Committee Hearing, April 1, 2008

We will not engage in that. We don't have the financial or legal authority to engage a tree on private property.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

You're welcome. When we first started our 108 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. hearings this morning for Fairmount Park, it seemed to be moving very rapidly and I took the liberty of calling the Recreation Department to come in, and they have been sitting here for quite a while, and I thought that rather than go through the very extensive day as we had yesterday, if we worked through, we could probably get completed much earlier today than we did yesterday. So at this time, the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brown.

Two more questions, Madam President. I hear your appeal, and I have no problems honoring it. Let me get to my question and then the quick follow-up to Councilman Goode's line of questioning. Presently before members of Philadelphia City Council is a tour guide bill that I'm hopeful to garner adequate support, and I'm curious to know, are there any stipulations, requirements, 109 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. parameters for the tours that happen in Philadelphia Fairmount Park?

Currently, we have no tours of the park. We had a tour operator that offered a for-profit private tour of the park through Philadelphia Trolley Works, but that ceased about two years ago.

Okay.

So currently we have no systematic tours of Fairmount Park.

All right, then. In my line of questioning regarding the contracting opportunity, I referenced the letter that was sent to the Mayor on February 7th, and it's my -- well, let me not be presumptuous. Could we ask the Budget Director to come to the witness table, Madam President? Is he still here? Great. (Witness approached witness table.)

The 110 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. unfairness about this question is that it was copied to Clay Armbrister, Rob Dubow, Julia Chapman and Stephen -- well, that would be you.

That would be me.

So what I need to know is how the specifics of this letter was handled with budget department heads, City department heads.

Madam President, Councilmember, when we received your letter, we were about two days into the preparation of testimony. We went back to every department and we told them that in the slide presentations that they were producing, we were going to add a slide that referenced your question with respect to MBE/DBE and that we had a template. Everybody was to follow that template and they were to provide us with the information. To my knowledge, everyone has provided that, and I believe that what 111 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. we're seeing here and I think part of the confusion is that there is some confusion on our end with respect to who is the keeper of that information, is it Procurement, is it MBEC, is it the department, and I think what we need to do is go back and perhaps do this in a more comprehensive manner rather that on a department-by-department basis to bring you a report probably from the Budget or Finance Department, give you those participation rates that you and Councilmember Goode were asking for and do that in one sort of comprehensive document as opposed to doing it department by department so that you have that before you.

Okay. And my comment to that is, it's important for leadership to take the lead and represent this issue that has been raised for the last eight years since I've been here. It's equally important that department heads recognize a quote by Peter Drucker, 112 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. which is, "Management is doing things right. Leadership is doing the right things." So it's important that that philosophy be shared across government and not just rest on the second floor in his cabinet. And I believe that that's where -- I can't speak for Councilman Goode, but his line of questioning signifies that, yes, it starts with leadership on the second floor, but philosophically it needs to be driven by every single department head and not always feel comfortable in punting it to the Procurement Department or to the Mayor's Department or to the head of diversity for government. What the expectation here now is going forward, that everybody who is in government, who is in position of leadership and responsibility, take the responsibility to make sure that, A, their department looks like Philadelphia, and, B, women, people of color and people with 113 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. disabilities are getting a fair shake at the economic pie. Thank you, Madam President.

You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilman Green.

Point of information.

Yes. The Chair recognizes Councilman Goode for a point of information.

Thank you, Madam President. Just very quickly to add on to that. The purpose of the Councilwoman's request and the purpose of the ordinance 19 which was signed into law is to put the pressure on each department, because clearly if the City has a goal of 37 percent and we're here today at a Council hearing where Fairmount Park, according to the executive branch's own document, for Fiscal Year '07 is at 17 percent and 114 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. I believe that Recreation is at 13 percent and I could go through the list, clearly the City is not going to get to an overall goal of 37 percent unless everyone is raising their goals. And the only way you're going to raise those goals, even through a procurement process that has a Charter mandate of the lowest responsible bidder, is to identify subcontractors. And clearly, each department is more familiar with the services that they want to undertake, probably, as Mr. Focht said, create the bid specifications, are involved in the bid process to some extent. So clearly, we could raise these goals if each department head are actually identifying qualified disadvantaged businesses that can participate on a subcontract level. And either we're going to do it or we're not going to do it, but clearly, it's not useful to us in the end if the Administration just comes back and goes 115 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. through their full list, but it's a healthful dialogue for us to have with each department, which is why Councilwoman Brown made the request she made before the budget process and clearly why I introduced the bill, which is now law. And it is what it is now, and each department should be held accountable. Thank you, Madam President.

You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilman Green.

Thank you, Madam Chair. One quick question and then one recommendation/observation. The question is for you, Mark. What is your view on the proposed consolidation of Fairmount Park into the Recreation Department?

I think it's a matter that has been discussed going back to probably 2005 when I first became 116 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. Director in conversations with Councilman Clarke and Councilwoman Reynolds Brown and with all of our constituents. I think it's an ongoing conversation. I don't have a position nor do I know that the Administration has a position on the current legislation that's before Council. I think it's prompted a very positive dialogue. It's prompted some revisions in how both Fairmount Park and Recreation currently do business with our constituents and with each other. So I think the conversation that's been going on now for about three years or so around this issue has been very productive.

Well, maybe you could talk to us about what -- I mean, you are the manager of Fairmount Park -- what you think the benefits and dangers of such an arrangement would be.

Well, I guess I can talk certainly about what the benefits 117 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. have been so far with what we've done with responsibility-based realignment. I'm not sure I can talk to what I think the benefits or the lack of benefits would be for a proposed merged department, because I'm not really sure that there's been yet a lot of in-depth analysis of how that department would be structured, how it would deliver services, where the responsibility areas would be. There's a lot involved, obviously, in the merging of two operating departments, and there's been -- to my knowledge, I have not been involved in any detailed discussion about how that department would be structured or would function, so I would have difficulty pointing to what the benefits or lack of benefits would be.

Is it fair to say that the Park has never had the resources it needs to run its own operation properly, and without giving it 118 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. that opportunity, we don't have enough data to determine whether or not a consolidation would be meaningful?

I think it's very safe to say that, correct, that the department has never been adequately resourced going back to the last probably close to years. This proposed budget 10 increase by Mayor Nutter is the only 11 substantially budget increase in over two 12 decades in Fairmount Park. And I think 13 Councilman Rizzo mentioned back in the 14 '80s, 1984 we had 640 full-time employees 15 and today we're down to 169 and will go 16 to 190 with this budget increase. 17 This budget increase is really, 18 to steal a phrase, a new day for 19 Fairmount Park. It's an incredible 20 endorsement I think of the Park and our Strategic Plan and our efforts, but we have a long way to go still.

Thank you. One of the ideas that came out of the tour that Councilwoman Sanchez, 119 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. Councilman Jones and I had with you was the concept of the Park really as an economic development engine in the sense that currently the Convention Center Authority, the Greater Philadelphia Marketing Tourism Bureau, et cetera, they don't really have a -- there is no 9 comprehensive plan to turn the Park into a significant attraction other than a brief mention in the marketing materials, and specifically with respect to developing in Europe and Asia and other places where people are going to be flocking to the states this summer, the concept of eco-tourism in our 9,000-acre park, the flora and fauna available, the history that is our park system, the watershed that is our park system, all the things that tourists would be very interested in. And I'd like to know if any discussions have begun between the Park system and the Tourism Bureau or the Convention Center Authority in terms of making the Park that kind of attraction 120 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. for the City of Philadelphia. Because it is one of our crown jewels and we don't seem to be promoting it to visitors. As you mentioned, an operator -- you don't even have tours of the Park.

Right. We are part of GPTMC's, the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation's, called Boundless Philadelphia, formerly called Outdoor Philadelphia, initiative. In fact, GPTMC has placed in the Convention and Visitors Guide a full-page map of Fairmount Park, being east and west park, and the Wissahickon, with highlighting where some of our assets are and where they can rent bikes at Lloyd Hall and go to dinner at the Water Works and where the hiking trails are. I think that's an initial effort that was very positive, and we thank GPTMC and PCVB for doing that for us. We largely have to rely on the largesse of our friends and partners to do that for us, in that we have no 121 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. general operating funds for any kind of marketing or promotions budget. What we have done to date, which I would like to think is substantial in launching our own website, Fairmountpark.org, and our map and Visitors Guide, has all been through funds raised by the Fairmount Park Conservancy, our non-profit partner to help do that work. So we rely on the support of these other organizations. I think we're doing a much better job in getting the word out. We could do much more, but we would need substantially more resources.

Whether those resources are provided to those marketing agencies or your arm, could you provide the Chair what kind of resources would be necessary to really have an eco-tourism strategy for the Park for people that are coming to America and to the City of Philadelphia?

Certainly. Be pleased to. 122 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much. I appreciate your patience. Thank you.

Certainly. Thank you. Thank you, members of Council.

I would like to now call up the next department, Recreation. (Witnesses approached witness table.)

Good morning. Thank you for your patience. I think you heard me earlier. I didn't realize the Fairmount Park would take as long as it did. Therefore, I thought that you would be able to come in and testify earlier. At this time, I would ask you to please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Good afternoon, Council President Mrs. Verna, 123 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. Honorable City Council members. I am William Carapucci, Acting Recreation Commissioner for the City of Philadelphia. I'd like to introduce my executive team. To the right is Leo Dignam, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Programs. To my left is Deputy Commissioner for Maintenance Frank Fabey. We thank you for this opportunity to present our requested budget for FY09. In light of the new Administration's focus on safety, education, jobs, sustainable neighborhoods, ethics and customer service, I am proud to be representing a department that plays such a vital role in many of these core areas. The mission of the Rec Department is to provide a wide variety of quality programs at safe and well-maintained facilities. By doing this, our department has a great impact on the safety of our neighborhoods, as well as the health and sustainability of 124 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. the same neighborhoods. The children and youth that we serve by providing quality after-school programs, summer camps and opportunities in sports, arts, activities in our youth and community centers will not only have alternatives that keep them off the street, but will be helped to develop skills that will prepare them for adulthood. As in the spirit of going back to basics, let me outline our back-to-basics initiatives with our eye to the future. FY2009 budget request: The Rec Department is requesting $38,945,732 in the General Fund. That is broken down into $32,277,509 in Class 100, $3,028,052 in Class 200, $1,640,171 in Class 400 and $2 million in Class 500. In the Grants Revenue Fund, we request $8,076,618, for a total budget of $47,022,350. The Rec Department's Grants Revenue Fund appropriations will provide for Summer Food and After-School Snack 125 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. Programs, the Older Adult Program, the Summer Youth Job Training, and its Youth and Community Centers Development. Key relevant results: The Recreation Department will be at the forefront of this Administration in helping develop healthy and sustainable neighborhoods. We will build on the strengths of our current structure, but extend services to more citizens, from children in pre-school to senior citizens, by setting new standards to provide a basic level of programming at all of our centers in a safe environment. Our key performance measures will track the number and variety of programs offered at our rec center sites so that more citizens will be able to participate in recreation activities with trained supervision and support. To improve customer service, we will encourage the community to have a voice in our programming by implementing customer service surveys at the 126 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. conclusion of our summer camps. These surveys will allow feedback from our users to provide critical information regarding the quality of our camps. In addition to customer service surveys, we will seek to improve the cleanliness of our centers with weekly safety and cleanliness inspections at all of our facilities and increase maintenance staffing at smaller playgrounds and parks. Key initiatives: In the spirit of Commissioner Ramsey's getting-back-to-basics theme in the Police Department, the Department of Recreation is also getting back to basics. We are reviewing our programming to focus on the entire family, including teens and at-risk youth. We want to get all our playgrounds and recreation centers back to a basic level of soundness and quality.

We want to increase fitness opportunities, build more welcoming entrances and points of 127 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. service and, finally, be a part of the community in maintaining a healthy, green, sustainable city. With our Play Ball initiative, we expect to expand our baseball program to underserved communities in North, 8 West and Southwest Philadelphia. These 9 new programs will mirror our Police 10 Department's priorities. Professional 11 Recreation staff will operate the 12 programs, and some of the funding will come from the Phillies and Pitch in for Baseball, a non-profit that donates baseball equipment to programs in need. In collaboration with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, we will expand our Youth Environmental Stewardship Program, known as YES. The objective of YES is to increase teens' awareness of the ecology of their urban community and provide them with the hands-on stewardship close to home. The program will be increased by 33 percent, from six to eight sites. 128 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. Being mindful of our goal to increase public safety, we're going back to basics with our facilities. Operation Welcome will transform the front entrances of our buildings into safe and welcoming entryways by focusing on a few key elements like signage, lighting, fences and benches. As a first step, in partnership with the Anti-Graffiti Network, we are working to remove the nuisance graffiti in our facilities and outside of our buildings. We have already started this in some of our playgrounds and rec centers. The Philadelphia Rec Department is instrumental in providing healthy and sustainable neighborhoods, and to further this goal, we will expand our successful green initiatives. These include the Clean 'N Green park maintenance program that provides daily maintenance service to unmanned parks and playgrounds. Currently, our 34 seasonal maintenance aides provide services to 43 small, 129 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. mostly passive park sites. For 2008, we will hire an additional seasonal 4 maintenance aides, for a total of 60 5 maintenance aides, to provide services to 6 75 of our unmanned Class C and D 7 recreation facilities. This is a 43 8 percent increase in basic maintenance 9 support citywide. 10 In FY07, there were 553,796 11 sport-related visits to our rec centers 12 and 87,155 visits to our cultural 13 programs. Based on this volume, an 14 effective outreach and recycling program 15 in Recreation has tremendous potential 16 for the effective sustainability of our 17 neighborhoods. Through our recycling 18 partnership with the Streets Department, 19 we will begin recycling at A centers 20 throughout our system. The program will 21 expand one district at a time each month, 22 beginning in the spring of 2008, until 23 all are served with proper receptacles 24 and education outreach as needed. 25 Work will continue with our 130 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. Capital Workforce in our back-to-basics theme. In conjunction with the Department of Recreation, the CPO Office will assess all C and D centers in our system. These assessments will provide the Maintenance Division with a prioritized list based on objective criteria of all our maintenance projects at these sites to get them to a basic standard of service. The Capital Workforce will use these assessments to complete projects that contribute to the safety and improved infrastructure of our facilities across the City. This way, all neighborhoods across the City will be positively affected. Having the largest website in City government, the Department of Recreation welcomes input and participation from the public. We are currently working with the Fels Institute of Government of the University of Pennsylvania to increase accountability along with our customer service. 131 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. Participant satisfaction surveys will be implemented at our summer camps in FY09 to get feedback from the public we serve.

We are reviewing our data collection procedures as well as our technology so that we can begin to better track maintenance work orders, facility usage, program participation rates and adherence to program standards at all staffed facilities within the Department. Through this budget and our new initiatives, the Philadelphia Department of Recreation has the potential to have a far-reaching impact on the Mayor's core service areas while improving the quality of life in all neighborhoods. We are concerned about our aging infrastructure, but with the Capital Workforce, we can bring all of our facilities back to a basic and respectable level of soundness and safety. Strong playgrounds and recreational opportunities where children feel safe and accepted build a sense of community and safer neighborhoods while 132 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. developing skills for our youth. Our greening and recycling programs make us responsible stewards for the future of our City by making our neighborhoods vibrant and livable. We thank the City Council and look forward to its support and leadership as we improve the quality of life of our citizens and youth.

Thank you very much. Mr. Carapucci, I just want to thank you and members of your department for all the wonderful work that you do. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Thank you.

And I wanted to public acknowledge that. On -4 of the detail, it reflects that your department has $643,803 reduction for delay in filling positions and turnover. On average, how many positions must remain vacant for you to achieve these savings? 133 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: An average employee makes approximately $40,000 a year. So to have $640,000 in delayed turnover, you would have approximately openings on a year-round 7 basis. 8

What 9 impact will these vacancies have on your 10 operation? 11 COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: We 12 have been innovative in trying to keep 13 our facilities clean. That's one of the 14 reasons why with the new Administration 15 we put extra money into seasonal 16 maintenance aides, so that we can have the facilities clean for the spring and summer and hopefully on a year-round basis.

Can you tell us how many vacancies you currently have? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Yeah, I can tell you exactly. Fifty-seven.

134 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. That's a nice number. On average, how long have these 57 positions been vacant? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: The 57 positions on the last couple of years, it's been pretty steady, going from 40 to 60, in that range, and there's a number of reasons. I would imagine that sometimes testing and a little hard to get all the testing up and go through the Personnel process. There's a lot of steps to get people hired.

But there should be existing civil service lists. If we have vacancies and we have existing civil service lists, my question is -- and if there's money in the budget, why aren't these people being hired? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Well, in the past two years, I've never seen as many people leave the government as have left because of various programs and retirements, and I know at our department we have had a major turnover of staff because of all the people that have 135 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. retired, I would say, since around the spring of '06. The entry-level positions we are attempting to hire now. That would be for rec leader trainee, assistant rec leader, the custodian, the custodial people. For some of the promotional positions, it's always a matter of testing. And in the past couple of years, because so many people have left, we constantly have had to have new tests given. So the testing sometimes -- if you don't have a list, it's hard to promote, because -- you are 100 percent correct, we should always have a list for every position within our department, but at some point there's been some delays.

What steps, if any, are being taken to fill these positions in a timely manner? I think it's utterly ridiculous that we would have 57 vacancies. Is the Budget Director in here? (Witness approached witness 136 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. table.)

I don't know if you heard the question.

I did. Thank you, Madam President.

Can you give us a response, please?

Well, Madam President, I think it's a very fair question. I think there are a lot of vacancies in a number of departments. In a recent PhillyStat meeting, there was a representation by the Personnel Department as to why a number of the positions are being held across the City, across departments. I was a little puzzled by that representation, so I've asked my staff to go and look at that. What I'm trying to understand is why positions are being held, how they match up with what's been budgeted, how they match up with the Personnel plan for each of the departments. So I am trying to get a handle on that. 137 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. What I can commit to you is that once I have that, I can come back in a week or two and try to give that sort of overview to you, perhaps with Personnel sitting by my side.

All right. Also, while you're doing that, I'd like you to refer to Section 41, 5. Do you have that?

I'm going to borrow the Commissioner's. Yes, I do.

I personally think that this is somewhat misleading. If you look at '07, there were approximately 457 positions, actual positions. Council in '08 added 517 positions.

Did you say Council?

Council. We added appropriations for 517. Again for '09, it's 517, and 138 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. then if you look at what the increase is supposed to be, it's 51. Now, I'd like some explanation of that, because I think it's somewhat misleading.

Madam President, as I understand it, what you're referencing is the difference, the 517, which I believe is the authorized, versus the 466, which I believe is the actual expected obligated number or actually filled at that point in time.

No, no. We're not comparing the 457. It's the 517 that was budgeted in '08 and we have 517 budgeted for '09, and yet it would appear that we're having an increase of 51 positions.

I understand the question, and let's see if I can explain this. The 517 from the budgeted Fiscal Year '08 corresponds to the 517 for the budgeted Fiscal '09. The 466 number to the 517, the 466 represents the anticipated number of positions that 139 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. would have been filled at the end of Fiscal Year '08. So that the increase, the calculation of the increase, is the 51 over the end of FY08. It is not, you are correct, it is not an increase from the original budgeted of FY08 to FY09. As I understand it, that is customary here to work from the run level --

Arbitrary figures, is that the custom? I don't see that being an increase.

From a budget to budget position, you're correct.

So is the Recreation Department going to be getting an increase in positions?

The number of positions they will have in FY09 will be the same that they had in FY08, the 517.

Why are we all so thrilled about that?

I'm sorry. I didn't hear that.

I 140 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. said I don't understand why we're all so thrilled about that when we have 57 vacancies. It doesn't sound good to me.

It's a high number.

It is, and what are we going to do to fill these vacancies? What steps are we going to take to fill these vacancies so that -- this is a very important department for every section of the City. What are we doing to fill the 57 vacancies?

Madam President, I will go back to Personnel and to my own department and we will come back with a plan for you and for Council as to what is anticipated and why these have not been filled.

Point of information, Madam President.

How soon -- excuse me?

Follow-up on 141 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. your question.

I just want to ask one question. When do you think we can have this information? Because we definitely want it before we complete these public hearings.

I will commit to get that to you by the beginning of next week.

Thank you. Councilman Rizzo for a point of information.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Commissioner Carapucci, we've identified you're 57 short. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Yes, sir.

What impact is that having on you and what, if you had those positions, could you do? I mean, I just can't imagine. Your whole 142 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. operation would be enhanced by having all those positions filled, correct? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: I'll break it down for you. We have ten in administration. We have approximately ten in program and the other 37 positions are in maintenance. When I say "maintenance," I want to go over this with you now. There's the custodial service and then there's the Capital Workforce. Skilled trades, we're almost where we should be. Our biggest vacancies are in the custodial workforce that works at all our A and B centers. In other words, we have approximately 120 A and B centers. That's where our biggest shortfall is. And we also have in three sections of the City what is known as -- we would call it a crew, where you have maybe five or six people that are assigned to go around to either pick up the trash, do the specials, help out for like this coming weekend with the Mayor's clean-up, things like that. So 143 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. that's where we're impacted the most. And with the program staff, we have some shortages in some of our A centers, and what happens is, when an opening occurs, like say in a B center, we have to cover all our facilities. When I say "cover," every facility has to have somebody. Now, is it proper staffing at every facility? No. But we have to keep all our facilities open. We don't close our facilities, especially this time of the year coming now. So it will mean that some of the A centers, instead of having the two full-time rec leaders, the part-time rec leader, they may only have one full time. So we have a few of those. That's the impact.

So you're struggling a little bit because of this shortage and it would certainly be a big, big improvement to have these positions filled, especially since you've broken it down. Custodial work at a rec center, I 144 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. mean, eventually it's going to catch up to you if you don't have that being accomplished, correct? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Yes, sir. That's always our biggest challenge and one of our biggest complaints from the public of over the -- especially the last few years, that cleanliness and things like that.

Commissioner, I'm sure if we move this -- because I can't vote for a budget that doesn't give you the people you need to get the job done. I'm sure if you get the word to hire these people, you might even be able to get them before the summer really comes in on you and all the work is in front of you, correct? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Yes, sir.

Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I guess my question is, we have 37 openings 145 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. for maintenance. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Correct.

Is there an existing civil service list? Is there? Can somebody answer? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: I'll get that answer for you.

Mr. Director, if there is an existing list, when do you feel we can hire these 37 maintenance crews? He's the Commissioner. You're the Director.

Madam President, what I would plan to do is sit down with the Department, with the Commissioner, with Personnel, be sure that they are active lists that can be used to get the hiring done. The difficulty -- the challenge we'll have here is that, as I understand it, because there are salary savings of approximately 650,000 that have been set aside, we would have to 146 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. identify 650,000 in salary savings in order to make the budget whole.

No. 5 See, the problem has been and it's going to stop. We have fought consistently year after year in Council for the Recreation Department to get the necessary personnel they need so that they would be able to efficiently do an excellent job. The problem has been, we have put additional money into the budget and the previous Administrations decided that they were not going to spend the money. This has got to stop. It's got to stop, and it's going to stop soon, because I am sick. And I'm sure many of you who have been here as I have year after year after year, we have had the same story presented to us. I don't care where the money comes from. I think the Recreation Department, as I said, with the summer coming on, to have all of these existing vacancies absolutely makes 147 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. no sense to me whatsoever. And with the crime rate that we've seen in the past, we need children to be occupied in such facilities where they're supervised, where they're going to have camps. And I want them to be clean and safe. I don't think we really ask for that much, but this much we're asking for, and I think it's extremely important. I think it's extremely important to the entire City, not just my district or Councilwoman Blackwell's district or Councilman DiCicco's. I think that everybody feels as I do, and if they don't, they can say it. But I want this to stop today. All right, Director. Thank you. I'd appreciate whatever information you can get to us as soon as possible. Mr. Carapucci, on -4 of your detail, you show a savings of $50,000 for streamlined supply purchasing. Can you explain how you achieve these savings? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: A 148 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. couple ways. Some of the supplies we discovered in some cases are not being used the way they were years ago. So some of the stuff that may be outdated, we cut out. Some advisory councils through the partnerships with us have taken it upon themselves to buy some of the supplies. And we also have used other sources of income, that we may be lucky to get a grant or something like that to buy some supplies. So the 50,000 should not be a major consequence for us.

So there will be no impact on your ability to maintain your various facilities? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: No. 18 I'm 100 percent committed that we're going to operate all our day camps this summer, all our programs, and I would not put a budget together that would affect any of the kids.

I had a couple of questions here regarding maintenance, but I don't think it's 149 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. necessary to ask you those questions at this point in time, but we will certainly have answers hopefully by next week. The Chair recognizes Councilman DiCicco. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Thank you. Thank you, Madam President. Good afternoon, everyone. And I echo the comments that were made earlier by the Council President as it relates to the Department of Recreation and its service to the communities of the City of Philadelphia. I certainly do appreciate that. I just want to take a different approach to this for the purpose of establishing a record. You know I've had some concern -- and I think other District Councilpeople have had similar concerns -- with the time that it has taken to either redo or reconstruct various recreation facilities. In this case I'm speaking specifically about the Columbus Square at 12th and Wharton 150 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. Streets.

How many years did that take? COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Well, I think we broke ground in '04, if I'm not mistaken, maybe '05. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: '04. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: 2004. And it was a project that we expected to take anywhere from months to two years. 12 I'll go the outset of two years. It's 13 finally being completed. We will have an 14 official ribbon cutting in about a week 15 or two. And it's my understanding that 16 under the previous Administration, that 17 capital project contracts that were 18 normally awarded -- and correct me if I'm wrong -- for the Department of Recreation were handled internally, but that now became a function of the Capital Office. Is that accurate or inaccurate? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Reconstruction or construction of a brand new facility, as you have, is the 151 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. function of the Capital Program Office. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Was that not at one time the function of the Department of Recreation? Would the Department of Recreation oversee the bids? I know you do the architectural renderings and work on design features and other issues, but when the bid goes out, the bid goes out from Public Property? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Yeah; Capital Program Office. Before the last Administration, the Capital -- Recreation, because we have so many buildings, the Capital team was assigned in our department. They reported to the Recreation Commissioner, and all the functions of the Capital Program Office as referred to the Department of Recreation were under our jurisdiction. They were moved out, I think it was, around January of '01 and then now they're under the Capital Program Office. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: And the 152 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. reason I'm raising this question, Madam President, is that a two-year project has now exceeded four years, and I'm not certain if it's because of the fact that the Department of Recreation no longer has the powers that it once had. But the thing that's been driving me crazy about this is that when I asked about when you let these contracts out, whether it's Department of Recreation or any other department where Capital oversees the contract bids and signs the contracts for these projects to move forward, there is a start date, but there is no completion date, which means that the contractor could take as long as he or she wants to. And many of us who had some contractors we hired to do work in our homes understand when a contractor comes in, they sign a contract, the first two weeks they're working very feverishly and you think your job is going to get done and all the sudden they're off to another contract, and that's how it works in the 153 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. contracting industry. But we have a community in this case, and many other communities I'm sure, that has gone without a recreation facility for at least two more years in addition to what the downtime would have been under normal circumstances. I find that unusual. Many, many years ago when I worked for the Department of Transportation as a construction inspector in the Highway Division, there was a completion date that the contractor had to adhere to. If they didn't meet that deadline date, there was a penalty imposed. In fact -- and I'm not suggesting we should do this -- there was also an incentive by the Department of Transportation to encourage the contractor to finish ahead of schedule, because that had to deal with traffic or whatever. So, again, I'm just trying to establish a record here. I think this is the most ridiculous way of doing a 154 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. contract. I'm not criticizing your department for it, but I want to make light of that again and bring that to everyone's attention as we move forward with this budgeting process and the Administration takes into account some of the concerns that we have, that this Administration may want to look a lot closer to that.

Whether they leave it with the Capital Office Program or give it back to the Department of Rec, that's not that big an issue for me. What's at stake here is the time that we are spending and tying up -- and in this case kids are not being able to use Recreation's facility for two additional years because it's an open-ended contract -- just doesn't make sense. And I think I may have brought that up at the dinner meeting that night with the Mayor. I don't remember exactly. But it's something that I think is really important that we need to look at going forward. 155 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. ) COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: So, again, I have a tendency sometimes to ask the question, but kind of make more comments than the question, but it's something really important. It was embarrassing for me, as I'm sure it is for other Councilpeople. They actually put a "rest in peace" sign up on the facility, and being the political world that we all live in and I live in, there were people who were suggesting that I pulled the funding away because people in that community weren't going to vote for me, which was ridiculous. I live around the corner from the facility. But it became a political issue. And then people kind of lose faith in government. It's one of those, what's going on here, why isn't this happening. So it's just not a good message to send and I think we really need to tighten that up if we can.

Madam President, 156 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. Councilmember, we heard that message that you and your colleagues provided to us when we had that dinner. We've heard it during the testimony. I am spending a lot more time with the Capital Planning Office personally in order to be sure that they are able to explain carefully and accurately what you are asking in terms of questions and getting a better handle on how we not just allocate dollars for Capital, but how we're working with our maintenance in each of the departments, how we're working with Public Property and how we're working on space. I'm a few weeks into it, but I'm trying to get my hands around that and spend more time with them to answer many of those questions, and I think you're raising very valid concerns. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Thank you. And I do have one other question, Madam President, and --

Excuse me, Councilman. 157 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Did my bell ring?

While we're on that, if I could just piggyback on your question. Does the Recreation Department still have roofers, plumbers? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Yes.

They're not included, I hope, in the 57. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: We have roofers, we have plumbers, electricians, maintenance mechanics. I'll get the exact number for you.

You have them on the books. Do you have the bodies? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: We have 58 skilled tradesmen total of all the trades. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Were you budgeted?

Are they filled? 158 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Yes. We have 58 that are employed. I think we're budgeted for 62 or 63, so -- 65. We're budgeted for 65. We have on the books, it's 58.

Well, I think the Department has done a fabulous job in that regard, because I know that at one of the recreation centers, the Recreation Department went out, addressed the roof problem. If we had gone through Capital budget, we'd still be waiting, I think, for the roof to be repaired. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt you, but I just wanted to know if in fact we had the necessary personnel in those departments in order to address our needs. Thank you. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: And I agree, Madam President. I think it's a good question, and I've noticed a major improvement in getting a response in getting these problems corrected in a 159 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. timely manner, because if you don't, what happens then is then through the preventive maintenance, we wind up having bigger problems. So I think it's helped us all the way around in that regard. Camp William Penn, one of my favorite subjects. Anything going on with Camp William Penn? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: We're going to get around -- COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Still have 30 kids going up there a year? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: We were going to get around to that. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: It would have been a great location for one of the casinos, but anyway. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: I don't think it's -- COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: A little bit out of my district, but I was pushing for it.

Is that Foxwoods or any particular casino? 160 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Could be either one, SugarHouse. Either one. Actually, there's enough room up there for both of them, but that's beside the point.

Excuse me, Councilman. I think that Camp William Penn is scheduled immediately after. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Thank you. I'll wait then. Thank you.

And we do have a couple Councilmembers that would like to be recognized. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Thank you, Madam President. Thank you.

Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brown.

Thank you, Madam President. Good morning, gentlemen. Let me join the chorus as sung by President 161 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. Verna and Councilman DiCicco on this 57 vacancies that you have, particularly as we get ready for the summer. So when you put it in that context, we look forward to the report that will be forthcoming by the Budget Director. Thank you for the open, candid discussions about the Dell and honoring the timelines that you shared with us in the briefing three weeks ago, followed up with the briefing this past Friday for my colleagues, and we will continue to pay close attention to that, as I'm sure the District Councilperson will. I'm going to seize the moment again and beat a dead horse on this notion of City departments looking like Philadelphia. Thank you for including in your testimony the grid that talks about what's happening with your contracts. So as I look as this, I see a part of the question answered wherein you say that contracts with non-governmental agencies totaled 1.4, but what I don't -- 162 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. oh, then the answer to the question is, there were no contracts with MBE-certified firms? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Yes, Council.

So that means that -- that means what? Let me not answer the question. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: We just deal with non-profits. Any contracts go through Procurement.

To go to Councilman Goode's issue to the former department, Rec does not do any direct subcontracting at all? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: No, ma'am.

Okay. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: It goes through Procurement. If there was any way that I could assist, I'm here to help that. I know your goals and I agree with your goal, but we don't do that. That goes to Procurement, and I don't 163 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. know any other way around that.

All right. You indicate --

Point of information.

The Chair recognizes Councilman Goode for a point of information.

Mr. Carapucci, did you hear my line of questioning with Mr. Focht? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Yes, sir.

So how are you involved in the contracting process? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: We are not. We just give Procurement what we need.

So you tell -- COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: The service that we need.

You tell them what services need to be purchased? 164 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Yes, sir.

Are you involved in any of the bid specifications? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: We just tell them what we need. We don't tell them --

That's referred to as bid specifications. You tell them what type of services. You tell them specifically how those services need to be undertaken. Are you involved in the selection process at all? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: No, sir.

It's the lowest responsible bidder? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Yes, sir.

Are you aware of who the Procurement Department contracts with in terms of contractors or subcontractors on behalf of the 165 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. Recreation Department? Are you aware of who those contractors are? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: After they're selected and are doing the work, we'll know who they are.

And do they tend to be the same contractors they were in the previous year? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: The last couple years we've noticed a couple of the same people.

Okay. You are familiar with whether they do a good job or don't do a good job; is that correct? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Yes. And if they do not perform, we have the ability to state the reason why they're not performing, and they could lose that contract.

So you are aware of the capacity that's out there in terms of disadvantaged firms or possibly firms that are not disadvantaged. Is it 166 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. possible within the course of your responsibility to identify disadvantaged firms as contractors or subcontractors and still within that process and within those bid documents within which you suggest to the Procurement Department needs to happen also identify opportunities with disadvantaged firms? I mean, do you know enough about the people who do the type of work that you require to know whether there are more disadvantaged firms that could be participating? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: I really don't know all the ins and outs of that, but I'm willing to work with Procurement or with anybody else that could --

There's clearly a role for each department to play. There's someone in each department that can identify contract opportunities at a contractor level or subcontractor level and have that basically infused 167 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. into the process. I mean, I'll even go further than I did with the last department and what we will eventually get to with some other departments is that I know for a fact that not only the people who continually receive City business over and over again, but the departments write the bid specifications, cater to the same person receiving the business, and that's how they get the lowest responsible bid. So I'm not aiming this at you directly, but I'm not letting anybody off the hook. I mean, this is serious business right now for me. This is my third term, and I'm not hearing that it can't be done. Either it's a new day or it's not a new day, and each department is going to be held responsible. Thank you, Madam President. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: I agree.

You're welcome. 168 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc.

I was still up.

Councilwoman Brown.

Thank you, Madam President. So if you could take everything that Councilman Goode said, put it in capital letters, underscore it with exclamation points. We really are paying attention to the documents that you sent us, as well as this report that now is a law where all department heads have to tell us what the percentages are, and at times we're going to take it a step further and tell us who they are. With that in mind, you stipulate that 97 percent of the 1.3 is with non-profits, and I thank you for providing a partial list. Tell me, the Montgomery Early Learning Center, might that be Montgomery County? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: They do -- we have an after-school program 169 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. that they help train what we call the rec specialty instructors. So it's -- they do the training around August.

Around August for? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: The after-school program.

It looks like I have a couple more minutes. Curfew centers, has the Rec Department been approached yet to house curfew centers in a way of getting government to work smarter? Since we're going to have curfew centers and rec departments are open anyway, has there been any discussion to using Rec facilities for curfew centers because so many of them are operated by volunteers? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Well, our facilities are operated by our staff.

No. I'm talking about the curfew centers are run principally by volunteers. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: No. 170 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. No one has come to us for that yet.

Okay. Potential opportunity. Does the Rec Department currently provide any golf lessons of any type? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: In the summertime we have a golf camp. In fact, we have not only a golf camp, we have what we call the traveling golf camp, and last year we went to 81 different sites around the City through every neighborhood.

And that would be in place again this year? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Oh, yeah.

I would ask that you have a conversation with the Fairmount Park Director around the Billy Casper. Is it Billy Casper, Councilman Jones?

Yes. 171 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc.

The Billy Casper new arrangement wherein they will be required to work with area high schools and get those young people in area high schools involved in the Billy Casper new arrangement. So if there's an opportunity for Rec to be involved, then that's another place where we can get government to work smarter. Okay. Automatic -- AEDs, automatic? Help me out. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Defibrillators?

Thank you very much. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: We have them in six sites presently, and we work with Risk Management, who provides -- after we identify the sites, they help provide training. So we have that now in six sites and we're willing to move forward.

Do you see the need to possibly have them at all rec 172 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. centers? Or how did those six sites become the lucky sites? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Well, here's what happened: They gave us -- there was an area they were looking for, plus we wanted to put it in facilities that have a lot of usage, have a gym and you have some security to keep -- because if you put them in some of the smaller facilities --

It gives other risk. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Exactly.

So I would presume that these are A facilities? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Yes.

You talk a lot about Clean 'N Green on . So I appreciate that testimony. Recently, Councilman Jones introduced an ordinance to rename the Dell "Georgie Woods Outdoor Entertainment Facility," and in government now recent 173 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. proposals to adjust the Zoning Board and the City Planning Commission ultimately addresses how we go about doing that in a uniform way. Any comments, any reactions to the way the process currently runs versus the way it could run better going forward? Any recommendations you would offer to the new Zoning Board or the City Planning Commission when it comes to naming facilities? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: From my experience, the way we have it to where City Council -- the people from City Council, who have to answer to the public, I think it's the best way to go about it, because if you didn't have some control over that, I mean, anybody could come and say, Well, I want to name it after this person or that person. Because we run into that. I've seen this over the years where somebody did something for an athletic association and they want to change the name of the facility. Well, you could be changing 174 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. the name of the facility every couple years. So this way, if it goes through City Council, I think it kind of like keeps it a little bit more under control.

Okay. Well taken. So I'm going to close where I started, because I think some department heads get it and some don't, and, that is -- let me just do my little quote here, because I think it captures what we need to be about. Management is doing things right. Leadership requires us to do the right thing. And we're serious about ensuring going forward, if it's a new day, that government looks like Philly, that women and people of color and those with disabilities get a fair shake at the pie. And to the extent that department heads can take the leadership to work with Procurement to help them do better, then that's the expectation. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: I'm ready. I've been doing this a long time, 175 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. as you well know.

Yes. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: And that's what I'm known for. I want to work with people. So I have no problem in doing that.

Thank you for your testimony. Thank you, Madam President -- thank you, Madam Majority Leader.

Thank you very much. My light was on for next, so I'm going to take my time and ask questions. On Section 41, , there is a line item for Human Services Development Fund. What is that? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: That's HSDF. That money comes from DHS. That helps fund our -- some of it goes toward after school, some of it goes towards the community centers, teen centers, youth access centers, that type of thing. 176 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc.

Okay. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: So it really is a very good addition to our department. It helps us in many ways, and we usually target it towards areas of the City that have the most need.

So some of those programs would not be in every center? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Well, some of the facilities that are already doing very well and don't have the same need obviously won't get the same amount. So we tend to put that money and that staffing to where there's a need. Particularly now we're going to start looking at any extra funding that we could get, we would like to put it within those high-crime districts, those nine crime districts.

Last year under the prior Administration there was a Safer Philadelphia program where the Division of Social Services had community 177 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. events at the recreation centers in collaboration with the Community Behavioral Health. They were very helpful in that they -- we went to the rec centers. We were provided information about the City services, and it was a very effective program that brought the community together. Where is that going now? I understand there's been some difficulty by the CBH to get support from the Rec Department in setting up the chairs and taking care of the logistics at the rec centers. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Well, let me just give you what's happened with that. The amount of money that was allocated last summer for those programs were allocated for one-day events in some of the various communities. What we were looking at is to do more programming on a year-round basis if the money comes our way again. Now, as far as moving those chairs from various sites, the realities 178 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. of what happened, when I came into this job January the 7th, we were projecting a major deficit because our overtime was running out of control, and it was because four or five times a week the limited number of maintenance men that we had had to go into nine or ten different rec centers to pick up chairs and move them to these events, and that money never came our way. That extra cost to provide the service of chairs and tables by increasing the overtime for our men, we never received that money. So we went from a $300,000 projected deficit in January to right now we're probably in the positive zone. In fact, I know we are, because we cut some of that out that we never had the ability to do. If people need chairs, there should be a unit set up citywide for that or they could have a contract to where they could go rent chairs and the City would still pay for it. But the way it was done in the 179 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. past, if I needed -- if a group needed chairs, I would have to send the men to ten different rec centers, because our centers don't have that many chairs. They would all have to pick up, let's just say, 15, 20, chairs per facility. 8 Then they had to go pick them up and take 9 them back. The overtime was going and it 10 was going out of control, the overtime. 11 Many weekends. So we had to cut that 12 back. I'm not saying the service isn't 13 needed, but the service the way it was 14 done was very costly. 15

I'm 16 reminded here that in your budget 17 documentation for Fiscal Year '08 you had 18 $32,541,000 and your estimated 19 obligations was 31,853,000. So you have 20 a surplus in funds. Where's the deficit? 21 COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Now we 22 do. Come January 6th we were going over. 23 The Budget Office was -- the Budget 24 Office had told us back in end of 25 December before this new Administration 180 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. came into place that we were running a deficit. We overspent last year in many areas, in particular the pools. That's what they were telling us. And with the overtime, our overtime was projected at 1.4 million.

Do you have -- and this question may have been asked, but also on in your Operating Budget, you have an increase of $424,000. What is that going to be used for? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: We already allocated that money for the additional seasonal aides.

I can't -- COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: The seasonal maintenance aides. For the last eight years we only did 43 parks. We intend to go up to 73 parks. We're going to do it. I've already given those positions to our Parks Coordinator who works for PHS, Barbara McCabe, and we are going to clean more parks and more 181 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. unstaffed C and D facilities.

When you talk about your deficit, was the deficit from the adopted budget or your assigned targeted budget that the Administration assigned you? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Target budget. It's been this way for the last eight years, that you get a budget and then you get what they call a target budget, which never fully funds the 517 positions. So we've been living with -- at the max I can remember over the past five or six years, let's say, 485, 490 positions. That's where we've been. And in the last year or two, as I explained earlier, because of so many people leaving and because there was some run-over in various categories, we weren't able to hire. And when we were able to hire, it was very slow. The process was slow. And every time a person is delayed hiring, if the average is $40,000 a year, that's $3,500 a month 182 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. per person. So if you delay six months, you could see how much in savings.

Well, in your department what causes the delay in hiring? Do you have your own Human Resources Department -- COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Yes, we do.

-- or do you have to work through Central Personnel? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: No. 14 Here's what we do: We request the position. The position has to be approved by Budget. Once Budget approves the position, from there it goes to Personnel, Central Personnel. Then it comes back to us. The day that we are permitted to hire -- I was in charge of program for a long time. I would hire that day. So we want to hire, but it's contingent upon the various departments all working together. It's not a 183 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. one-person operation. You have Budget, you have Central Personnel and then you have our Human Resources. So it's a team effort.

Well, have you made any recommendations to sort of trim down the process? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: I would like to have it done ASAP, but, again, as part of the system that we've had over the past eight years, it's been a little slower.

Well, maybe we'll see a difference in the new day. The Chair recognizes Councilman Jones. Thank you.

Thank you, Councilwoman. Commissioner, in your budget testimony FY09 in the Grants Revenue Fund, you request $8 million for things like Summer Food Programs, After-School 184 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. Snack Programs, Older Adult Programs and Summer Youth Job Training and others. My question becomes, how is that $8 million going to be spent and in what categories? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Summer Food Program goes to 700 sites. Every rec center is in the Food Program. Plus we take care of all the play streets and other community groups throughout the City. We have the largest feeding program for the summer in the nation. No 13 one competes with the size of that program. And the Snack Program goes to the facilities in the rec centers from September to June.

I'm aware of the programs and I think they're great, and I wanted that question on the record. The only thing that I would add is that -- and I heard clearly that you don't deal with the procurement process of that, correct? The only thing I would recommend and I hope the Administration will take note is, I believe that the 185 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. contract is awarded to a firm in New York. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Yes, sir. It's a bid process, and here's what happens: It's put out for bid and usually what happens, there's only a couple people that ever bid on it.

So I support your program, but I would -- as we start to look at economic development opportunities for Philadelphia-based firms, I think that's one that is low-hanging fruit that we should try to market to local firms that can do packaging of food and one that I want to look into the future to see if we can't provide an opportunity for Philly-based firms.

Point of information regarding that.

Go ahead.

Just a point of information. You're not responsible for that award process. For 186 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. the record, it needs to be said, that's not acceptable, that a New York firm gets to feed Philadelphia residents. So we need to do what we can at our level to do as Councilman Jones just stipulated. Clearly, the awareness and availability of that enormous opportunity for local caterers is not at a place where it could be or should be. We know that there are caterers in Philadelphia that can more than adequately handle that kind of enormous opportunity. So we need to talk off line about what we need to do to make sure the awareness of that is heightened so that a New York firm doesn't get the opportunity to feed Philly folk when there are caterers right here who would employ Philadelphia residents who want to feed their families and have a better chance. Thank you.

Point of information.

The 187 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. Chair recognizes Councilwoman Sanchez.

On the Food Service Program, do we get any federal subsidies for that? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: It's all funded by the federal government through the State of Pennsylvania and then it comes to us from the state.

Thank you.

Thank you. So I'd like to look at that opportunity and look at it. Also in your budget testimony you indicated that safety and cleanliness inspections in facilities would happen on a weekly basis, I thought you said; is that right? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: We are presently -- we just began them about three weeks ago. My Assistant Maintenance Director, Michael Mecchella, is in charge of that program, and we are going around on a weekly basis with a 188 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. check sheet checking all our facilities. That has begun.

You also have a great program, Play Ball initiative, and you mentioned in your testimony that some of the funding was secured. Where are we at on full funded? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: The Phillies are helping us with that, and the staffing of this initiative is our own people, our professional rec leaders, particularly those that have interest and skill in baseball. Like in your particular Council District, the person that works at Shepard, he was a baseball player for years at Temple and he was scouted by the Majors and all things like that. So we put the program there, knowing that he could help --

That was an excellent choice, by the way. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: I kind of figured you would say that. But he is a good person, and 189 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. we're trying to -- we targeted sites in Southwest, West and North Philadelphia where baseball has been a little dormant.

We really 6 need to market great programs like that, 7 and I just want to encourage you to keep 8 that. I wanted to see that the funding 9 was there. 10 COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: We're 11 starting small. I just want to tell you 12 how I do my philosophy with this. Any time we start a program, we like to start to where we know what we're doing and make it work, and then we could expand it. We want to make this even bigger. We want to have more teams. Instead of a four-team league at Shepard, I'd like to have a four-team league at Shepard and a four-team league at Tustin and a four-team league at Granahan and all these facilities. But I want to walk with this for the first year and see how it goes.

Another good 190 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. program that I'd like you to speak to is the YES Program, which is the Youth Environmental Stewardship Program, and I wanted some specifics about where they are located and what the purpose of that program is. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Well, the purpose is for the kids to learn about ecology, about their environment, and it's also a development program for the kids themselves as far as their own self-esteem. A lot of teenagers in it. We have six sites, and this year we increased two more sites, which we are going to fund. The first six sites was the PHS, was funding the teachers. In your area, Barbara McCabe, our Parks Coordinator, has the sites. Here's what we have: We've tried to keep it near parks. Now, for the past couple years, it was at the Eastwick, Laura Simms, Papa, Mander, Ferko and the Fish Hatchery in the lowest Northeast. This year we added Awbury, 191 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. because there's a park there, and Olney. So we're in different parts of the City. As it goes on, if we could get additional funding down the road, we'll expand it. We have to pay this a little differently than you do like -- you just can't put an RSI here, because under the PHS concept, they have highly trained professional people in this area and their pay level is a lot higher than what we pay our staff to run day camps and things like that. So we're paying for it out of monies that we have from different grants. But this year we're going to do two more. Hopefully next year we can do a couple more and just keep going.

Can you determine for me Clean 'N Green, is that connected to that? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Clean 'N Green is -- here's what it is: For eight years, ten years we've had a parks program. It's a partnership with PHS. 192 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. Barbara McCabe is our Parks Coordinator. She works with PHS, and we train a seasonal worker to work in the various parks. The program stayed the same for eight years, 43 sites. We've expanded it to where we're going to clean the parks, we're going to clean some of the C and D facilities. And it gives neighborhood people an opportunity for possible full-time employment, because what happens is, they become part of the Recreation family. When you hire the same person every summer every year for six months, there's a connection, and then when we give these civil service tests for custodial workers, for facility caretaker, these are the people that we approach to take the test, because they have a little history with us and they become part of our department. This is a highly successful program. In fact, we have a banquet every year with the parks. I mean, last year we had close to 300 people, and 193 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. we're looking to make this even bigger. And that's part of the Clean 'N Green. We've been doing this for PHS. They've been a great partner to us, and we want to make it even bigger. It did stagnate for a while, but I think we're on pretty good footing.

When the President of Council appointed me on the Commission for Parks and Recreation, along with my Chairwoman, Blondell Reynolds Brown, I was excited about this opportunity. So can you explain -- I look forward to working with you. Can you talk a little bit about Operation Welcome? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Okay. Operation Welcome -- we have different names we're going around with this. We're going to call it the Red Carpet, but that's not me. Operation Welcome, this department wants to make the places inviting. So the first thing we did now, we just put in money to buy lighting for 194 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. the outside of the entryway. If you go through some of our places, they're not very inviting, when you walk up and it's dark and the doors need to be painted and the benches need to be taken care of and the fencing. I mean, you need to get these places to where people want to come in, not only kids but adults, and where they feel safe. So the front of the facility where people come in, it's our goal this year to do lighting, painting, fencing, benches at all our facilities. We're going to start out with the A centers. Obviously you start out at your biggest center, and we're going to go from there.

I have a point of information, please. Do we have the money in the budget for the lighting? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: We have some, and I have -- I'm looking around for additional monies that I could put in so Frank could order what he needs 195 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. for the outside lighting. We'll put the lighting up. We just --

But you still have to buy the lights. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Yes.

Do you have the money to purchase the lights? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: We have most of it.

You do? Okay. I just have another point of information, please. I know at least three times you mentioned what the Phillies have contributed to Recreation. What, if anything, have the Eagles done for the Department? Do we know? I think I saw on television maybe months ago that one of the Recreation facilities I think was rehabbed by the Eagles. Is that true? Have they done anything at all? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Two years ago they fixed up a couple of our 196 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. facilities. I know at one point -- fixed up Gambrell last year and they did Kenderton probably about seven years ago. They did Mifflin Square probably about ten years ago, in that range.

Well, did they do that because they were approached or -- COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: That was part of their outreach when they do those.

So they haven't done any outreach for, what, seven years, ten years? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: No. 17 They helped us last year at Gambrell.

Well, that's what I'm asking. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Yeah. They did Gambrell last year. They helped us at Gambrell Rec Center.

Where is Gambrell? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: 197 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. Gambrell is in Councilmanic District 7, the Frankford area.

Well, that's a long way from home, isn't it? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Yes, ma'am.

Have they been approached to get more active with Recreation? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: I have not done that. I can, but I have not done that.

I think it would be nice. As I said, I heard you mention the Phillies at least three times. I was rather curious to know what the Eagles, what, if anything, they've done. I think they ought to be approached. That's my feeling. Councilman Jones.

Thank you, Madam President. Commissioner, can you explain for me the classifications of rec centers 198 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. and the differences between them? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: An A center has a large building with a gym, multiple rooms, ball fields, basketball court and 90 percent of the time a pool. For instance, in your councilmanic district, it would be Shepard, Kendrick, McDevitt, Gustine. That would be your A centers. A B center has a building, usually not a gym, a ball field and many times a pool. For instance, in your district, it would be Tustin is a B center, Papa is a B center, Houston is a B center, that type. Then a C center would be a small building with maybe a ball field. Many times they don't have a ball field. They could have a ball field. That would be a place maybe like a Granahan or a place like that.

Parkside. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Parkside definitely. 199 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. And then a D center is a small, very small, facility that you operate usually just in the spring and summer.

Well, Commissioner, the thing of it is as -- and I don't know what the planning rationale was for them originally, and probably you won't be able to go back in your archives and find out either, but usage now has shifted. Population shifts, interests, and we have centers that are C and D centers that are getting A level use in the sense of I have an excellent sports program throughout my district, but some of them have overgrown their facilities. And in our long-term planning, we need to put our heads together on how we deal with that at places like Papa and others that have teams running out of there, but don't have meeting space, have come to me on occasion looking for rationale as to how they grow their facilities because of their number of participants in the 200 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. sports programs. So somehow whether we start to look at modular buildings, whether we start to look at cost-effective ways to provide space for activities. It has been my belief that some of these activities, but for them, the youth violence that we see in the City of Philadelphia would be exponentially increased. The same characteristic that a captain of a football team has all too often are the same characteristics left unchanneled of a head of a gang. So the work you do is also violence intervention. It's not just recreation. And we need to, as we start to plan in the future, look at some of the hot spots around the City and look at creating venues, facilities, that can deal with shifting populations. Because in the 34th Ward in parts -- in the lower end of it, we have an influx of new families, and that's a good thing, but they also bring young, pre-adolescent 201 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. youth and it's only a short time before they're restless teenagers. So we need to start to do a better job of planning as to where the growth, where the population shifts are and, therefore, where our resources go. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: We should do that not only in your district, but I feel we should probably need to look at the whole system, and we are doing that, because I notice throughout, the City is going through many changes. The facilities are all different than I've seen over the years because of the difference in gentrification and the neighborhoods change. So this is a good discussion, that we're definitely open to working with you.

Well, I'm going to work with my chairperson of the committee to look into some of the methodology that we're using. I just want to say that I look forward to this summer when we open the 202 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. pools. I don't know if there is any change in the timetable of that. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: The day public school closes, it's June 18th. June 19th those pools -- not all the pools. What we do, we phase them in, but the first pools will open up June 19th, and our expectation is to have all 80 pools open by July 1st.

And hopefully you will have lifeguards to man them. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Because of --

I know we have trouble many times getting the lifeguards. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: I think the pay increase last year -- I got to give credit to City Council. I think it was that 150 percent rule. That helped us, because our lifeguards were making, believe it or not, $8, $9 an hour forever, and that helped raise them up to 203 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. where the young lifeguards, that the first-year lifeguards make 12.33 an hour, and then the lifeguard II makes like 13.83, in that range. So that pay, even though in the outside world isn't great, in our world it's pretty good.

Great. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: And it's helped get us lifeguards. So last year we didn't have a problem again. We have to still push along. We always have to put our foot down on the pedal and push, but by the end of June, we'll have our 400 lifeguards.

Wonderful.

My final point is, as we contemplate the future of Camp William Penn, you heard the question I asked Fairmount Park Commissioner earlier, which was if in fact we are going to look at the possible liquidation 204 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. of that facility, we need to look carefully as to the ground space within Fairmount Park and obviously the involvement of the Department of Recreation as to provide viable alternatives for our young people during the hot summers. And whether a trust is established to pay for the expense of kids going to camp or whether facilities within Fairmount Park are designed and giving them an outdoor experience within the borders of Philadelphia, I'm fine with all of those options. It's just that we don't want to take a step back from our commitment to our youth during the summer who are from a big city, but yet want to experience outdoors, want to experience environmental issues and training. So as we start to plan the future of that facility, I'd like you involved with Fairmount Park to look and see what our options truly are. Thank you, Madam President. 205 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc.

You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilman Rizzo.

Thanks, Madam Chair. Commissioner, it's rare that I get a constituent request that involves the Recreation Department, because you run it well and the people that work with you. One of the issues, though, that on occasion I get a call are these stages. How do you schedule them for events? How do you charge people for the use of them? I assume it's tricky to manage, but could you explain so if there's something we can do to make more of those available to you, I'd like to know that. Because it's very disappointing to get a call from a person on a Wednesday and they need a stage for a Saturday. I'm embarrassed to even call you to ask what you could do to be helpful. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: We get 206 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. numerous requests, and I would say they're scheduled out three months from now. So many people ask for those two stages.

Two? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Right. That they go all the way out. So the best thing to do, if you know -- if you have a constituent that wants to have an event, say, this coming July or August, they have to get it in now.

Is there a charge? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: There's a charge for overtime, and we are trying very hard this year to collect, because it's been a big drain on our budget. See, all these different things that we do that are beyond the workers' hours is what's impacted also some of our budget. When you have all that overtime going out, it's a lot harder for us to get approval to have staff hired. I 207 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. mean, I would like to have a full staff. Everybody would. But we have to live pretty close to what our numbers are. And these things like the chairs earlier and now the stages, that gets costly, because when you put a stage out, you have to have so many men contractually to be there. So all we charge is the overtime. And most of the community groups when it's explained to them that we're doing this citywide and not just for one particular place, I think they will pay the --

You stunned me when you said you only had two. That seems like they're everywhere you go, and those two really get around then. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Because they're always out.

Right. Good job on that, because it really makes an event -- COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: I would definitely, Councilman, if you know 208 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. somebody that wants to use it this summer, get them in now.

Get in now. The other observation, Commissioner -- and I know that there's a lot of reasons that what I'm going to describe happens -- is energy management. It's kind of discouraging when you drive by a rec center very late at night and you see all the lights on. And I know that in the past I was told, Well, it's for security. Well, I don't think you need every light on and have the neighbors say, Councilman, you know, you guys really don't do a good job in watching our money. What do we need the whole place lighted at 4 o'clock in the morning? And I try to say that, well, when these facilities were built, that they didn't split the circuits up, that they're all on or they're -- I think eventually, though, with the way energy is heading, Commissioner, that we really have to have a campaign on going back 209 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. into each facility, designing the electrical systems for security, for a small event, a major event, that you have control over the way -- and I talked to one person that said that the timer was broken for many years and that the fact that lights were on 24/7. Something like that is not acceptable, I'm sure to you either. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: I agree.

So, Commissioner, do you think that there could be a campaign to look at each facility, look at the way we light them at night? And I heard and I love your idea about making the presentation of the facilities better at night, making them more appealing, but to have a ball field at a particular facility in the middle of the night running full tilt, I can understand security lighting, but I can't understand every light in the place on. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Any of 210 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. our facilities that are being redeveloped now, we are putting in to where they can all be separated and they are on timers. Plus we did start last year cutting back on the lighting. In fact, I'm going to have Leo Dignam, who I gave this job to last year to oversee, go over some of it with you.

Thank you. Thanks, Commissioner. That's important. I had one of your colleagues that's no 13 longer here, he thought my question was like crazy. He said, We don't pay the bill; Public Property does. I mean, what a great statement. And one day the budget people have to fix that, where the operating departments are responsible for their utilities, and I think they'd manage it a lot better if they were. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: And I'll give you another suggestion. The more we save, if we were able to get half of that money back by savings, I think you would see even more savings. 211 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc.

Well, to have a statement, Well, it doesn't come out of my budget, it's out of Public Property's, kind of floored me. COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: We're all one city.

Well, they're not here anymore, so it's obvious that that was not a smart thing to say. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER DIGNAM: Yeah. Councilman, my name is Leo Dignam, Deputy Commissioner for the Program Division. At the end of 2005, we started a campaign within the Program Division to have strict standards in terms of electrical use at the facilities, especially on fields. So if you know of any facilities that are on after 11 o'clock at night, that's our drop time. At 11 o'clock all field lights must be off. There should be no lighting that's on after 11 o'clock at night, even for security. We have security lighting on, 212 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. but not field lighting. In fact, we were approached just at the last Managing Director's meeting by somebody from the Managing Director's Office asking us for that memo that we sent out back then, because ours was the only department that decreased electrical use by ten percent in the past two years. So we reissued that statement out and that memo out to our Program Division and we're going to continue to try to save electricity.

One of the things I think you might take the rap for is the fact that people assume any time they see a recreational facility that it's yours. The School District has areas. Fairmount Park has areas. So the natural is to think that it's a Recreation Department facility. And I think that they have to get on board, too. I know some of their places, their facilities, not far from where I live in the Northwest, that the tennis courts are on all night. 213 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER DIGNAM: Right. And, again, with the change in daylight savings time this year, we have our maintenance staff out changing the timers to make sure that they coincide with the need for the lighting.

They have a new timer out that does it automatic. So make sure you check into that one. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Sanchez.

Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Mr. Carapucci. I like to wait to the end because most of the questions get asked and then I got the easy stuff. I wanted to thank you. When I started January 7th, I had quite a bit of facilities that were either underutilized or closed, and I want to thank the Department, despite the fact that it's been in transition, working with me 214 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. through some of those playgrounds, Hissy, McVeigh, 4th and York and all the other ones. I wanted to go back to the issue around MBEC's businesses and ask you, which services is the Department currently contracting out? What are some of the types of services that we're contracting out? Like we're lawn mowing? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Grass cutting.

Grass cutting, those types of things? COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: The Food Program is our largest.

The Food Program being the largest, yeah. I want to reiterate, those are the types of jobs and businesses where underrepresented communities have the biggest access. So I want to encourage you, as my colleagues did, to really look at that. The other thing, you mentioned that this is -- you probably are going to 215 4/1/08 - WHOLE - BILL 080022, etc. be doing some of the most hiring given the retirement. I want to encourage you and encourage the Administration to also look at workforce diversity as a priority. I'm hopeful that next year in addition to the contracting numbers, that we could ask the Administration to give us diversity in their departments. It's an area that I'm particularly interested in as we work with Personnel and Civil Service. But I think, again, when you look at 37 custodial jobs, those are, again, jobs that we could probably get the folks in the neighborhood. So I'm going to encourage you and ask that the Administration -- I don't know if Stephen is still around.