I understand, all right. Mr. Carapucci, could you shed some light on all of this?
Smart move. 1206 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 (Laughter.)
Mr. Dubow? Mr. Carapucci, I've always said that you're a brilliant man. (Laughter.) (Rob Dubow comes forward.)
Mr. Dubow, I haven't had opportunity to ask you a question all day. Welcome.
Hello. You've heard the discussion around the table. And what can we do with regard to Dell East start-up costs and making this an upgraded facility that ensures that, you know, in the summer, that we're going to do our best to dazzle the Republican National Convention? What can we do over in North Philadelphia to make 'em maybe come out to a concert or two?
I think we need to talk to the Dell so we can understand what the start-up costs are. And then, you know, work out a funding scheme, if we think those costs are appropriate.
Okay. Do you think 1207 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 you'll be able to put that together before we get out of budget season and certainly specifically before March 17th?
And somewhere in the course of the budget season, you'll report back what happened?
Thank you, Mr. Nutter. If Lucien Blackwell were here, he would talk about the Lions, and every time we mention the Dell, how they took them from Dell East and put 'em in Dell West. He complains every time. But certainly, we agree that Dell East is a great neighborhood place, and we certainly 1208 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 think it deserves its proper attention.
Madam Chair, I'm fortunate enough to actually have both facilities in the district and maybe we can see if we can get some additional --
All right, we certainly support you in that regard. Thank you. Are there any other questions for Recreation? (No further questions.)
Maybe we need to find about ten more questions and keep you here a little longer. (Laughter.)
No, thank you very much, thank you. Camp William Penn, you're next.
City Council President 1209 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 Verna and City Councilperson Blackwell, I am Bill 3 Carapucci, Acting Recreation Commissioner, and I'm requesting -- I want to present the Camp William Penn FY 2001 Operating Budget. Camp William Penn is requesting a total of $328,053 in General Fund appropriations for FY 2001, which is $5,200 more than in FY 2000 estimated obligations. It provides for full funding for negotiated pay raises. The FY 2001 request supports 3 full-time employees and 63 temporary workers to staff Camp William Penn during the camping season, which, this summer, will extend from July 10th to August 15th. In FY 2000, 653 children attended Camp William Penn. The Recreation Department anticipates 960 will attend one five-day and three eight-day encampments in the summer of 2000. Located in the heart of the Pocono Mountains on a 671-acre site, Camp William Penn introduces urban youngsters to the myriad outdoor activities enjoyed during a resident camping experience. Campers may row and swim on the seven-acre Springfield Lake, hike through the woods, and participate in sports, crafts, and 1210 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 outdoor activities. The campers learn a series of self-reliance by participating in camping activities such as pitching their tents and cooking around a camp fire. They also experience the ultimate camping experience, sitting around a camp fire and exchanging stories. Youth of all neighborhoods of Philadelphia attend Camp William Penn. It is an especially attractive summer activity for children who otherwise might not have the opportunity to attend a summer camp. Camp William Penn plans to reinvigorate recruitment efforts to attract campers and staff for the summer 2000 season. Camp staff will send press releases announcing the opening, the camping opportunity to community newspapers, provide brochures to elementary and middle schools, visit school counselors, and develop a Web page to advise of the overnight camping opportunity. Camp William Penn staff must pass a child line check, which investigates their background for their appropriateness for caring for children. Staff also receive a week of 1211 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 orientation and training at the campsite prior to the opening of the camp. Training includes CPR certification, a review of the camp schedule, information on how to handle fire, accident and, other emergencies, tips on counseling campers, and guidelines on maintaining camp discipline. Efforts are made to keep the cost of the camp operation as low as possible while providing the full benefit of a residence camping experience. This concludes the Camp William Penn testimony for FY 2001, and we will be glad to answer any questions.
Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brown.
Good afternoon. I wanted us to revisit with the recruitment for staff this year to ensure that we don't have a deja vu. So in addition to starting early, are there any other amendments or revisions in the criteria of the professionals that you're looking for or college students that you're looking for? 1212 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00
I think our criteria's okay. One of the things we require is that they have that degree of education, and I'm also looking for experienced staff this year, preferably -- maybe not in a residential setting, but some experience in working with children, perhaps in a day camp or in some capacity like that.
So with the exception in 1999, you've never had a problem with the recruitment on the college student end, and, therefore, never had problem with enrollment on the other end?
No. Generally, when we recruit, generally, we will have more applicants than we -- qualified applicants than we can accommodate. Our practice is to have a waiting list, and very often, we do go through the waiting list, as we did through last year. Some of the staff that we did bring up, we waited too late because a lot -- we lost a lot because they had already taken employment elsewhere.
Are there 1213 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 residential requirements of the counselors that you hire?
Actually, Camp William Penn is probably the only City agency that does not have a residency requirement.
So we can recruit anywhere in the country. And, in fact, we have internationals that are from Europe.
That is certainly a plus when it comes to exposing young people, children and youth, to folks who don't look like them, if you will.
My thinking is, for those who are taxpayers in the city, for young people whose parents are taxpayers in the city, is there some consideration to giving that group of college students first priority, first pick?
I haven't considered it, but I could. When you mention residence requirement, you're talking specifically --
Thank you, Madam Chair. Commissioner, I heard Councilman Nutter discuss the condition of the rec. centers, the cleanliness, etc. I want to talk more about Camp William Penn itself. A year ago, I expressed concern that the camp meet local codes in the area that it's housed -- fire, sanitary, and all those things. Some day I'd like to really go. I'm embarrassed to say that I've never been there. 1215 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 I'd hope you'd want to us visit.
I'm concerned about smoke detectors and alarms and all those things. Even if they are above and beyond what the local codes in the Poconos requires, could you just elaborate on the condition of the facility? Would it be something that we'd be not happy about if we visited? Do you need -- what do you need there to bring it up to code if it's not? Just tell us a little bit about the condition of the camp.
To answer a couple of your questions, Councilman, we are always in need. Yes, we do need. Not smoke detectors, no. 17 As I stated earlier, safety is always my number-one priority. We have two full-time caretakers at camp, who are -- they're local and they live there year-round. They do it all, the plumbing, roofing, the whole nine yards, carpentry, everything. And I think that given the tools that they have to work with and the supplies, they do a tremendous job, a really tremendous job. I am 1216 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 proud of the facility myself.
In the last couple years, we've placed -- at our lake front, we have a crib that we use for -- it's a protected swim area. We replaced it, it's quite nice, and it's going to outlast most of us here. We replaced our boating dock. One of our caretakers has a saw mill. We're in the process of rebuilding some of the older cabins with our lumber, and it's not costing us anything. As it relates to safety a and fire detectors, we're an accredited camp by the American Camping Association, and one of their safety standards mandates that every building that houses campers and staff must have a working detector. And they do. Every day, we have an inspection of the living quarters for cleanliness and this type thing, and detectors are tested at least two or three times a week.
They're battery-powered. 1217 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00
No, they're battery- powered, and they're nine-volt batteries. We purchase them from the Philadelphia Fire Department. Part of our safety procedure is that from their safety unit, we've had a firefighter to come up maybe ten years running now --
-- to do fire safety orientation. Every unit that is occupied also has in close proximity a working fire extinguisher. They are charged and tested prior to start-up, prior to campers arriving every summer.
It sounds like you've got that under control. I asked again this question a year ago, and I don't think it was ever followed up on 'cause I never heard anything and I'm going to ask it again and this year, I'm going to follow up on it. Are we entitled to any type of subsidies from the State or federal government based on this environment that we have considered 1218 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 a campsite? I understand that some facilities like this do get some help from some federal funds and some State funds. We get no help at all with this facility, right?
This facility -- you just mentioned it's not -- you're not -- there's no residency requirement to work there. Is there a residency requirement to participate there?
All our campers must live in the City of Philadelphia, yes.
Thank you very much. Are there any other questions? 1219 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 (No further questions.)
Our pleasure. Next we have the Atwater Kent Museum, I believe. (Break taken.) - - - (Proceedings resume.)
To our colleagues coming into the chamber, we are ready to resume our hearings. Thank you very much. (Atwater Kent Museum witnesses come forward.)
Please begin. Identify yourself for the record and begin.
City Council President Verna and Acting President Blackwell and Members of Council, my name is David Rasner, President of the Board Trustees of the Atwater Kent Museum. Joining me at my side is Nancy Moses, our Executive Director. 1220 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 I am pleased to present this testimony in support of the proposed FY 2001 Operating Budget of $225.988 to the museum. This represents a roughly 3 percent increase over the original appropriation for FY 2000. What I intend to do is keep my comments brief, I think you have the description, I think you're running out of time and you --
Whatever. Atwater Kent is Philadelphia's official history museum. It is dedicated to protecting the City's treasures, interpreting its heritage, and educating generations of its children and adults. City support for Fiscal Year 2001 will help Atwater Kent Museum accomplish a four-part strategic agenda: 1. To continue expansion of its education programs for youth in school and during the summer; 2. To create winning exhibits and programs for residents and tourist; and 3. To save and preserve the City's significant artifacts; and 1221 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 4. To move forward on our plan and to expand into a museum that can really tell and display the entire Philadelphia story. And at this point I'll digress from the script. The Atwater Kent Museum, which is the City's history Museum, has, I think, during the past several years, really put its place on the map. We are now sandwiched between Independence Park to the west and what I hope to be DisneyQuest on the east, or vice versa. And we have a little role to play in play displaying and portraying the City's history. We are the official museum for the City of Philadelphia. Recently, as a result of hard effort, we have negotiated a contract with the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, hopefully to ensure that their 10,000 objects of significance for Philadelphia history comes to our museum. And included in the 10,000 objects is the famous wampum belts, many paintings, and other Philadelphia memorabilia. We now have to become a museum of importance, a museum of first class, and that 1222 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 requires expansion, it requires hard work, and it requires the museum to develop itself in a very professional way. We have a very committed board. When I came on board to the Museum, which is now is about eight years, I was initially Mayor Rendell's select person to be a trustee to the museum. And I think to the Mayor's surprise, I've managed to succeed and make this place survive over the past seven or eight years. I've been board president for the last two, and it's hard work. And we now have a very committed board. Initially, when I came on board, it was a board of six. Now there's a board of 27, and as a result -- we are governed by City Charter and we had to come to you folks and change the City Charter so that we could expand the board as well as charge admission. The Atwater Kent Museum, which is at Seventh and Market Streets, is the original site of the Franklin Institute. And that's how it came to pass, that's how Atwater Kent acquired this facility. And then by City ordinance, the City agreed to make it into a history museum. 1223 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 And the space that we have is small, so we're planning to expand into our courtyard and elsewhere into the back and become a part of what's going on at independence park. In addition, because of changes in technology, several years if you had told me that we'd be thinking about Internet Web sits and that kind of stuff, I would say no, that's into the next century. We now find ourselves dealing with those things on a day-to-day basis, so that our concept also is a museum without walls, that people can share what we have by looking at us on the Web and using their computers. Lately, this past -- Nancy Moses, we have really engaged the public, engaged the school children. History, I believe, is required in three or four grades in the Philadelphia public school system. We now have a full-time staff person from the School District who is in place at the Atwater Kent, helping us with hosting various school groups at the institution. If I'm not mistaken, I think last year, onsite, approximately 14,000 children came through our facility. And all told, I believe that we had 60,000 tourists 1224 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 and school children come to the museum.
We now are able to charge admission, which we were not able to do that two years ago, so I again had to come to Council to change the ordinance that made us and allowed us to charge admission, so that is a revenue stream. So that we are moving ahead, but it's going to take a lot of work on our part to step up to the challenge, the challenge of administering the HSP collection and of becoming a true history museum for the City of Philadelphia and possibly for the region. We have a very dedicated staff who enjoy their work and are pleased to be there and work very hard. We have tried to put on entertaining exhibits at the museum. We have taken over the Norman Rockwell piece that was at the Curtis Center. We now own it and have displaced it in, I think, a very handsome manner. We currently have a carousel exhibit, so if you haven't been down to the museum, we invite you to come down there and take a look at the old carousels from Philadelphia's past. In addition, in time for the convention 1225 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 in the summer, we intend to put on a kind of knock-your-socks off political memorabilia exhibition. I believe it's called "Campaign Choices and Presidential Voices," and it displays 200 years of presidential campaign memorabilia. And we're doing this so it will be open in time for the Republican Convention, and we intend to do it by June 9th of 2000. After that, the next program that we have is really to display some of the treasures that we're getting from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Again, that includes the wampum belt and various pieces of furniture and so forth. It is important that museums in the City network with one another, share their resources. We have made linkages to the Constitution Center, which take place, linkages to the Balch Museum, and others. And we intend to really become part of the landscape in Philadelphia that's of significance for tourism and for the public. So I want to invite any questions if you have any. Otherwise. .
Thank you very 1226 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 much. Councilwoman Brown?
Thank you very much. Thank you, Madam Chair. Just a couple of questions related to outreach. On the last page of your testimony, there is a line item description of service called "Community Programs Outreach," and starting with FY 1998, there are no figures, but figures do appear for FY 2000. What should one gather from that? Help me.
Well, basically what happened was that we put in place a new very innovative kind of community outreach activity. It's called "Putting the Me in History." Putting the "me," making kids understand their history. We have staff that spends a semester in a school as an adjunct faculty, adjunct teacher helping the kids, and the teachers work through a community history research project. We've had them in every Councilmatic District and some in the suburbs as well. This is privately funded.
And the kinds of project 1227 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 that children come up with are everything from murals to videos to plays to books that they create out of the story that they find in their own community.
The schools that are participating, how does the connect happen? Principals hear about it say, I want to participate? Or you reach out and say, Here's an opportunity, buy in?
We do both. We can only do about ten a year because it's a very intensive experience, both for the teachers and the kids and for us. This isn't like walking into a school classroom one day; this is like becoming a part of the curriculum. So we do ten a year.
We're just running down our third year of a grant and we've replaced it with a whole bunch of smaller grants. So this is a part of our ongoing activity. We did three of years a pilot to test the program.
Okay. So that means though we're in the third year, that the 1228 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 initiative itself will continue?
Yeah. We moved it from a special project one-time grant program to something that's central to the operations of our museum.
Second question. It's, I think, prudent that given the location of Atwater that you found a relevant way to be connected with the Republican Convention. What connect exists with the school system so that -- schools are coming close to closing at June 9th, and so young people may or may not hear about it.
Right, absolutely. Here's what we thought we would do. We think of the audience for the political exhibit as having sort of three different audiences, and the most important audience to us are the children. So we're continuing this exhibit up and through the general election.
And we're using it as 1229 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 centerpiece of a specially-developed voter education package for kids, because they're going to hear about the Convention all summer long.
That sparks an idea. So community organizations and special-interest groups who have an interest in voter education can link up with you to take the word to the constituency of children that they serve.
That's right. And we'll also be doing it ourselves when school reopens in the fall.
We have an enormously active educational program, and it's -- every single day, we're booked with as many groups as we can deal with at this point. Three years ago, it was 3,000 children we served. Now we don't have room for all of the groups that want to come.
Well, that's what you hope for, to be in a capacity where you don't have the room.
We have really evolved in 1230 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 our mission. You know, I'm from the old school that believes that museums were there to show off what they had and you go to see what's there. I've come to now believe that that really is an important role but maybe a secondary role, and the main role is education and outreach. Those are really our two principal goals.
I agree with you completely, ditto. I have no more questions, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Are there any more questions? (No further questions.)
Fairmount Park, we're ready for you. (Fairmount Park witnesses come forward.)
Welcome. Thank you for your patience. If any other Members of Council are in there chambers and they would like to -- or are in their rooms and they would 1231 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 like to know that Fairmount Park Commission is on, we're ready to begin.
I'm William E. Mifflin, Executive Director of the Fairmount Park Commission, and I am pleased to be here this afternoon on behalf of the Fairmount Park Commission to present to you the recommended Operating Budget of $13.3 million for Fiscal Year 2001. The Fiscal Year 2001 budget provides an increase of an additional $265,000 above Fiscal Year 2000's estimated obligations for annualized wage increases implemented in FY 2000. I'm joined here this afternoon by the following senior staff members: Nancy Goldenberg, who is the Project Administrator for the Natural Lands Restoration Environmental Education Program; Dennis Waller, who is the Deputy Director for Business Management and Properties; Paul Nice, who is the Deputy Director for Administration; and Mr. James Donaghy, who is the Director of Operations and Landscape Management for Fairmount Park. I'd like just to paraphrase from my printed and submitted testimony, if I may, Councilwoman, and then move on to the questioning 1232 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 period.
As I know you are well aware, the Fairmount Park Commission has the responsibilities for managing nearly 8,900 acres of City parkland, which includes 50 neighborhood and regional parks managed by the Commission, and it does comprise one of the largest municipal urban operated landscaped parks in the country. Within the 8900 acres, the Park Commission operates 8 recreation centers, 11 day camps, 22 playgrounds, hundreds of tennis courts and athletic fields, and over 100 miles of recreation trails. In the area of major accomplishments I'd just like to highlight a few of which we are particularly proud. These have been important initiatives that have improved the delivery of services and to utilize our budgetary resources more effectively. The first, of course, is the William Penn Foundation Grant for the Natural Lands Restoration and Environmental Education Program. This is an unprecedented grant to the Fairmount Park Commission, received in the late 1233 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 fall of 1996. And today, we are now about halfway through our five-year plan period. We've 141 trained park staff in natural land restoration, we've completed three natural lands projects, we've completed three pilot environmental education programs, serving more than 2600 students, we've increased partnerships with 145 different organizations. And, again, now that we are approximately halfway through the grant, we are working on a sustainability with the William Penn Foundation that will -- and an action plan is expected in a -- within a month that will ensure sustainability of the project at the completion of the grant. I know that many of you are familiar with our tree maintenance program, and our program is a comprehensive plan for both park and street trees. Typical examples or work include pruning to alleviate pedestrian and motorist hazardous conditions, as well as removal of dead and dangerous trees tree. Tree pruning, which is one of the major functions of the tree maintenance plan, has 1234 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 increased since Fiscal Year 1998. The monies available in FY 2000 will provide for 7800 trees to be pruned, and in 2001, we'll continue pruning approximately 7900 trees. Street trees, of course, are a big function for the Fairmount Park Commission, and this year, we will be utilizing both operating and capital funds to remove approximately 1,180 trees. In this fiscal year, we will plant 489, and we will be planning an additional 600 with capital and private funds. In park trees in Fiscal Year 2000, we anticipate removing a total of 1,889 trees. And in Fiscal Year 2001, we will come very close to that same number, by utilizing both operating and capital funds. In programmatic improvements, we have established a new division in Fairmount Park, using in-house staff, so we've not expanded the number of total park employees, but we've created an environmental education division. We think it's a very important facet of Fairmount Park. And today, we've accomplished, I think, a great deal, particularly in the areas of programs. 1235 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 We have completed an ecology camp, a park explorers after-school program, and we're also interfacing with the School District of Philadelphia in cooperation with the School District of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Archdiocese schools for their service learning projects. We think the future of the environmental education division is pivotal to the success of Fairmount Park's ability to take the lead in environmental awareness and open space. Under management initiatives, we continue, I believe, to provide a very acceptable park appearance. 7 weeks in Fiscal Year 2000. And, again, I believe that the appearance of our parks and medial islands, of which we are responsible, have seen a dramatic improvement during this period of time. We've been able to accomplish this by contracting out that operation.
And, subsequently, the park employees who were previously performing the mowing operation, have now been moved over to perform other equally 1236 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 important functions, such as ballfield renovation and landscape and planning activities. Another important management initiative has been our park-wide master concessionaire. This was started in July of 1998. And, basically, it's a park-wide concessionaire operation providing food and beverages through rental concessions, mobile operations, and catering operations at four major facilities in Fairmount Park. 5 million in revenue compared to the projected half a million dollars over the next five years, if we had not implemented the park-wide master concessionaire operation. We are actively working on the restoration of Fairmount Park Water Works, which, I realize, is more of a capital function, but I did want to mention that the Water Works is scheduled to be completed in spring of next year, and will operate as a 200seat restaurant, 200 seats under cover, with additional facilities on the decks and pavilions. Another management initiative of which we are quite proud is the Fairmount Park Rangers, 1237 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 and I'd like to thank the City Council on behalf of their past support and look forward to their continued support of this important function in the park. Today, the corps is a 24-member organization providing invaluable service to our park users, providing a visible uniformed presence in our park, who are really the eyes and ears of the Philadelphia Police Department as well as our park staff. Our rangers are now more mobile, using bicycles, horses, and even volunteer in-line skaters. I'd like to mention the private support and services that are provided to the Fairmount Park Commission. Probably unprecedented in this country, we have over 80 Friends groups that support Fairmount Park in enhancing the physical appearance of the park, working with us on historic sites, with sports and athletic associations. In fact, there are members here that are today from the Friends of Philadelphia parks, one of the umbrella advocacy groups for Fairmount Park, and they have continued to lead many initiatives in Fairmount Park, and quite 1238 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 frankly, we could not provide the services without the Friends groups, of which we are quite proud. The Fairmount Park Historic Preservation Trust is an initiative of the Fairmount Park Commission that was supported by the Council City of Philadelphia in 1993 by an ordinance creating the opportunity for the trust to draw down houses from the Fairmount Park system and to offer long-term leases to tenants or proposed operators of the houses, thus ensuring that major capital improvements could be provided to the houses on a long-term -- through a long-term lease. Today, the trust manages 15 properties for us, and Director Waller is the 16 direct liaison from the park staff, and as he 17 administers over 80 leases for park properties, we 18 enjoy the support of a trust of 20 of those. 19 Let me conclude my remarks this evening 20 by just stating to you that the Fairmount Park Commission will continue to work creatively with parks groups, our private sponsors and foundations, and to all of the users of the park as well as the users of the park, to ensure that that the park resources will be made available to 1239 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 them. And we appreciate greatly the support of the Street Administration and, of course, of City Council in our past efforts, and we certainly look forward to working with you in the future. My service level reports are attached, and I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have of those reports or any questions you may have regarding Fairmount Park.
Thank you, Madam Chair. First of all, I want to thank Bill 19 Mifflin and the staff of Fairmount Park. I think of all of things that I thank having, is that great park. I grew up in it, and I know you've really been cut back severely in the number of people that work there to keep it, and I want to just let you know that one of the things that I encourage people to do is to use the park, I 1240 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 encourage them to -- when people come to visit the city, I just tell them about how wonderful the park is, and I've gotten so many return calls telling me they were pleased that I told them about it. But let's move on to a controversial issue that's going on right now, and I know there's sensitivity on what we can talk about, but I think now, pretty much all of it has been in the press. Could you just take a few minutes and tell us about the deer cull, tell us about your position on the cull based on the reports in the paper, the permit that you received back from Pennsylvania Game Commission. And also if you could tell me, in this fiscal year, I can't find anywhere in the budget how you paid for Tony DiNicola (ph.) to come to Fairmount Park and shoot the deer. So how much did we spend for his services last year and how much is budgeted and how do you pay for that this year, if in fact, you bring him back to shoot more deer?
Thank you, Councilman. As I believe you are aware and other 1241 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 Councilmembers are as well, we know that that we have a serious overpopulation of white-tailed dear in two of our parks within the system. One is in the Wissahickon and the other is the Pennypack, which is -- one is in the northeast section and the other in the northeast section of the city. Both about equal in size. Last year, we implemented a successful but abbreviated culling of the deer as a result of a successful application of a permit from -- offered by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, which has jurisdiction over the deer. After years of analyzing and studying the population and the damage to the park as a result of the deer and as a result of using best practices, we believe the use of a professional sharpshooter is the most effective, humane, and safe manner in which to remove the deer. And our goal, Councilman, is to save the forest. Our goal is not to promote hunting or promote an opportunity for people to remove animals from the Park, but it's to ensure that reforestation will occur. And, quite frankly, it is not occurring, and we have scientific analysis 1242 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 which proves that if we do nothing, quite frankly, the next generation or the future generations will not have forests in those two areas. We have applied and just as recently as yesterday received a permit to again institute a culling in the Wissahickon for this year. We have not applied for the Pennypack, but we would like to do so for next year, quite frankly. The Game Commission has offered the permit unconditionally. However, there was a cover letter associated with the permit, which indicated that the Commission, the Game Commission, would be most interested in seeing the combination of archery hunters through organized sporting groups the opportunity to effect the same results as the sharpshooter. As I'm sure you're aware, hunting is illegal in Fairmount Park, and it has been the position of the Park Commission, and will continue to be the Park Commission's position, that we will not permit hunting of any type -- organized, controlled, open, or of any nature on Fairmount Park property. What is possible is to have hunting 1243 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 occur on private property, and in fact, for the last 50 years -- it may be an exaggeration -- of a couple years, hunting has occurred in Philadelphia County on private property. And, quite frankly, that helps the Fairmount Park Commission significantly as the dear do migrate from park property to private property. So if we have support from private property owners, if in fact, we have support from adjacent counties or townships in some type of controlled -- or reduction, rather, of deer, that will help our problem in Fairmount Park. There are not any -- there is nota line item or any funds identified in our park budget as proposed expenditures of the culling, nor were there last year. All of the funds expended on this process for Dr. DiNicola have been with private funding. We have not utilized City dollars to contract with any service provided in this operation, Dr. DiNicola or any other professionals involved in this process. And it is our intention to continue that diversification and bifurcation of funding.
Could you identify 1244 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 the private funds?
We're able to take advantage of the William Penn Foundation funding of the Natural Lands Restoration Grant. We're not able to plant new trees in the Pennypack or the Wissahickon until we can manage the deer population. And as a result of the funding available to us for reforestation through this grant, we have received permission from the foundation to provide funding to eliminate the deer so that we can then go on about the business of reaching the goals of the grant.
With this cover letter that you received with the permit, do I interpret that for the record that until you resolve this issue about having hunters come physically into the park to hunt, that there will not be a cull?
No. What I said, I believe, was that the permit is unconditional. We can proceed with the culling for this year. The cover letter indicated that future culling from the aspect of -- or future removal of 1245 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 deer, from the Game Commission's perspective, should include, or will include, archery hunting. So that's future years. So for this year, we are not required to use, nor being asked to use, anything beyond our professional sharpshooter.
We have not made a final decision yet. The letter is being reviewed by a team of experts. I do not wish to move forward by accepting the permit if, in fact, that would preclude me from future culls. I believe it does not, but we are interpreting and analyzing the correspondence received from the Game Commission. So it is our intention to move forward, but we have not, in fact, set the operation in motion.
Why is the -- is the problem more severe in the Wissahickon than in Pennypack? Is that the reason, the rationale behind no cull in Pennypack? You indicated you would like to do that next year?
It's just that we had 1246 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 more statistical analysis and more data on the Wissahickon than we do on the Pennypack when we applied for both permits. We have been supported by the Academy of Natural Sciences, again through the William Penn Foundation grant, and by the Friends of the Wissahickon, who commissioned a wildlife biologist study of the Wissahickon. So until we -- and we will have completed the appropriate and necessary studies of the Pennypack, we did not feel comfortable in applying for a permit.
Mr. Mifflin, the Fairmount Park Commission, along with the Game Commission, is being criticized for a lack of alternatives. Obviously, you need to get the herd under control to a point where it's manageable, and the track is to keep it down. Why aren't we doing more on PZP -- is that the terminology? -- PZP and other alternatives? The folks that are opposed to this cull believe that there are alternatives. Professionals believe that alternatives work. Is it a matter of money? Do you need additional funds? And, apparently, the William 1247 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 Penn Foundation, if they're willing to pay for a cull, I would hope that they would be also willing to support research to determine whether alternatives work. Would the William Penn Foundation, or the Fairmount Park Commission, are you doing anything to explore alternatives? Because just having a cull this year and next year and next year, personally -- and I think you know where I am here. I understand your problem, but I don't understand if there are other alternatives than shooting these deer, why we're not exploring them. Could you just bring me just briefly what we're doing to explore alternatives, and how we can convince the people that there's a sincere effort to avoid killing these deer.
Thank you. The resolution of the Fairmount Park Commission last year authorizing the application to the Pennsylvania Game Commission included the statement that I'm going to paraphrase -- I can't quote it. That a cull would be the first step in managing the population, and that we would explore, pursue and evaluate and monitor all and 1248 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 any other processes which would give us the same result. And that includes, but is not limited to, immuno-contraception, trap and transfer. Today, the only method that the Pennsylvania Game Commission will approve for the elimination of deer anywhere in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is hunting, controlled hunting, or in the case of Philadelphia, a professional culling. So we're precluded from the other examples by virtue of the agency which has jurisdiction over the animals. I have followed closely the work of Dr. Fitzpatrick and others in this area of immuno- contraception, and I believe it does have promise, but no one that I've spoken to in the scientific community has suggested -- given the number of deers that in the Pennypack, and we do know the numbers, and the number of deer we have in Wissahickon, we've taken two different types of counts -- that immuno-contraception would work in that population. It, quite frankly, can work once we reduce the number to a manageable number. So our goal is to do just that -- get it down to a manageable number. 1249 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 We certainly don't like doing this, Councilman. This is the last thing I thought I'd be doing as the park director when I took this job years ago. But it gives us no pleasure at all, 6 but it's a very difficult and emotional issue, and 7 it's evolving. It's an issue in the entire 8 eastern portion of this country, from Virginia to 9 Maine. The incidence of Lyme's disease, the 10 incidence of automobile accidents with deer, the 11 incidence of damage to farm crops. Something 12 larger, much larger than Fairmount Park, has to be done to solve this white-tailed deer problem. And I think a lot of good people are looking into the issue, but we're just not there yet. The Game Commission is now trapping and transferring elk, as an example, in counties -- obviously not in this county, but in counties in the western part of the state, but that has not been perfected yet for white-tailed deer at this time.
Well, I appreciate that response because I'm constantly hearing that there's a lack of sincerity on trying to develop an alternative. 1250 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 And, Mr. Mifflin, I'm not surprised that the Pennsylvania Game Commission won't authorize other methods of controlling the herd of deer. They're in the business of generating revenue for the State of Pennsylvania by selling hunting licenses. And I think that there are two different scenarios here. We have a municipal park that's within a city. We don't hunt here, so I think the Game Commission should maybe butt out and let us do what we need to do here in Fairmount Park to control this herd 'cause they don't receive any revenues that I know other than when we hunter in the private areas to get this herd under control. I agree with you totally, but I think that we need to show more of what we're doing to try to maintain the herd in using these alternatives. Thank you very much.
And again, I thank everyone that works with you for the great they job do in keeping that park in great condition. 1251 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00
Good afternoon, Mr. Mifflin and everybody there from Fairmount Park.
Mr. Mifflin, we just recently met not long ago to talk about issues concerning the 8th District and Fairmount Park. And, you know, in sitting here reading your budget information, somehow I wish that we could add more money for street-tree removals. In my district, we have a lot of trees, as you're aware of. 1252 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 And I guess what I'd like to see is of the 1,00 -- of the 1231 street trees that you did remove in Fiscal Year 2000, I'd like to know where they are by section of the city. And I'm going to do whatever I can, and I'm going to ask you if you can ask someone to give you more money for the removal of street trees. And I'll do what I can to help you get more money. There are lots of people in my district that have been on the waiting for three years to get their trees removed, and I'm going to be advocating for them. And also, some of those people are having problems keeping their homeowners insurance or getting homeowners insurance because of the dead trees that are so close to their property. And Councilman Nutter going to continue. I have to leave because I have a meeting, and Councilman Nutter will be continuing this.
Thank you. 1253 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00
Thank you for the question. Would you like me to begin my answer?
I think as you may know, and I don't mean to be presumptuous, given the limited resources that we have for this function, we try to be as correct as we can be in the disbursement of the funds and in the subsequent action of the contractors in removing and replacing those trees. We divide the city up into the 10 Councilmatic districts, and we spend the money evenly amongst all 10 districts, so that each one, each district person receives the same level of service. You have a district in which -- all Council people have trees in their district, so we need more money for every district. But you represent a district which has mature trees that need to be removed. Some of them are lifting the sidewalk and have outlived their space, or perhaps even outlived their usefulness as a shade tree on the streets of 1254 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 Philadelphia. It's an expensive proposition. The average cost for the removal of a street tree today in Philadelphia is $750. As you may know, the removal of a street tree must be combined with the planting of a new one to qualify for capital dollars. The planting of a new tree is about $250. So we have easy figures here. It costs $1,000 to remove a and plant one, and we just can't remove a tree, we have to plant a new one to qualify for capital dollars. We probably have 5,000 trees on our backlog list for removal, and we do the very best we can each year in whittling away at that list. When trees reach the top of the list, so to speak, if they become dangerous and their limbs are falling or we see where the tree is causing some major safety hazard, we'll do our best. Or if it's been brought to your attention by constituents, we'll do our very best to maneuver that list, but its a list that's established almost a year in advance, and we try to follow the script, so to speak. And it's just a simply a question of 1255 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 supply and demand. We know the demand is there, and we're doing our very best to remove the trees.
I don't doubt that you are doing your best. However, it is a public safety issue, and it will also -- particularly those trees that are going to fall and that do fall and have been on the list, and here comes a storm, and they're down, hitting cars etc. And it puts the City in a situation where people are filing claims through Risk Management. So, you know, we'll communicate more.
And as I said, Councilman Nutter is going to be talking about street-tree removal too, and I do thank you for your response.
Very good, thank 1256 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 you. One running theme that we hope has emerged in talking with the various City departments is the need for coordination and linkage, and the Recreation Department and Fairmount Park Commission each operate recreation centers. Speak to coordination amongst those departments, if you would, and any differences that exist as relates to the implementation of the same type of task.
Thank you, Councilwoman. I believe we have a very effective coordination effort in place. And, in fact, the charter of the City of Philadelphia mandates that there be a Recreation Coordination Board, and that board is to be comprised of the Executive Director of the Fairmount Park Commission, the Commissioner of the Department of Recreation, and the Superintendent of Schools of Philadelphia.
And those three offices meet throughout the year and to -- the purpose of the meeting is to ensure that there is not a duplicity of programs or services, to ensure that 1257 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 the state-of the-art equipment and programs are being provided to our constituents. More specifically, the Department of Recreation and the Fairmount Park Commission will jointly share civil service lists for hiring.
The Fairmount Park Commission has initiated requirements contracts for mowing and tree removal, of which the Department of Recreation and other City agencies who have need of mowing or tree-removal services can take part of our requirements contract. So we freely share that responsibility. In the areas of training, again, the Fairmount Park Commission has an issue of training seasonal employees to qualify for civil service exams that are now in the Department of Recreation, positions in the Department of Recreation as well as the Fairmount Park Commission. We share lists like lifeguards, and I'll support them at Kelly Pool, as an example, for a PDR swim team, which is at Kelly Pool, which is a Fairmount Park pool.
Sure. 1258 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00
And the Department of Recreation will provide some opportunities for our park users as well. So I feel as confident as I can, given the resources we have, and I know the Department of Recreation was at this table a couple of hours ago, so they don't -- may not have all the resources and we may not have all the resources but I think we're providing --
Part of your comment, as a segue into my next question, the Five-Year Plan shows that the Park Commission has made strong progress and efficiencies as relates to mowing contract and tree removal. Despite these improvement, isn't the Park Commission still struggling to keep pace? And how does Philadelphia stack up with other cities across the country in this area in terms of standards that you use to address that problem?
Well, you know, each -- it's tough to compare a city from one parks 1259 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 department in one city to the next, unless you had a whole bunch of variables in there. I'm not responsible, as an example, for the operating budgets but of the Zoo or the Art Museum or the stadium or of cemeteries. In some cities, the parks department is responsible for those, so you have to kind of weed through that. I think that that, as an example, our mowing cycle, on average of 2.7 weeks for the estimated 2400 mobile acres in Fairmount Park, is a very satisfactory level of service. Some of the acreage gets mowed more frequently than 2.7 acres, and some perhaps not as frequent. It is an average. Some cities have enjoyed a long history of street-tree programs, municipal street-tree maintenance programs, and Philadelphia actually is one of them. In fact, Philadelphia led the nation with a street-tree ordinance that goes to the protection and the enhancement of street trees in Philadelphia as a model ordinance, when enacted in the 1960s. Recently, in the last administration, in the last term of the Rendell Administration, we 1260 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 began to make initiatives with the support of City Council, particularly in street-tree pruning. We had taken probably a 10- to year-hiatus from 5 any routine of street-tree pruning, and we're now 6 playing catchup to that. 7 So I think we're providing a level of 8 service that's -- that may not compare real 9 favorably to other cities in that one particular 10 category, to be perfectly honest, but I think 11 that, as Councilwoman Miller has indicated, she 12 realizes we're doing the best we can, and I know 13 that we'll continue to do that. 14 And I look for ways in which we can 15 maximize our efforts in street-tree maintenance as well. We're not adverse to looking to other levels of government which may fund revitalization projects, as an example, for neighborhoods, which could include streetscape enhancements, or perhaps other departments, which may have funding for street improvements, and finding ways in which we could work with those agencies to get trees removed or planted. So I think there's a couple of ways outside of the direct funding coming from the 1261 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 Fairmount Park budget that we could perhaps increase our level of services.
This is a totally different angle. Avenue of the Arts North is now looking into -- or have been, through the capital budget, allotted money to deal with streetscape. And with new initiatives of that type, might there be an opportunity for a conversation or a discussion with the Fairmount Park Commission?
And lend the expertise of your office towards that end?
We'd be delighted to. And often, the major sponsors of these projects will come to the Park Commission 'cause they realize we have jurisdiction over the street trees, but I appreciate your comment and will make sure that we're a part of that.
Moving now to the Environmental Education Centers and knowing that you've made tremendous progress, you have funding in place, but might have you thought about a plan that speaks to sustaining the Environmental Education Centers after the current funding from 1262 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 when William Penn leaves us, dies?
Yes, Councilwoman. And as I had indicated previously, we have about two -- a little more than two years worth of funding left for the entire project, and that would include that funding which has gone -- has been directed to environmental education. However, over and above that, in 1998, the Fairmount Park Commission created it's own environmental education division, so we took staff within the system and assigned them to this new initiative. Now they're bolstered for the next two years by the William Penn grant.
We are working, almost literally as we speak, on a sustainability plan that we must present to the William Penn Foundation that will ensure that some level -- and we hope a very high level -- of services will continue after the grant. There are ways in which we can ensure that these services will continue. We have a number of revenue initiative areas that we are considering, which will bring new dollars to the 1263 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 City, which we'd hoped could be earmarked for, among other things, environmental education. We're going to do some fund-raising. We're fairly adept, for a public parks department, at raising private dollars. We're looking for partnerships with other governmental agencies as well as the corporate community, to name just three examples of what the plan will include. And I'd be happy to keep you involved in that planning process.
Please do. Neighborhoods and communities talk, and according to the testimony, there are six that are on line or currently operating. What level of uniformity in programs will exist with regards to those various locations around the City?
I'm sorry, missed the very first part of the question six centers? I'm sorry. Six --
That's -- you're right. I'm sorry, I just missed your first word, and that threw me off of the entire comment. 1264 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00
Understanding that you have to have some respect for the community where it sits.
Yes, ma'am, yes. I'd like to use the phrase that these centers will not be cookie cutter-type centers. As an example, the one in Cobbs Creek is using -- is adaptively reusing a 1930s stable, park stables, masonry stone stable that has been vacant for more than a decade. And one of the major focuses of that initiative, with the support of Councilwoman Blackwell, is the career opportunities for African-Americans in environmental education. So even though the environmental ed. curriculum that will be presented to the students at that center may be similar in its curriculum content to the other four or five centers, one of the things that makes Cobbs Creek, as an example, 1265 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 different is that we're working in the minority community, and the opportunity, through education, to create career opportunities for citizens of that region is really not being duplicated in any of the other centers. And they each have a very unique opportunity. The one in FDR Park, as an example, which is in South Philadelphia, has been embraced by the South Philadelphia community.
And we wish to take a room in the center. And, again, we're adaptively reusing a stable, as a matter of fact, in FDR Park, although they will create a historical library for South Philadelphians in the building, and they'll have meetings there, and there's a great emphasis on senior citizens' activities in FDR Park. So we are making them or attempting, if you will, and even in the planning stages, to make them adaptive and current, if you will, to that particular community, while having a uniform theme of environmental education.
Well, many of us 1266 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 are excited about that and are keeping a watch eye. My final question is around the Park Ranger Program. We know about its success are concerned about its future. Where -- the current number you mentioned in your testimony is 24?
And with regards to the future, what are you thinking, what is your action plan?
Okay. I personally have a great affinity for the rangers, and I work pretty strenuously at ensuring that the rangers are a part of the Fairmount Park delivery of service and will continue for the future. Our plans, however, are not to expand the program on the short term. We believe that it is economically feasible if the support from the City, through City Council, continues at its present level of $500,000 annually, that we can raise the matching $500,000 to ensure that this current level of can be sustained. There will 24 have to be some increases for raises, cost-of- living increases, and I'm certain that we can 1267 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 locate that funding as well privately. But the challenge is, to the Park Commission, is to match the City funding, and the Commission has accepted that challenge and continues to work to met that. I -- I wish we could do better. The rangers are an important facet of our park operation. And my work at the university in the early '80s suggested that we need about 150 rangers to adequately service the park. So with only -- and we do work, depending upon the time 12 of the year -- seven days a week and two shifts a 13 day per day with. 14 So a lot of people ask me, "Where are 15 the rangers?" Well, with 8900 acres, 7 days a 16 week, 2 shifts a day, they are few and far 17 between. 18
And I will close 19 by saying that the rangers become a clear example 20 or a tangible example that the Cobbs Creek 21 Environmental Center is trying to do, and that is, 22 draw a line, if you will, to a career path that 23 can come with that experience. 24
Thank you very, 1268 OPERATING BUDGET CONT'D. - BILL 05 - 2/16/00 very much for your testimony.