Good afternoon. Vic Richard, Recreation Commissioner. It's a real pleasure to be here. To answer everyone's concern, and if I can go back to the hearing that we had in October, I laid it out on the table. First of all, in order for me to be an effect chief executive officer, I have to be able to give my staff and all executives from the top on down clear and concise directives and also provide them with the tools that they need in order to be successful. Once that's done, then I have every right and capability of expecting them and holding them accountable to produce the highest quality product for the citizenship. The same goes in turn for me. The issues that have been presented in the past and that's being re-presented today are issues that are long overdue and old. And in order for us to address them, somebody needs to come to the table or put in writing, say, "We need to get this done and get it done." Now, I'm going to go on public record to say there's no strategic plan needed to accomplish 1134 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) this. A lot of work was done back in '95. I've had one very brief formal/informal meeting with my executives and Mr. Mifflin's executives, and that was months ago. The days that I gave you, I do 6 have the rough draft. It's in my possession and it 7 has not duplicated and it is a rough draft. The 8 bottom line is we as an administration and as City 9 Council and everybody needs to make the tough 10 decision and stop dillydallying around with it. If we're going to make the change and take the parks from the Recreation Department, you need to say it and give me the directive and let me do my job that you brought me here to do. And the same thing with the recreation facilities back and forth. The job really isn't that hard. You need a plan, organize, approach the business, you need the right people around it, and get the job done. The people that's on the bus that don't want to participate, you put them off and you replace them. So I am very humbled about being here again. I enjoy the challenge. I think the job is fun most of the time. I must be a little stupid because I enjoy dealing with stress and headaches, but that's my adrenalin rush. We can do it. It's 1135 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) not that hard to do it. Somebody just needs to let us know what you want done and then afford me the opportunity to either prove myself or disprove myself. Thank you.
Councilman, I will commit to you that I will have document in front of you in a month, April 2nd -- I don't know whether I want to present everything on April Fool's Day, April 1st -- that will not only have an integrated plan from both the commissions that has again been done in cooperation with the Fairmount Park Commission, but will also have an implement date when you can actually see the change, so a plan with an implementation schedule. It will be sent to Council President that will be passed on.
Thank you. And the document that we're anticipating receiving, this is about jurisdiction of facilities?
It will sort out the facilities and give you a rationale if there's anything other than -- if there's a plot of land that has recreation on it that the determination is it will stay with the park, there will be a 1136 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) rationale on why that decision was made. Otherwise, it will basically -- it obviously makes sense that the Recreation Department that has standards for programs, that implement programs, have staff for programs do those that look and walk like rec. programs and the park does those that look and act like parks. There may be exceptions in that. And where there are exceptions, there will be a rationale for why we believe something belongs in what doesn't on the surface look like.
Let me also encourage you in the course of that process -- I thank you for the commitment. Let me also, though, encourage you in the course of that process to talk with at a minimum the Councilmembers who maybe affected by this. Other members may have a different view on some of these issues than myself. I can only speak to the issues that are primarily in the 4th District. Other people may like things the way they are. I don't know. Or they may have a rationale that makes sense for something staying with the other department. When you do it, my only request is make sure that you get a good survey of information from people so that there's not a switch 1137 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) and folks don't even know why it's going on.
I will make sure that we try to be as inclusive as possible. There are obviously friends of their various advisory groups and commissions that also need to be a part of that. And that's why I'm not picking up that we'll have it to you in too short a period of time because I think it is important that people who are invested in whether it's the Recreation Department or the Commission have an opportunity to see what we're doing.
Mr. Councilman, may I ask a question? I'm expecting or I'm hoping you're going to tell me that you're expecting us to create uniformity and continuity with what we're going to present?
The short answer would be yes; although, what do you mean by that?
Well, you were just talking about making sure the transfers or the possible transfers of the jurisdictional properties quite naturally be inclusive. But in order for us to do this right, there needs to be continuity and uniformity in the process. I believe you are asking 1138 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) us also to create a more efficient work system. And in order for that to be achieved, there needs to be continuity and take the redundancy and the overlap of the different services or the maintenance that's already presently in place.
To the extent possible we will try to address that. But I don't want this to get too complicated so that we don't get you at least the first level. Maybe giving you some vision on where it's heading, but to give a plan on how this particular problem will be approached.
Now, let me ask the second part of the question which has to do with the Charter provision that talks about a coordinated recreational program. When can we expect a respond on that particular issue? Or are you planning to do all of this as a part of this April 2nd document? They're two different things. I think the April 2nd document has to address recreation facilities and parks and parks that are under recreation. If I can get this other issue, though, on your radar screen. It will require certainly the intervention and the involvement of the Managing 1139 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) Director in developing this coordinated plan for recreation regardless of who has what facilities.
That's correct. That I do see an additional task that we may be able to accomplish within that time frame, but I'm not sure without working on that little bit more I want to give you a commitment date on that.
I understand. Okay, thank you. Madam Managing Director, while you're at the table, can you give us a little more information on the Ready, Willing and Able Program? I know you answered some questions about it earlier. But before I ask you that, the work that's being done -- and it appears that it's primarily focused on Kelly Drive; is that correct?
The work that's being done, was that work being done by other people at a different point in time before Ready, Willing and Able came?
Not really, Councilman. Ready, Willing and Able has been able to take us 1140 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) beyond what we would have normally done with our staff, so we really look at this as additional 4 staff members. 5
And Director 6 Richman, at least from the newspaper account, it 7 seems to indicate that the entity Ready, Willing and 8 Able has a contract with the City? 9
Yes. The contract is 10 actually with the Dow Foundation which is based out 11 of New York which operates programs in several 12 states called the Ready, Willing and Able Program. 13 The City has a contract with the Dow Foundation to 14 provide services for 70 men who are homeless, who 15 have possibly criminal backgrounds and who have 16 substance abuse problems. Our goal of that program, 17 take these folks, to house them, make sure they get a residence, to train them, establish a transition to a normal productive life-style from one that involves abusive substances or living on the street.
This contract should be in the '02 budget and continues into the '03 budget.
And whose budget is 1141 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) it in?
It would be in the budget for OESS, the Office of Emergency Services and Shelter.
And what's the amount of the budget, do you recall? Or contract rather?
While the director is looking up that information, Councilman, could I actually take the opportunity to go on record to say that I am a hundred percent supportive of this effort to look at the strengths and weaknesses of both agencies. I always have been. I think it makes good government sense, good management sense. And I obviously commit to you the full support of my office in accomplishing this matter.
Ellen, the fiscal person is looking it up. I have a general ballpark. Let me tell you how this was put together. We did some rearrangement of some shelter dollars within OESS. We also applied for a grant within PWC, the 1142 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) Philadelphia Workforce Corporation, which is paying for the Workforce training part of this and the stipend part of this. And that transfer was about 750,000.
And our dollars are paying for the shelter piece of it and the support piece of it, case management and shelter.
And these are people who are already in the OESS System? Where do they come from?
For the most part, the intake piece that we're working with is coming out of the Ridge Avenue Shelter, the Men's Shelter on Ridge Avenue, as well as people who have completed their sentences at the prison who we know if they don't get work and they don't have somewhere to live, go back into prison. So we also see it as part of how do we begin to get these folks who have a very difficult time getting jobs and very 1143 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) difficult time finding someplace to live. How do we begin to help them restructure their life so that we don't end up with them as part of that recidivism number you heard yesterday.
How long do you anticipate the program is going to continue?
The contract, as most City contracts are, is cut for a year. But we have them on what we call one of our first performance-based contracts, which means that we are holding them to a level of accountability in order to renew the contract. Let me not go too much further. But I think those are appropriate questions for OESS. They can go into the detail on that.
No problem. Mr. Mifflin, two last questions. One, in addition to your City-funded budget, how much in the last Fiscal Year and for the upcoming Fiscal Year, how much money does the park raise from 1144 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) outside sources?
If you set aside the William Penn Foundation Grant for this conversation in answer to this, Councilman, it's approximately $2 million.
It's really been a combination. Some years are higher than others. We just on September 8th celebrated the completion of the restoration of the Water Works. That was 11 million over a three- or four-year period of time.
Does that somehow impact the 2 million that you just mentioned?
You're saying some of the dollars that were raised for the Water Works you're counting as a part of the $2 million that the park raised?
Probably not in this instance because that actually went to not-for-profit organization so it would not include that. But just direct dollars come into the Fairmount Park Commission from either other levels 1145 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) of government, grants or from individuals or cooperations or -- it's approximately $2 million.
Do you have a development person or development office or development operation for the park to specifically raise money for the park?
We do. It's a very small office. We lost our full-time development officer, just moved onto another job. And we're in the process of taking the former historic preservation officer, making her the development officer and then backfilling that position. So she along with our deputy director for planning have been doing largely the development work of the park. We hope to fill what will soon become the vacancy of a development officer.
What's your goal for the upcoming fiscal year in terms of fund-raising, not capital related, just operational support for the park?
We seem to -- again, some 1146 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) years we have better than others, but the goal would be at least maintaining the minimum of $2 million.
We don't have an overall development plan because the Fairmount Park Conservancy is the new group and we're working in concert with them and they have a plan of raising $10 million in five years.
All right. We can talk a little more. My last question for the day on parks, how many bathrooms are available to the public in the park system?
They're available on a seasonal basis, a large number of them, because they're not staffed during the winter months. But there's close to 20.
How many are available on a full-time basis? I mean, you don't, you know, at that moment you don't really want to worry what season it is.
Possibly. 1147 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET)
Yes. These would be rest rooms that would be accessible from the outside of a recreation center. I'm thinking of like Lloyd Hall as an example which the rest rooms are open to the public when the building may be closed.
Well, all right. If you're an East Park, West Park, Wissahickon, Pennypack user, how many do you think should actually be available for the amount of people that use the park system on a regular basis throughout the course of the year? And what's the condition of these facilities? I mean, is it a place where you'd only go at 12:00 noon? What happens at 6:00 in the evening? Are they lit? Who checks them? Is there stuff there that needs to be there?
As I indicated earlier, and largely because the number of people increase using the park in the warm season months so we want to have our full complement of 20 rest rooms available to the public and we will ramp up using seasonal employees to staff them. So I believe that the 20 are adequately staffed. They're not open 24 1148 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) hours a day. They're open usually seven days a week, dawn to dusk primarily.
How many do you think we should have available on a non-seasonal basis?
It's almost never enough. I'm a little concerned about giving you a specific number. I can tell you I will agree with you that there are insufficient numbers of rest rooms. Part of the problem, not to belabor this, is that we can't run sewer or easily sewer or water to certain areas of the park because of the topography and the geology without a great deal of expense. So we will supplement that with portable rest rooms. And our budget for portable rest rooms has been increasing just about every year for the last four or five years. So we're trying to meet the demand by providing portable facilities. We could easily double the number of permanent rest rooms, but I will not open a rest room unless it's staffed because of vandalism.
All right. Let me just put on the record, and we'll have further conversation, I made reference earlier to the Poppa 1149 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) Playground situation in terms of the cost estimated by your office of three-quarters of a million dollars. We're also seeing escalating costs related to renovation of Hermitage Mansion. The original estimate was $61,000 to kind of put a Band-Aid on it. That then escalated to 300,000. And most recent estimate is a half million dollars. Again, I think I cannot too strongly emphasize the need to get into our facilities at the earliest possible stage to know what's going on with them and not end up three or four years later with all these half million dollar renovation projects because now the places are a complete and utter mess. And I understand you don't always get on the capital side all the dollars that you need. But given the number of facilities that you have in comparison to some other departments and the age of some of these facilities, we have to do a better job at getting more up-to-date information on the status of our facilities before they get to a point where -- I mean, no one is going to give me three-quarters of a million dollars to fix a rec. center, certainly not in one year for now a half million dollars for a mansion. You just don't get those kinds of numbers 1150 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) out of this Capital Budget process. Wherein, a couple years ago probably for a couple hundred thousand dollars we would have headed off a bunch these kinds of problems. So I just have to strongly emphasize to you we need more attention on both the operational maintenance side, make sure we have the right personnel doing what they're supposed to do as well as attack these capital issues in a quicker fashion.
Well, I certainly agree with you, Councilman. And each facility is unique in and of itself. And the Hermitage is an example. It's a historic structure and costs escalate because of the historic significance of the building, regrettably. It may be wise to build new construction. We were asked to develop what we thought would be a cost to repair and improve it and I'll be delighted to speak further with you on the details on that, Councilman. I think correspondence suggested that there was opportunities at a nearby recreation facility.
Thank you. 1151 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Rizzo.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Since the Managing Director is here, maybe she's aware. We're discussing the 92nd Police District. Is that going to be closed, Managing Director?
I don't know. Not that I am aware of, but I'd be glad to make the inquiry.
Could you please? Back to Mr. Mifflin. On tenant-occupied park buildings, and I'll use the Museum of Art as an example, why is the Fairmount Park Commission responsible to take car of the grounds? Why is that? Why do you have from your budget take care of the areas around some of these occupied leased or leased arrangement buildings that you have throughout the park? In many cases, you are the caretaker for that facility.
I think it's acknowledged that the Fairmount Park Commission has the expertise maintaining a landscape, and particularly the 1152 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) landscape around the Museum of Art. I believe the very qualified professional staff inside the building focus their efforts on the art protection and preservation efforts, and the grounds which are just that of a landscape nature are the responsibility of the Fairmount Park Commission. There are a number of events that occur at the museum on the grounds of the museum that are City-sponsored events. The Park Commission is always a partner in those events. So the ongoing maintenance and the landscape improvements quite naturally fall on the Park Commission. The Art Museum is actually in Fairmount Park, so it's a part of our 9,000 acres. And in a cooperative agreement with Corporation of the Art Museum, we've been able to have them maintain the interior while we're responsible for the exterior. It seems to have worked very nicely since the late 1920s. The landscape at the museum is also a focus of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society has helped us in planning improvements to the landscape, so we have also reached out to other partners.
I don't want to point just to the Art Museum. This is fairly consistent 1153 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) throughout the Fairmount Park when you have tenant-occupied facilities; is that correct.
Well, it is. Again, many of the tenants are non-profit and they are providing an invaluable service in maintaining the building and often do not have the expertise or the financial wherewithal to do the landscape. When we get beyond the non-profits, when we get to the profit makers, when we do the deal, when we negotiate the lease, I would hope that the maintenance that you provide is factored in there.
Well, it actually. And I was actually just think of an example as you were speaking. We executed an agreement, as you may know, with the Wellness Foundation. This is a group that works with cancer victims and their families. They have taken over Ridgeland Mansion in West Park. And the defined premise of the property actually includes quite a bit of the landscape, at least a couple of acres immediately around the building. So this is an entity that had the financial wherewithal to go beyond the footprint of the building, so we're about ready -- we're near doing one with the group that wants to occupy the Ohio House, and we'll look 1154 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) at ways in which they can help us with the landscape as well.
And maintain it to a standard that you describe in the lease.
Absolutely. I think the next extension after we restore the buildings is to do the historical gardens with the houses. The Art Museum helps us with Mount Pleasant and Cedar Grove and we have other partners as well. But the interpretation of these historic landscapes is a vital part of what we do.
To end my conversation with you, and I think I've said this before, I want to thank all of the staff of Fairmount Park Commission and the Commissioners because, again, I remember when you had a staff -- I don't want to exaggerate -- may three times of what it is today. And it amazes me that you do what you do with what you have. Today was a lot of back and forth, but I do want you to understand that at least I understand the situation that you're in trying to deal with 9,000 acres. I have trouble with a half acre.
I appreciate your comments 1155 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) very much, Councilman. I'll make sure that the commissioners -- the commissioners serve voluntarily without financial remuneration and are a very dedicated group of individuals.
They come to Council and they're introduced so that makes it worth -- (Laughter.)
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brown.
Thank you, Madam President. I have two quick follow-ups. You mentioned that there's lots of information shared between your department and the Department of Recreation. Does this include the playground safety program and the standards? Is there uniformity and some level of consistently in that area across the department?
It certainly will, Councilwoman. We have developed this new level of playground safety criteria very recently. We 1156 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) completed the training. There was a training session last month or within last two months. And at least members of the Department of Recreation 5 attended that training session. So both agencies 6 are being trained in playground safety. 7
And then finally, 8 you mentioned in your opening testimony that you 9 contract out the mowing responsibilities? 10
You're 17 welcome. 18 Are there any other questions from 19 Members of the Committee? 20 Thank you very much, Mr. Mifflin.
At the request the stenographer, we're going to take a 10-minute break. And upon our return, the Art Museum will be first and then the Recreation Department. Thank 1157 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) you. (Brief recess.)
Thank you. The Committee of the Whole is now back in session. We will now hear from the Art Museum. Thank you for your patience. I understand you have a fund-raising luncheon today.
Please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.
I'm Anne D'Harnoncourt, Director of Philadelphia Museum of Art. 25 million in the forthcoming Operating Budget. I'm here with my colleagues, Gail Harrity, Chief Operating Officer of the Museum; Cheryl McClenney-Brooker, Director of External Affairs; and Robert Morrone, Director of 1158 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) Facilities and Operations. And we're not only here on behalf of the museum, but also on behalf of our new Chairman of the Board Gerry Lenfest who I think many of you may know him and also our Chairman Emeritus Raymond G. Perelman who is not only Chairman of the Executive Committee, and both of whom are really passionate advocates and supporters of Philadelphia and of the museum. You have our written testimony and I know you may have some questions, so I'll just hit a few high points to say, which I hope no one in Council have escaped knowing, that this year and next year are enormously significant in the history of the museum. We're celebrating our 125 anniversary in ways that we hope will have particularly lasting impact on the lives of Philadelphians present and future. One thing we're doing is trying extremely hard to attract significant gifts of great art to the collections, whether renaissance, ceramics, impressionist paintings by Monet to power images by Jacob Lawrence. These will enrich every single one of the museum's programs and the experience of every single one of our visitors and 1159 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) the public for generations to come. In our exhibition program, I'd like to single out two among a series focusing on Philadelphia treasures. Dox Thrash, an exhibition which just closed. The first major museum exhibition of this pioneer African-American printmaker. And we are immensely grateful for City Council's resolution in his honor introduced by Councilwoman Blackwell last week. That was a particular thrill. And one of the missions of this museum in Philadelphia is always to send our local heros out to other cities, and the Thrash show will be going to Chicago in the near future. Another great hero, Thomas Eakins is now in Paris enjoying a very warm reception from the French audience who usually only like French art, but they like Mr. Eakins. And it's in part being very useful as the focus of Philadelphia's international tourism effort, which is being undertaken. The museum is a very happy part of it undertaken by the Convention and Visitors Bureau and GPTMC. And on the international front also we're partnering with the Great Museum of Modern and British Art in London to present a great modern 1160 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) painter who was an influence on an enormous number of contemporary painters working today both in Philadelphia and around the world named Barnett Newman. If we're to take a forward look, and I will do it very quickly, what we are doing is we are building on our long-range plan formulated and approved by the trustees approximately three years ago and our comprehensive master plan for our absolutely amazing building and complex of buildings. And these really are keystones of our anniversary celebration because you really can't go forward to serve Philadelphia for the next 125 years unless you know where you want to go. And the first great step was one that City Council helped us to take, the acquisition of what is now called the Perelman Building. We're beginning the process to retrofit it for museum use as part of our long-term plan to expand the public space for these growing collections and for our programs and visitors. I know this isn't Capital Budget hearing, but I can't say how important the capital funds from the City has been and will be in coping with the huge infrastructure that is the great 1161 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) historic building of the museum of the Rodin Museum and the Perelman Building.
We're also working very hard to deepen our education programs which are now, I'm happy to say, really world renowned as well as nationally awarded to serve both large audiences and very in-depth needs of the kids and particularly in Philadelphia. We are, as you can imagine, searching for support to help make up for the loss of two full-time School District teachers who worked with us to reach thousands of kids a year. We serve about 75,000 and we try to do it not in a superficial way, but in a deep way. And finally, in terms of our program for next year, we've got a number of major exhibitions planned, one which also celebrates local heros. That's the name of the show itself, across the United States how the arts transform communities. And the example from Philadelphia -- there are examples, I believe, from 12 communities, I'm not quite sure of the number -- is what has been happening in the Village of the Arts and Humanities in North Philadelphia under the leadership of Lilly Yae (ph) and her remarkable group of community 1162 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) leaders who have come forward and have quite literally changed the landscape as well as mindscape in that small very intense community where she has worked. The fall will bring an exhibition of additions to our collection, which mean so much to our future audience. " This wonderful French impressionist artist who was so deeply interested in ballet and dance, a field again which Philadelphia is particularly rich, we anticipate hundreds of thousands visitors both from Philadelphia and from across the United States as well as a very substantial expense for this exhibition because we are appealing to corporate sponsors and foundations. But if the past is any record, either the Cezanne exhibition or the van Gogh exhibition, we never succeed in fully funding great projects like that so we can't do any of this, our future dreams or next year's exhibition, without the City's invaluable operating support which we received, as you heard in earlier in testimony, since the City constructed our great building which 1163 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) was opened in 1928, and we are deeply, deeply grateful. 25 million. 8. 5. And you can imagine the effects of September 11th which hit New York museums and cultural institutions very heavily were also felt in Philadelphia. So it's my fervent hope and that of have all my colleagues that the Council will sustain the current level of funding and might also consider the possibility of additional support for security and special costs related to Degas exhibition as you did for Cezanne and for Delacroix through some form of transfer ordinance or something during the year if that would be possible. We received also additional support for other exhibitions from the City for Goya and for Rome, for example. We've had a fabulous 125 anniversary. We're trying to ensure that the next 125 years of the museum do everything to make a great City greater to contribute substantially to the beauty and quality of life of the citizens, attract 1164 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) hundreds of thousands of visitors, millions over time from across the world to partner with other institutions. And as I looked around this Council room earlier, I saw a number of them represented, whether it's the free library, the School District of Philadelphia or the park to build even deeper and broader programs in the museum, in the classroom, over the Internet, all for Philadelphia and for the world. Thank you, Madam President.
Thank you. You state in your testimony that the museum's City budget has been frozen at the same level for the last seven years and that in the past the City used to pay for the museum's operating costs for security, maintenance, and custodial services.
What are your current operating costs? I know you did mention them.
Those costs, are approximately, I think, it's 5,830,000.
Over the last seven years, what would you say is the total amount the museum has had to pay in addition to the City's 1165 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) contribution?
I'm not I can quite do it. It's well over or -- I'm asking my 5 financial wizards to my right here. 6 A minimum of 2 million a year. So it's 7 almost like 14. 8
Thank you. 9 What is the Form and Art Program and does this 10 program interact with the School District of 11 Philadelphia? 12
The Form and Art Program is an award winning program for blind and partially sighted people and for adults. It is not a program for school children. And it is aimed at making those adults able to enjoy both the museum's collection. There's a selective sort of touching of sculpture and we also are devising ways in which to translate even the experience of a van Gogh painting into something into a kind modulated board which somebody can touch and realize how the paint surface works. And they produce an extraordinary group of their own works of art in response to what they see and experience at the museum and actually are able to sell them as well. So there is a cultural 1166 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) benefit, there's a deep educational benefit and sometimes for some of the participates there's a financial benefit.
Sounds wonderful. You mention in your testimony that the support you received from the School District has terminated. May I ask why and who terminated it and for what reason?
I hope I'm going to be correct on this. I will ask Cheryl McClenney-Brooker to help me if I am mistaken. But essentially, we had, as did a number of the other cultural institutions across the City, the Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, I believe Atwater Kent Museum, to assist the museum in reaching in depth the children of the School District in Philadelphia full-time teachers on the School District, part of the School District roster. And with the recent -- this was before -- actually this happened, I think, at the end of last June, something like that. It's a program that was in place for over 50 years. It was just enormously helpful because these were teachers who knew and were deeply immersed in the district itself. They 1167 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) knew their sister and brother teachers as well the students in many of the schools over time and they helped our education department in its mission to reach all of these children that come through our doors. And essentially was eliminated simply because those teachers were needed in the classroom because of a shortfall in the budget of the School District. So it was not that -- they were just pulled back into the district's function.
I think it's a wonderful, wonderful opportunity for the youngsters. Have you been in touch with the School District of late to inquire if they're going to put the service back? MS. D'Harnoncourt: Our Head of Education Marla Schumacher who has been at the museum for over years and interacted both 19 individually with many of the teachers and School 20 District, as well as the leadership there, we're kind of constantly in touch with them and making it clear that not only would we be immensely eager to have this very invaluable function restored, but also that we are eager, whatever the vicissitudes the School District goes through, to be partners 1168 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) with them in there creating new materials for kids, new ways for kids to be involved with art, new ways for kids to learn from art. We're producing, for example, a series of teaching posters. We just did a series on five objects in the museum made by women, whether an anonymous quilt maker -- in fact, I think the quilt maker we knew her name -- or a contemporary artist. We have posters on Asian, on African-American, on impressionism, on medieval. These are permanent, very sturdy double-sided posters that can go to the classroom before the kids come to the museum. And they are teaching materials for the teacher to make the most out of their visit to the museum. So we are doing everything within our power to prepare kids before they come, to prepare teachers. It's the loss of the teachers themselves is really tough because our replacing those teachers with our staff -- you can never replace their expertise, but our replacing them with our staff is a substantial budget increase which we at this point cannot afford.
Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Councilman Ortiz. 1169 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET)
Very shortsighted, but it's the ripple effects of what we're suffering in terms of how are kids are getting shortchanged throughout. Isn't it a fact that the museum actually brings in more revenue to the City of Philadelphia than most stadiums do?
I'm not asking you to take it on. More visitors come to Philadelphia because of the Museum of Art than they do because of the Phillies or the Eagles.
What I can tell you is that approximately -- we estimate that sort of year in, year out the economic impact on the City of Philadelphia is about 80 million of the museum's operation. In years where we are unable to afford to have an extraordinarily popular and expensive exhibition such as Degas, it's a larger impact.
When we had Cezanne and the van Gogh, the impact in terms of -- because this is way we got to talk here. If we were talking about giving money to some wealthy individuals to 1170 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) get richer and develop a stadium, we have this place full of people saying just give them the money. But for the museum that actually gives to the nation but brings people, we don't have that. What we do is cut and cut and cut and make it more difficult for them to be able to function. So the Cezanne exhibit and van Gogh exhibit, what was the economic impact on the City of Philadelphia of those two?
The conservative, and I think it's always wise to give you that, the economic impact of Cezanne was approximately 122 million.
And that's on top of everything else that the museum --
That was on top of all the educational opportunities -- that was just part of the year. We had 778,000 visitors to the museum during the Cezanne show. About 525,000 of whom went to the exhibition. And really, any exhibition that we do that receives national attention, major regional attention, contributes to the -- has an economic ripple across the region. And what's interesting is it's not only, oddly 1171 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) enough -- and this maybe sound like an irony. The effect on the museum, even though it's fabulous, even though we're full of visitors and people are in our shop shopping and doing all those good things and looking at all our collections, the percentage impact on the museum is much less than it's ripple effect and the effect on the community as a whole.
I mean, it is very shortsighted what we do in terms of this. And I think we don't pay attention to -- 14 years ago a colleague here said that, "Well, that's only for rich people." Really misses the aspect of what this museum has meant to Philadelphia and to the image of Philadelphia. We as a City has stop reciprocating in the same manner. We make it harder for you to actually make money for the City of Philadelphia. And the reason I'm saying this is that if we continuously give here to other individuals that don't -- they take the money and leave. And it is so shortsighted that what we do, the stagnating, not 1172 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) being able to raise the contribution. Because anything that we contribute, the City of Philadelphia gets it back many times over. And I would wish that you will one time -- I think what you have to do and give us is an analysis, real good analysis of the economic impact of this museum, not just the aspect that the prestige that it brings us, but the real money aspects that this museum brings to Philadelphia. And when you compare what we do to stadiums or the Eagles for the fans, I mean, these are other things that have very little contribution to us. I'd like to see that.
Well, thank you, Councilman. I'm very grateful and very encouraged by your remarks and, certainly, we will -- we might prepare for Council for the future kind of a chart that does show that. I think that the economic impact of the museum, it's a point you've tried to make over the year. We have more information now and we can make it more clearly and more eloquently. I'd like to think that the museum has three important impacts which are intertwined. One is quality for life all the citizens of Philadelphia, the second is the educational impact, and the third 1173 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) is the economic impact, and they go hand in hand. We also recognize that the City has major financial issues, but to the degree to which the City is able to invest in the museum and in its activities, we endeavor to return those investments throughout the region.
That's the way I think we here would like to begin -- I'd like us to start looking at it as an investment on our economic and future, because as we make that we attract a grouping of people that go to the museum, I believe, probably spend more money than the grouping of people that go to see an Eagles game. They go to the restaurants, they go to the neighborhood, and they usually come from outside of Philadelphia, a lot of them. If you can put together on the Cezanne and a projection on Degas, which I imagine is going to be quite similar in terms of its economic attraction. We have to do that because we just do not understand the investment that we lose when we don't take care.
We will be delighted to prepare such information for you in particularly Degas. 1174 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET)
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Rizzo.
Thank you. I want to talk about a program that I may have missed, but since being here and you giving us the opportunity to come visit has really -- I've learned a lot about art. I'm wondering if there's a program -- many people come to the museum, and I'm going to try to express myself as best I can here, they're not as sophisticated as they would like to be and understand. Really, I come to the museum and I don't really appreciate my visit. And you talked about the kids. I don't appreciate my visit because I don't really understand what I'm looking at. I don't understand difference between this and that. It's pretty. I say, "Gee, it's old and it's nice." Could we have a program or do you have a program -- I'd take it if you had one so I could enjoy my visit, that's that and that means this. You know, you all take for granted, and I say that with respect because you know. And there's a lot of folks that hesitate going to the Art Museum because when they get there they don't really appreciate -- and I'm telling you from my own personal experience. 1175 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) I don't really have the same appreciation because I'm not really knowledgeable what I'm looking at. And again, if there could be a program like that, I think a lot of people would come and want to learn. And you used the word the kids experience coming to the museum. I would love to learn more about what's there. I think you're getting my point.
I am, Councilman Rizzo. I'm actually grateful to you for asking the question because I think one of the things the museum needs to do is even get out more word about what we do as well as increase what we do because we, in fact, have -- we try to have a big variety of ways in which any visitor can get into the museum, get into the collections, look at things, whatever level of interest they have, whether there are wonderful guided tours by 500 volunteers who are very knowledgeable about the collections. They expect every visitor just to come as they are, whether they're art historians or they're just people coming in and wanting to know what that is and what this is or how it got there, and they can do that. We have quite a wonderful program now of audio guides where anybody can take -- if they don't 1176 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) want to in a group with somebody leading them, and there's somebody available pretty much around the clock anytime you come, there are audio guides that you can take and wander into the galleries and look at almost anything around the museum or at least any gallery and have a sense of information about it. There are also some courses that are taught by museum staff, and we interact a lot with the local colleges to have spotlight tours, for example, every Wednesday night on a specific aspect of the collection. So there's no one-stop shopping, I would say, simply because there's so many times people come, so many ways they want to learn. And I'm just getting a note to say we're also, which has been fabulous, our newest program is to invite some of the junior and senior members of Philadelphia School District schools and other schools around the community to come and run a team docent program in which the teenagers actually take you into the medieval galleries and show you what they want to show you. So they are not talking up, they are talking just across person to person, and it has a wonderful effect on our visitors. So we'd actually be very glad to provide you with a summary of what 1177 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) we do, particularly for our adult visitors.
Director, I heard what you said but, again, I want to the get real basic here. You come into the museum. There's some things that are painted with paint. There are other things that are drawn. They are other things that are photographs. It would be nice to understand the different categories of art for a person that has no 10 knowledge, had know schooling, didn't have -- you know, I went the Settlement School and painted water colors and I knew that you put one color with another and it makes a different color. But I'm talking about just understanding the different types of art. Because when I walk into one of the galleries and I see something, I didn't realize it was a picture.
I thought it was something that was drawn. I didn't know that you had pictures -- well, I do now -- in the Art Museum. So what I'm talking about is the very, very basics because I've talked to some people, matter of fact, I couldn't make a particular event and I was going to provide my tickets to a person and they responded 1178 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) in a way that had me ask this question, "Well, I wouldn't understand what I'm seeing there," and that's why they didn't go. So I'm getting right to the very basics because maybe you assume that when we come in there we really understand what you're showing us.
It's a terrific question. What I can say is we try to assume nothing, either that people know everything, they know very little. We try to give them any ability at the museum, either through somebody who spends time with them in the galleries or buy material they could read if they wished to and take away and come back again. The main thing we want to make sure people know is that questions are what it's all about. And we may not have the answers because we sure don't have the answers to everything. The one thing we love to do but at the moment we don't have space to do and what we're looking forward to is this kind of rearrangement of places in the museums to do a little orientation film for people who come in and they can just get the museum, in a way, summarized, it's a huge place, and what opportunities they could have. And right now, we 1179 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) don't really have any place to show such a film except our auditorium which is also full of school kids or art history classes or lectures or other things. But it's real goal we would love to achieve.
An example of a question that was asked, when you come there you see art that's donated or shipped from another museum or an individual, his name, donated by. Just that kind of information, a lot of people are standing there wondering, how did that get here? It says its own loan from. And I asked that question, and you can obviously figure it out that it's on loan. But just knowing and understanding how that works, I think would be very interesting. There's a lot of people that think they know, but I don't think they really know.
In fact, someone asked a question in the press conference about the Cezanne exhibition after it was over and we were announcing economic impact right here in City Hall and someone said, "Well, what's the next collection you could borrow?" Whereas, in fact we spent three years putting together by pleading with people who 1180 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) owned Cezannes all over the world to lend them to Philadelphia for three months. These are all great questions. They're questions that we had a lot of people in the museum who are interested in answering. And in fact, most of them could answer them for anybody coming in the door, but we need to figure out how to make sure that everybody knows that the questions they come in with can be answered without embarrassment, without anything by it because you have three questions, somebody has five questions, somebody else wants to know something else, so we can't necessarily anticipate but we want to the be able to respond.
When you see something that's donated by and the name of an individual, does that necessarily mean that it was donated to our museum or could it have been donated to another museum who in fact is making it available to you?
If all it says it was donated by, it means it was donated to Philadelphia. If it's in the Cezanne show, it will say Art Institute of Chicago given by Mrs. Mugwump or Mr. as the case maybe. We actually have in a 1181 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) couple of places in the museum, but we could always have more, places where we explain even the labels. The labels are the little placards. We try to give people a short sweet group of facts about each thing, not necessarily the same fact about each thing because that gets boring. You don't always want to know about the donor. Sometimes you want to know how it's made, whatever the case maybe.
The next time I go now I'll know the answer to that question. But I was trying to explain what my experience is and probably the experience of some other folks that might make their visit more enjoyable. Thank you. You do great work.
Well, you're very welcome. And thanks for those inspiring questions.
You're welcome. 1182 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter.
Thank you, Madam Chair. First, I actually want to commend my colleague for his openness and expressing his true feelings. It actually takes, I think, a fair amount of personal self-confidence to admit what you don't know or what you don't understand. In many instances some of us, maybe many of us, from time to time try to cover up what we don't know or actually act like we know it even though we don't. I, as well, generally have no idea what some of the artwork is. You can read the little description down the bottom. And so if you end up having that kind of course for either the uninitiated, the uninformed or the completely stupid, I'd be glad to sign up. We also did, though, learn something here today and, Director D'Harnoncourt, I look forward to the watercolor exhibit of Councilman Rizzo's materials. (Laughter.)
The Councilman has agreed that he will lend them to the Art Museum. He will require they be returned. I think that one day 1183 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) which I'm driving as you go toward Kelly Drive there, that big sign maybe one day it will say, "The Rizzo Exhibit," and it will have all the Councilman's drawings from when he was eight years old. I'm sure it will be an astounding success, maybe not at the level of Cezanne, but many of us at least here in City Council will go and we will pay money to see those drawings. (Laughter.)
Other than that, I just want to thank you for what you do. Please keep up the good work and I look forward to the next exhibition. From the little girl in school today, my daughter has enjoyed a couple visits now to the Art Museum. She is always excited when she knows that she's coming to the museum. And actually, she can explain what some of those things are and she tells me about them. So you do a great program with the young people who have the opportunity to come to the Art Museum. And I think actually Olivia may have been in the Art Museum more times than I have, and she's 7 tomorrow. So thank you very much.
Thank you very much. 1184 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) And maybe she can bring you next time.
Members of Council fully enjoyed our visit to the Art Museum. It was very enjoyable. Thank you so much.
Thank you. - - - 1185 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET)
The Recreation Department is next. Good afternoon. Identify yourself for the record. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Good afternoon, Madam President. Thank you for having us back. My name is Vic Richard, Recreation Commissioner for the City of Philadelphia. To my right is Deputy Commissioner Carapucci; to my immediate left is Deputy Commissioner Mary Platt-Coles, and to her left is Deputy Commissioner Carlton Williams.
Do you have a copy of your testimony. Give it to the stenographer. If you would abbreviate, we would appreciate it. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: For the record, we're requesting $40 million in the general fund. That includes the increase of $843,000 over '02 that was due to negotiated wage increase and 10.6 million in the grants. Total operation is for $50 million. I'll be more than glad to accept any questions.
Wow. You were very short. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: If I can tell you 1186 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) one other thing --
Please do. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: The number one priority in our department and operation is the maintenance division. Thank you.
Thank you. Can you tell me how many of your employees have applied for the Drop Program and when they would be eligible? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: I believe the first round of employees in the Drop Program go out in October of next year. I may be off a few, but I want to say employees. I might be off a little. 15 I'll be more than glad to give you the whole rundown 16 to date. 17
Thank you. I 18 asked that question because I do notice that in the 19 budget you're going to be getting five less 20 full-time employees. 21 COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Five less full-time 22 employees were -- I believe last year some employees 23 were on a grant program in the Latch-Key Project. 24 Also, we are looking at not replacing --
These were in 1187 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) the general fund? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Right, in the general fund. They transferred out into permanent. What we're looking at is not to replace some employees in the operations.
When you say you're not going to replace some employees, how many employees do you contemplate not replacing? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Presently with what the budget reflects and how many people the budget will be able to support, it's five to six employees over the course of the twelve months of the '03 fiscal year.
I guess it was two months ago I got calls from my constituents indicating to me there were rumors that some recreation facilities would close. Is that true or false? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: That it's a rumor?
Are we going to be closing some recreation facilities? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: My formal response back to you, Madam President, from your letter to me was that I do not have the authority to close any 1188 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) facility, and that all of us will be working together. It's only a rumor. I have no immediate intentions of closing any facilities. Once again, for the record, I don't have the authority to close them.
All right. If that rumor should occur again, I'd like you to be in touch with the District Council people. I agree with you that the ability to maintain your infrastructure is your number one priority in order to accomplish your objectives. I also believe that the ability of the City to provide for the appropriate maintenance of its facilities is critical as we approach our debt limit and our shrinking capital budgets. Do you agree? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Definitely. Once again, for the record, there's what's deemed the cost of goods and the value of the dollar. They're either going to correlate and go hand and hand or one is going to be greater than the other. In order for us to maintain the balance, the Administration, City leaders, City Council, anybody involved has to make sure that those all balance out. 1189 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET)
Does your FY 'O3 budget provide for the maintenance needs of your Department? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: There's no cuts within the Department relative to me losing any present level of service throughout the City. So the answer is yes.
You feel that what has been budgeted is adequate? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: For what is expected, no. 13
When you were approached by the Administration, did you explain to them what your needs were, and if so, what kind of response did you get? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Yes. That's why I believe I might be a handful of operating budgets that didn't take the cut in order to maintain the pre-existing level of service. In order for --
Was that the three-percent increase? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: The three-percent increase was totally due upon the negotiated labor rate that took place December of '01, and also that 1190 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) will take place again December of this year. So there were other issues involving cost to stadium relative to risk management issues. Also, liability insurance, prevailing wages that needed to be addressed in contracts relative to the stadium were other issues. There's also other issues regarding risk management and proactive training within the Department that need to be addressed; some are, some still won't be.
In the Administration's five-year plan of your Department, and it would be non-stadium activities, goes from 593 positions in FY 'O3 to 542 in FY '06. How will you be able to provide both the required maintenance and programmatic requirements at that reduced level? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: If I'm understanding the question, calculating the years in my head, it will be because we will absorb, either within the Department or other City departments, the operational staff which is approximately 27 to 30 people at the stadium. That will be --
That's not the question. I'm saying non-stadium activities. The 1191 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) five-year plan shows that you have 593 positions in FY '03 and it will go down to 542 by FY '06. My question to you is how will you be able to make or provide both maintenance and programmatic requirements at that reduced level? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: I'll reiterate. Some of those jobs will be employees within the department that are in my total number of employees, unless I'm not understanding, that will attribute out from the stadium. The other piece --
It does not include the stadium. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Let me continue. The other piece will be employees that are presently on the payroll that the City is working on. I don't know the name of the consultant. I know as an entire entity, we will sit down and take a look at reconstruction within the ranks of the employees. Now, your question to me is how will we be able to maintain the certain level of services? It's very hard to maintain some of the level of services now.
I think you'll need a magic wand if that's what's being proposed. 1192 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) COMMISSIONER RICHARD: I'm already using that. Within the higher ranks of the organization, there's --
Why doesn't Mr. Dubow respond to that question? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: I'll give him the mic, too, but I also need to finish.
Rob Dubow, budget director. The Commissioner is correct that the reductions that are shown there are tied to the drop plan and our plan to work with Parente Randolf to look at how to restructure the Department to do more with less. One of the things that we've said all along is that we anticipate that there will be some departments that do better than the numbers we have in the plan and some that don't take as big a reduction as shown in the plan. So those numbers, while they allocated the numbers evenly across the departments, are likely not to be the way it finally shakes out.
Time will tell. Commissioner, when was the last time your 1193 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) Department did a facility assessment study? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Are you talking about a full assessment of every facility?
I think that's what I asked. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: I want to say two years ago. We're in the process right now of revamping what's already on the books, and the maintenance standard operations procedures as well.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to go back, first, in the budget book to , under Fiscal 2003, Obligation Level. It's $40 million in general funding, 10.6 million in grants. I think earlier in your opening statement, you made reference to a total budget of $50.6 million; is that correct? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Yes, sir.
The 10.6 million in grants, can you tell me -- I know they're sprinkled throughout this book in a variety of pages. Can you tell me generally the source of the $10 million in grant funds? 1194 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) COMMISSIONER RICHARD: The biggest bulk of the $10 million in grants, six-and-a-half million is a federal grant. That's for the summer food program when we feed the young children during the summer day camps. That's $6.5 million. Another big chunk of the million is $1.4 million is to the Juvenile 8 Accountability Block Grant. Then it's broken down. 9
What do we use the 10 Juvenile Accountability Block Grant for? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Presently some of that money is being used for the new Teen Center Initiative. And the rest of the money is -- I want to say part of Safe and Sound, I believe. I don't remember the rest of it. I'm sorry.
Could you provide to us back through the process that we normally utilize a full schedule of what the grant dollars are, the actual breakout for them, the service that's provided? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Yes, sir.
Thank you. Does the Department do most of the either grant writing or, we'll call it inarticulately, grant searching? Who is out kind of scowdering the 1195 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) universe trying to get grants?
We do a lot of it. But then also before Ms. Richman became the managing director, Director of Social Services bringing in the entire Social Services group and better utilizing the resources that the City had. It's kind of half and half, sir.
Does the Department also -- we had some discussion earlier with regard to Family Park. Does the Department do its own fund raising-related activities? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Yes, very minimal.
Is there like a development person, or is it more on a happenstance, somebody might want to make a donation? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: We have both. We have a gentleman on staff, Mr. Fagan -- that's when we actually formally go off the mostly State and Federal money. Whenever we do have opportunities to get private dollars, Mr. Fagan is also part of that initiative as well to secure money.
What do you think the private fund raising was last year? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: I wouldn't want to 1196 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) guess. The other part, too, is the Mural Arts Program does an outstanding job as well. But I'll provide that to you. I wouldn't even try to guess.
There's some fund raising done for the Department. Mr. Fagan, I guess, is primarily going after dollars for the Recreation Department and its various programs. And then the Mural Arts Program does some of its own fund raising. I assume those dollars stay with the Mural Arts Program? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Yes, sir.
Do you have a sense of what the fund raising by the Mural Arts Program is from a numbers standpoint? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Jane.
Jane Golden, Department of Recreation, Mural Arts Program. Last year we've raised in private funds close to approximately 800,000. This year we have 672,000 that we've raised. Some of the funds come from large grants for art education programs. Some of the money is from mural tours, calendar sales, small donations. It's really a range.
You're saying the last 1197 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) fiscal year was 800,000? Are you saying fiscal year to date is 600,000?
That's '01 and '02. Okay. Commissioner, let me ask you, on , first, how many deputy commissioners do you have? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Three, sir.
Who are they and what are their responsibilities? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Deputy Commissioner Carapucci is over programs. Deputy Commissioner Mary Platt-Coles, to my immediate left, is over administration and development. Deputy Commissioner Williams, to the far left, is over the maintenance facilities management, the Dell East.
Now, I'm actually somewhat memory challenged. You came, my recollection is, the spring, early summer of 2000? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Yes, sir. May.
May of 2000. When you arrived, were there deputies in place at the time or did you subsequently make the appointments? 1198 2/27/02 - WHOLE - BILL 020001 ('03 BUDGET) COMMISSIONER RICHARD: They were in place.
All three? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: There's a new one at the table since then, Ms. Coles.
When you arrived in May of 2000, Mr. Carapucci and Mr. Williams were already deputies, you became Commissioner, and subsequently you brought on Ms. Coles? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: She replaced another Commissioner that was in place already.
Subsequent to your -- COMMISSIONER RICHARD: There were three commissioners in place; Mr. Carapucci, Mr. Petrowsky, and Deputy Commissioner Williams was brought in in April of 2000.
Again, just so I'm clear, once you became Commissioner in May 2000, a deputy left and then you promoted or hired Ms. Coles? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Ms. Coles began her tenure in October of '01.