years old at 4 to 5 rec. centers. 6 Our department will continue to conduct 7 and enhance our ongoing visual arts, performing, 8 arts, soccer, and environmental caps. 9 Automation. The Rec. Department is 10 automating the way it does business. The Department has a local-area network of computers located in the One Parkway Building. It also has six maintenance district offices and ten program district offices connected to the Department's network. The Rec. Department's attempting to automate maintenance and program activities at the rec. centers. A computer-based work order system will record, assign, schedule, and monitor custodial and skilled craft work orders for requested and preventive maintenance for facilities. The Department plans to implement the automated work order system in FY 2001. The department is starting to automate the scheduling of recreation center usage in the 1079 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 registration of participants for program activities. The automation of program registration is in its pilot stage. With further training, we will be able to register participants for activities administered on a central basis, such as after-school, Camp William Penn, performing and visual arts programs. Connecting the 150 staff facilities to the Recreation's LAN is a Recreation Department initiative in FY 2000 and in FY 2001. In conclusion, I believe the Rec. Department has accomplished much over the last few years. We have used our increased operating budget to deliver tangible gains to the youth of city and the neighborhoods we serve. We have been a good partner with corporations and major institutions in meeting our shared mission of service and youth development. We have built a relationship of trust and respect with our union representatives, and we are currently involved in redesigning government initiatives with District Council 47. We have joined with our advisory councils to approve the level of programs and service at all of our centers. 1080 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 That concludes my testimony, Honorable Council President Verna and other members of Council.
Thank you, Mr. Carapucci. The Chair recognizes Councilman Rizzo.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Commissioner, I hate to be repetitive, but I don't believe you were here when this discussion occurred earlier. In reference to the food program, with the Mayor's initiative in wanting a healthier Philadelphia, and I see that your program is subsidized by the State and also the Food and Drug Administration, and I'm sure that there's very stringent guidelines on the treats and snacks that you give to young people. But I would hope there would be some coordination between the new health person that we have in the Administration with that program just to make sure that we're, you know, we're doing what we should do in that particular area. So just wanted to repeat that comment again because I know that you have a very good 1081 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 program and plan to expand it, so that's something that I would hope that you would do.
Thank you, Councilman Rizzo. We are already looking at the summer food program and are trying to aim it towards food that's considered very healthy for the kids.
Yeah. Maybe some of them would be surprised to see what an apple is, you know, something that's not in a wrapper. Okay, thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Mr. Carapucci, the Mayor has indicated that one of his initiatives for FY 2001 is the KIDS Program. Do you remember at this point in time what role your department will play in that program?
As for after-school programs, we have requested over $600,000, and that's being reviewed by the Commission on Children, and they will be able to guide us in the best way to expand our program. That's with Estelle Richman and Naomi Post-Street.
Thank you. 1082 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 The Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Good afternoon, gentlemen. I have a couple of quick questions. One is an issue about the use of a facility and the responsibility for opening and closing a facility. Over the years, we have had varying degrees, as it related to the policy, as to some instances, if you had a strong advisory council, sometimes that member had the key and could open it without a staff person somewhat unofficially. Where are we going to go in that direction? 'Cause I know too often we have situations in some centers where we can't gain access because there's not a staff person available at that particular time.
Well, we try to work with the community. And when you have a strong local advisory council and you have a strong community group there, we've opened our facilities beyond our regular hours. And if you have a particular, you know, case, we'll work with you on that. 1083 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00
Yeah, we'll continue to work. Where there's a need and where you have a local group that wants to work with us, we'll work something out.
Okay. In your advisory council meetings, could you possibly emphasize that liberal policy so we can make sure that all these centers have operating and functioning advisory councils.
Our supervisor at the site -- if something comes up where there's a particular problem, then the district manager for that area will usually intervene and we'll work it out.
Okay. Another question. Rec. centers -- particularly A centers and B centers to some degree -- are probably one of the few public facilities where people from all age ranges frequent, particularly in the 1084 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 summertime. I mean, we may have basketball leagues with older adults, younger adults involving concerts. I mean, there's just all kinds of people. And I've always felt -- and this is kind of a recommendation or, I guess, a suggestion that we look into the potential of providing services above and beyond recreational type services. This is -- you know, the reason I say that is that too often when we have community meetings, we don't get all of the people that we want, or at a school, as an example, too often, we have Parents Night and you might have three parents there, but then if you go to a rec. center and there's a league, you might have 150 parents there. And I would like to see the possibility of coming up with some strategy to maybe have some adult education programs in the facilities. I know we talk about computers for kids, but the reality in today's world is if we don't get of these adults acclimated to computers, you know, their job opportunities will not be enhanced. So I would like to -- if at all 1085 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 possible, I would like to talk to you about furthering other operations in some of these rec. centers, if at all possible.
We could definitely work with you. If the facility's there and we have the computers at the center and you have the people that want to use the computers, we could work this out with you.
Okay. But it's not necessarily -- and I appreciate you saying you'll work it out with me, but I would like to kind of see some policy developed where, generally, we would come up with a program, where we do an outreach to the adults across the city in getting them involved with computer employment initiatives, because these the adults do come to rec. centers when they may not come anywhere else as it relates to city --
Well, we would have to have somebody that could teach them how to use the computer. We're trying to ourselves, with our own staff, to train our own staff in the use of computers.
Okay. 1086 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00
And possibly when we finish that, some of our employees could then teach the neighborhood people how to use the computer better.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter.
I got the yellow folder, which is a kind of a plethora of material here. You were obviously very prepared for today. You must have known I was going to ask a question or two about this. (Laughter.)
I'll go through these material, but I just want to at least acknowledge the -- is this the first time this booklet has been printed or presented? I don't believe I've seen this material before.
We just -- about three months ago, Tom Fox and his unit set the standards 1087 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 for building trades and for the custodial and grounds.
And this is the first time I could ever remember this being done.
All right. I appreciate that and I'll come back to that. The other thing I didn't see either in our package, nor did I see much of, and I know that I missed the beginning of your testimony. Other than at the back with this service-level impact statement, I didn't see any particular material regarding the Mural Arts Program. Is there testimony that I missed somewhere?
Yeah. The Mural Arts Program, they're going to have detailed testimony next week, February 23rd.
I could answer some of the questions on Mural Arts, but the detailed material, Jane Golden's going to handle.
No problem. What I'd like to talk a little bit about is the facilities classification system. 1088 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 With the previous commissioner, I had had a number of discussions about a couple of facilities in the 4th District, and I wanted to get a little better understanding of why certain facilities are classified the way they are based on my knowledge that your classification then determines what level of service and maintenance and how many people you have at that particular facility. So, for instance, at the Venice Island Playground, there is a swimming pool, a basketball court, a roller-hockey court, a tot lot, and a building, all situated on a very narrow island, and that's considered a C classification facility. And it seems to me that the only thing it doesn't have is either a baseball field or a football field. I mean, there's not much left to our facility. So why is it a C versus a D, with that level of activity?
In most cases, Councilman, they're clear-cut. There's As, based on large buildings with fields and swimming pools. There's Bs, based on the same thing -- the size of the building, ballfields, a swimming pool, an 1089 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 affiliated school gym that we oversee. The Cs sometimes are not as clear. Most of the times, they are. Like, for instance, you have a small little building, with no 6 ballfield, they obviously would be a C or possibly even a D. Venice Island has always been one that could swing either way.
And over the years, for the last years that I know of, it's always been 13 considered a C facility. 14
And it's because you don't have any ballfields, there's no school affiliated with it.
Well, what I would like to do -- I mean, we don't have to go into all of the programmatic activities over there. I mean, there are a couple known facts. One, the City recently put upwards of $200,000 worth of improvement at that particular facility. Two, as a result of that -- and I appreciate the Department's support and Eric Iffrig and all the 1090 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 people that get that done. There has been an explosion of activity at essentially a newly renovated facility, both in the building, outside the building, roller-hockey activity, their relationship with North Light, and a whole host of groups and organizations have now put the facility in a position perfectly situated that more and more people want to use it but it stays at the C classification. I mean, we don't have enough bodies over there to properly support what it is that we claim we want to do, which is provide recreational activity. I mean, that kind of discussion leads to a larger discussion about the early years of the Administration. I mean, when I first got here, we really didn't have that much money for capital improvements. We had no City tax supported dollars in the first few years. Actually, it was all PICA money. We won't get into the split between Recreation and Vets Stadium. I won't torture you with that today. But the Recreation Department has benefited tremendously from long overdue capital improvements because we, as a government, to some 1091 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 extent had neglected the facilities and then didn't have money to do anything with them. My present concern is, we've made them much better -- some are wonderful. The question is, do we have the maintenance staff and programmatic people to support and keep in good running order our facilities, given the level that we've taken them to in terms of capital improvement? And at the same time, if we're going to make these kinds of improvements and encourage use, we have to have people there to staff these places. Otherwise, folks will start to not come to the facility because it's not being kept up, and you get that vicious cycle going on where you have less people, then you say, Well, we don't need to put people there, then the place starts to get trashed, and you end up in the same exact situation. You can't put the level of investment that we make in these facilities and not support it with program and staff. So I'm concerned about the classification of this particular facility and a couple of others, but I use that because you and I 1092 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 know that facility well, but that there is a larger argument and issue about how well we're maintaining and staffing our facilities, given the capital improvements that we've made. Now, with the maintenance level standards -- and I will read through all of the materials -- who checks on the cleanliness and the safety of our facilities with any regularity?
Yes, Councilman. I'm Tom Fox, Director of facilities for the Recreation Department. I would say the first line of check or a look at hazards would be our custodian or caretaker at a facility. Also, the program staff does, I would -- I'm surmising that they do walk around the facility almost on a daily basis.
Well, I mean, I walk around City Hall every day, but I'm not responsible for what it looks like. Whose job is it, or is it a part of that person's job and responsibility to not only walk around the place, see what's going on, and 1093 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 either fix it, clean it, repair it themselves, or call someone else? And who checks -- I mean, who knows at 2 o'clock in the afternoon -- I mean, we're doing after-school activities now and now we're really going to really get into after-school activities. Whose job is it? I mean, unfortunately, you get down to this level of detail. Who makes sure that the bathrooms are clean, towels, toilet paper, faucets are working, not leaking and running all over the place at 2 o'clock in the afternoon? And then who has the responsibility to make sure the place is decent at 6 o'clock in the evening or 8 o'clock in the evening, when all the kids start running in and out of the place? I mean, I have gone in some rec. centers that neither I, a member of my family, certainly not my daughter, and some people I don't like would suggest that they go into some of these facilities. Now, I want to know whose responsibility it is to make sure that they are at least in a decent condition. Now, I know they can't check after every person goes in -- that's 1094 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 impossible. But there has to be a regular sweep, and someone downtown also needs to know on a regular basis what's going on with these facilities.
As a result of the increased funding that we received last year, we could put additional staff, especially in the B centers, to complement the staff that was in the A centers. Actually, that's part of what's in these booklets, is that their first priority for the caretakers is when they arrive at a site, they are supposed to take a little walk around the facility to see what the general conditions are and if there's something hazardous. If it's an electrical situation or something, they would call the electricians.
Do the supervisors do spot inspections or unannounced inspections of the facilities?
Again, as a result of this, you know, enough staffing, where we can actually say, Look, we have enough to make people responsible, we have district caretaker supervisors for each district. Part of their 1095 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 duties are at least twice a week to visit the site and to fill out a, a sheet that says what are the present conditions in the site.
That gets collected, and then it's given to the building -- the grounds maintenance superintendent, who, in turn, if he sees something, he'll bring it to my attention, but I think, for the most part, he'll handle most of those, correcting them.
Is there a monthly analysis of what's going on at different facilities throughout the city?
Is there a monthly review or an analysis of all of this paper that's flying around or emails or any other level of communication?
Okay. How many outstanding work orders are there at rec. 1096 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 facilities throughout the city?
The system was started in -- this computerized work order system that we have was started in 1991. So the backlog in the system, which over time was something like 80,000 work orders, is presently about 1900.
Some of them might go beyond a year, but for the most part, they might be two or three months.
Is that the average length of time it takes to get a work order completed?
Hopefully, we'll at least finish them within one month. Very often, it's -- it is dependent on the availability of the materials, vehicles, and whatever -- especially materials. Usually things that are in the system for a long period of time are usually the result of something special, like a door that had to be special-ordered or a window that had to be special order or something.
Okay. On OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 the testimony, the after-school program, the numbers seem to work out that -- the past three years, we have now upwards of 130 after-school programs, we have 3200 participants in FY '99. That seems work out to somewhere around 30 or so kids a site, 3200 kids. How many kids do we have in Philadelphia?
I don't know how many children we have, but we have a situation where we have a limited capacity based on what we can handle for the staffing of it. When you have an after-school program with children in the 15 program, you really can't go much beyond that with 16 one teacher. 17
So you really have to 19 limit how many kids you could put in the program. 20
Well, you're 21 requesting an additional $600,000 for after-school 22 programs, right? I assume that must mean that 23 you're going to expand the number of sites. And 24 how many kids do we think that's going to serve? 25
We're looking -- our 1098 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 plan still has to be reviewed by the Commission on Children. Our plan is to expand our summer day camps. So that way, the kids that are in the after-school program, when it ends in June, will then be able to go into the day camping program. There wouldn't be that break.
I'm sorry, you confused me. I thought that we were expanding our after-school programs.
We are expanding our -- it's all going to be a component of after-school programs because it's going to be on a year-round basis. In other words, the sites that have after-school, when that program would end, say, in the second week of June, we would then be able to have those kids put into the day camp program.
Yeah, I understand that. Let me talk about September to June, after school. Now, I don't want to talk about the summer.
What is the expansion -- when the news accounts report or the Mayor says that we're tripling the amount of money 1099 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 for after-school programs, I always took "after-school" to mean sometime between September and June.
What does that mean and how are we expanding them and where are people going to be? And what impact does that have on the Recreation Department if you're telling me that at 25, 30 or so kids a site, you've already maxed. I then have to assume to that the only way you can expand is by going to non-rec. sites. And how many people -- I mean, are we going from 3200 to 9600? Are we going to 10,000, 8,000? How are you going to do all of this?
Estelle Richman could probably answer that question better because she's one of the co-chairs of the Commission on Children, and they're guiding us in the after-school initiative. (Estelle Richman comes forward.)
This is Estelle Richman, Director of Social Services. Councilman, because of the way the City budget works in some ways, in that we actually 1100 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 began preparing some of these dollars and moving them forward, we really do need to look at the comprehensive approach. And while we've added some of these dollars in the Recreation budget and some of these dollars in the Library budget, the overall impact is going to be to look at how we're going to spend the after-school dollars, without precommitting them to any one given area. The Recreation Department had requested to expand their summer camp program. That certainly will be considered, but the primary focus at this point in time for the Mayor is to look at all after-school summer programs in entirety to be able to see how we can fit in the most children and which ways we can do that. So while the Recreation requests will be considered, we're also looking at proposals from Mural Arts, proposals from the Library, proposals from DHS, to make sure we can serve as many children as possible in an innovative way, and to be able to get outcomes from those projects in a way we haven't measured before. So this is to leave it somewhat open, 1101 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 to be able to give the process that is going to look at giving it a chance to work with as much input into that and make it as inclusive as possible. But it isn't pre-described right now in the budget testimony.
Okay, all right. Let's just talk a little bit about the budget history of the Recreation Department. Mr. Carapucci, are you aware of what the budget for the Recreation Department may have been five, six, seven years ago, at the beginning the Rendell Administration, as compared to what it is now?
I couldn't give you an exact number, but I know it has increased.
Well, that's in the right direction. Somewhere in this morass of paper --
Our Administrative Services Director, Miss Mangano, has informed me that it's gone up about $4 million since the beginning of the Rendell Administration.
I think you actually might be shortchanging yourself a little 1102 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 bit. I think the Department, since 1992, has received about a 31, 32 or so percent increase in its budget since 1992; is that correct?
Hi. My name is Josephine Mangano. I came to the Department in --
Hi. My name is Josephine Mangano. I came to the Department in 1996, and since that time, our budget has increased approximately about 1.7 million for after-school programs. And last year, we got a $2 million increase for maintenance enhancements. The budget probably has increased more than that, but those increases have probably been for pay raises and for full funding of positions.
It's actually a credit to the Department, and I just actually wanted to get a sense of how you were able to do 1103 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 that. And, I think, what you've been doing with the increase has been very helpful to the City of Philadelphia. Under tight budgetary circumstances, the Recreation Department, you know, has been able to post some very decent numbers in terms of increases -- certainly as compared to some other departments or agencies of the city. So it's not a criticism for a change. Now, the FY '92 budget for the Recreation Department, excluding Veterans Stadium, was about $24.2 million, and in FY 2000, you're at 32.3.
Very good. All right, thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brown. 1104 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00
Thank you, Madam Chair. Good afternoon, officers of the Department. On of your testimony, you cited -- in the third paragraph, you cited a couple of successes that spoke to the value of working with the Friends group and local neighborhood volunteers to bring life back to a couple of recreation centers, namely Mifflin Square and Carol Park. Are there any similar initiatives on line to employe that same approach? Any other additional rec. centers on line to employ the same approach that have proved to work?
Well, right now, we're working with volunteers to rehabilitate Cecil B. Moore Recreation Center and Athletic Rec. Center.
Okay. Mural Arts Program, you indicated in your response to Councilman Nutter that we'll get further details later this month. Please speak to your impression 1105 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 of the Mural Arts Program.
The Mural Arts Program has been an excellent addition to our department. And, recently, they've been trying to get involved more and more in the after-school programs and depending on what the Commission on Children decides to do, if they're going to be involved, I think we could make very good use of the Mural Arts staff and their expertise.
Your testimony indicates that there's been a $1.25 million increase. Those dollars will be specifically and strictly for Mural Arts? I'm looking at your testimony, third paragraph.
That was in private money raised. The Rec. Department raised approximately 1.25 million in private money, and then usually that's dedicated towards a particular project.
And so since this says 1.25 million for Mural Arts, those dollars will go for Mural Arts, correct?
Since Mural Arts has been our department, which is around four years 1106 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 now, that's the cumulative number of dollars that have been raised, not just in one year.
Oh, okay, all right then, but that clarification is helpful. How many staff are currently dedicated or devoted to Mural Arts?
We have four -- well, we have seven part-time staff, seasonal staff, and we have four full-time staff.
And they handle this tremendous level of productivity that's been cited in that same paragraph. At one point this was a site on North Broad Street devoted to Mural Arts activity; is that still real?
Good afternoon. My name's Jane Golden, with the Mural Arts Program. That was 808 North Broad you're referring to, and that is now under the Mayor's Office of Community Service. They've had that site since 1996, when we were transferred to the Department of Recreation. 1107 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00
Okay the. My questions around the after-school programs have been adequately addressed at this hour, knowing that there's much work to be done in a positive way. On of the testimony, the first sentence: "In FY 2000, the Recreation Department continued its special programs to involve girls from economically distressed neighborhoods in sports programs." Earlier this morning, the Health Department testified, and it was an enlightenment for me that to the extent that girls are involved in athletic programs, they tend -- the data suggests that they tend not to become pregnant, if you will, not to become teenage mothers. So just speak to what that means, "special programs for girls" in detail.
Well, what we discovered over the last couple years when we looked at our programs was that there weren't a large number of girls in the athletic area of our department.
So that's when we 1108 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 started to see what can we do to bring more girls in.
And then that's why this year, we're going to begin these one-week basketball camps for girls ages to years-old 8 so that they could, you know, get introduced to 9 basketball, and hopefully they'll stay with the 10 sport. 11
Or with some other 12 -- well, right now, the focus is basketball.
But this year, we're trying to begin -- we've always had specialty camps for cultural programs. We're trying to do more specialty camps --
Very well. You have your first neighborhood summer golf camp?
We have a summer golf 1109 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 camp. We've had that for a few years, and last year, we tried to expand it on a basis throughout the city. We set up little miniature golf courses in some of the centers.
The Recreation Department has a lot of good things happening. I'm always interested in knowing how that good information gets into the hands of parents and teachers and schools so that they can be an added voice box, an added microphone, informing young children and youth that they have a place to go. So how does that happen with the Rec. Department?
Well, we're normally -- there's a few ways. We've been trying to get -- put more of our programs out on the Web site.
We're putting our stuff on the cable, we try to get into the local newspapers. We have a public relations person that's directed. For instance, they're going to start a new program to make sure the area newspapers in the community that we're addressing has this in the paper. Plus we have a -- we have our staff. 1110 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 We have 150 facilities with supervisors. And in most centers where they're active, that word gets out. So we are trying to do all of that -- through the newspapers, through cable TV, and through some of the local schools. Like for instance, in my next testimony, we're going to talk about Camp William Penn, and we're going to start sending people to the local schools to visit the counselors.
So that they could get -- the counselors could get these applications in hand so we can increase the number of kids that go away to Camp William Penn.
Does the department produce a catalog listing all summer-camp activities?
Okay. And could 1111 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 you make sure that all Councilmembers receive that information through the Chair?
And then lastly, you mention in your testimony, on , that you have computers, about 400. What will be the process internally for the distribution of those computers?
Some of them are already dedicated, but we're going to try to put them in after-school sites.
So you're going to reserve them, for the most part, until the --
That's really our focus with the computers, and the Mayor helped us get some of these computers, my understanding, and which we wanted to do anyway, was make sure to put them at the sites that have a viable after-school program.
So that's what we're 1112 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 trying to do.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Kenney.
Thank you, Madam Chair. There's a couple items in the budget in detail that I need some clarification on. The first is on -39, which indicates a reduction in 51 semiskilled workers. I'd like to get an idea as to what they -- what kind of semiskilled workers -- what do semiskilled workers do, and how will the district absorb the work which was being performed by those individuals?.
Yes, Councilman. Excuse me, Tom Fox, Director of Facilities for the Recreation Department. We're doing a reclassification, I guess you call it, to make the recreation facility's caretaker class more appropriate for what is happening. It was done, I guess, in the mid-'80s, and it was really focussed on the person staying 1113 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 in the rec centers. We've redesigned it so that it encompassed the person having training, and also these individuals could work in a rec center, they could work in a park, and they could also work in a --
Secondly, on 35-64, there is a 610-person increase for temporary or seasonal employees. Could you tell me what the bulk of them would be expected to be doing in the summer?
Yes. We had considered expanding our summer camps in the summer so that we could provide continuous out-of-school care for our children year-round, and that's what the expansion of most of those temporary jobs are.
So this is related to the overall City initiative of after-school, 1114 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 summer-camp kind of children --
Okay. And then one other item. In 35-69 is a $204,000 increase -- 35-69, $204,000 increase in purchase of services, but there's nothing specific as to what that increase would be or what it would be spent on.
And I believe that that is an increase for -- I'll have to check that out.
Okay, we can get back to that. In your testimony, Commissioner, you indicated -- you've used the terms "underserved" and "economically distressed." Could you give me an idea of what the Department's definition of "underserved" and "economically distressed" communities are.
Generally speaking, it was the -- we took a look at our program, areas within our own program where the numbers weren't adequate. 1115 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00
Where the facility's there but the participation's not there, okay.
Exactly. In other words, we have a large facility and it's not being used to the extent that it should be used. And we tried to focus the last few years on having those neighborhoods use our facilities to a greater degree.
So it's not necessarily underserved but underutilized. I mean, "underserved" indicates a neglect on the part of the Department.
It's underutilized, okay. And what is the Department's definition of an economically distressed community?
I guess it's where you 1116 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 have a high unemployment -- you have an area of high unemployment.
I guess my concern is that I wanted to ensure that all of these new recreation programs are put into place fairly across the board. One of the complaints -- and this goes to underutilized and underserved. One of the complaints I hear from mostly middle-class, working-class neighborhoods is that they take a lot of effort in conjunction and cooperation with the Recreation Department to provide recreational activities, athletic and non-athletic, for the kids in their neighborhood, but that somehow or another, they believe that in going to Washington Township or going to Delaware County, they're getting more of their tax money's worth in recreation and in other services that that particular township or municipality provides. I don't want to get lost in the -- I don't want the active neighborhoods to suffer because they're active when it comes to the new resources that may be available to recreate and to deal with the kids in every neighborhood. And, for example, in South Philadelphia 1117 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 where I live, in Councilman DiCicco's district, you may have very active, stable working-class neighborhoods of all colors, and then in the middle, have an economically distressed new ethnic cultural group that really isn't in tune language-wise or cultural-wise with what all of our programs have been. Now, is that neighborhood economically distressed, or is it considered as part and parcel of the whole of that particular 19148, for example, zip code that may not be considered economically distressed? And how do we ensure that any new money we're spending in after-school programs, summer-camp programs are being integrated fairly throughout the entire community, you know including, middle class, upper mill class, and more poverty-stricken areas? 'Cause I think that's a real complaint that I hear from people who are making a decision whether to continue living here or not.
Well, it's our obligation to offer all of our recreation programs throughout the city. And I know, like, for 1118 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 instance, this year, when we do the girls basketball camp, it's going to be spread out throughout the city. They're going to be -- I think we're going to have five or six different sites so that most parts of the city -- not all parts of the city -- will have access to enroll their children in the camp.
The other thing I would suggest, and I know you guys have moved in that direction when it comes to roller hockey, ice hockey, and some of the other basketball programs we kind of tend to concentrate our resources and our programs in a specific geographic-defined area, and then leave those people there. I have found the most success in dealing with the athletic programs I'm involved in through the Recreation Department and through private athletic associations is, when we start moving kids from one neighborhood to another, having a league that encompasses West Philadelphia and South Philadelphia and the Northeast and North Philadelphia. I mean, I find that we get more benefit for the money we spend when we start to bring kids together through athletics, through 1119 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 cultural activity, as opposed to just concentrating one neighborhood. And I think you've seen that in our ice program. I mean, we've had tremendous success at Cobbs, Scanlon, Simons, Tarkins, Rizzo in kind of having all those kids compete with each other and get to know each other's and get into each other's neighborhoods, more importantly, to see that there's not really that much difference than maybe in the color of their skin or their ethnic background. So I would just urge that kind of expansion in that regard. I just want to move to one other area, Veterans Stadium. Does there exist a list of maintenance and improvement needs that have been determined by the Department of Recreation for Veterans Stadium over the next one, two, three, or five years? Is there a capital plan or a program? In lieu of the decision -- I mean, in spite of the discussion of all the new potential facilities, does the Recreation Department, whose facility that is, have a comprehensive list of minimal and desirable improvements or maintenance 1120 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 needs for that particular facility?
Greg Grillone will be able to answer that, from the Veterans Stadium.
Sure, I figured he would. Thank you. (Greg Grillone comes forward.)
Greg Grillone from Veterans Stadium. Separate and apart from the whole process that's going on relative to the new stadium --
Yeah, just imagine we're not even talking about new stadiums.
Right. We commissioned a study back in late summer, early fall by an architectural and engineering firm in the city to kind of give us some guidelines and give us some guidance relative to where we go from here relative to the structure and its useful life. And we've digested that report and we're using that as a basis and as a guideline to formulate some of our capital programming needs -- again, 1121 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 separate and apart from the --
How much is the -- how much is that consultant's -- what's the name of the consultant, by the way?
And what are they recommending that we be doing as far as an amount of money is concerned?
Well, first of all, the format that we gave them or the context within which we gave them their charge was that at the time, it appeared clear to most people that we would have new stadiums within three or four years. So with that kind of conservative approach, I think that they formulated a program of three to four years' worth, about or 22 $24 million. 23
Okay. And that's 1122 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 -- could you give me an idea of what some of those, you know, I believe there's some -- waterproofing was one of the major -- may have been one of the major items? And what else, what else were they recommending?
There was some waterproofing reapplications because, as you know, we did a lot of work in the early '90s, so it's coming up on its useful cycle to have some more application of waterproofing. There was some recommendations relative to some of the HVAC systems as well as a look-see to possibly some electrical, although we've done a lot of electrical in the last few years. And, again, this did not include any of the kind of big-ticket items that you would expect if we were going to be there, you know, for 10 or 12 years, such as, for example, replacement of a field.
But as far as minimal structural, safety, comfort issues, the 1123 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 consultant's recommending about a minimum of million? 4
So when we hear 6 numbers from the teams, that we're talking -- you 7 don't need to comment -- numbers from the teams of 8 upward of 150 or 160 or 200 million that they 9 could start working on tomorrow and billing the 10 City for because we're in violation of our lease 11 seems to perhaps be -- and this is my editorial 12 comment -- a bit exaggerated. 13 Just one other tongue-in-cheek question 14 for you. How much time do you spend down there? 15
Yeah, personally. 17 I know you've been there for a number of years, 18 but how much time do you spend most of your -- 19