COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE - BUDGET - - - Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Tuesday, April 10, 2007 10:10 a.m. - - - PRESENT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT ANNA C. VERNA COUNCILWOMAN JANNIE BLACKWELL COUNCILMAN DARRELL L. CLARKE COUNCILMAN W. WILSON GOODE, JR. COUNCILMAN WILLIAM GREENLEE COUNCILMAN JAMES F. KENNEY COUNCILWOMAN DONNA REED MILLER COUNCILWOMAN BLONDELL REYNOLDS BROWN COUNCILMAN FRANK RIZZO COUNCILWOMAN MARIAN B. TASCO BILLS 070114, 070115 and 070116 RESOLUTION 070128 - - - V A R A L L O Incorporated Litigation Support Services Eleven Penn Center 1835 Market Street, Suite 600 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103 215.561.2220 215.567.2670 2
Good morning, everyone. This is the continued public hearing of the Committee of the Whole. I would ask Mr. McPherson to please call the first department to testify. MR. McPHERSON: The first department is the Fairmount Park Commission. (Brief pause for difficulties with sound system.)
Good morning, President Verna and members of City Council. I am Mark Focht, Executive Director of Fairmount Park, and I am pleased to appear before you today to testify on behalf of the Park's Fiscal Year '08 Operating Budget. On my immediate right is Chief of Staff Barry Bessler and on my left are Directors Chris Palmer of our Operations group and 3 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. Stephanie Craighead of our Planning, Preservation and Development. I am here today to present on behalf of our proposed $13,184,818 Operating Budget. The Class 100 request of $9,170,838 is $369,980 above the Fiscal Year '07 estimated obligations, due to salary increases that will be enacted during Fiscal Year '08, an additional $50,000 to support special event overtime, and a two and a half percent reduction in personnel costs. It should be noted that the additional 50,000 in special events overtime will be budget neutral, as it will be offset by revenue to the General Fund collected by Park staff from special event organizers. This budget will allow our number of employees to remain constant at 169. Our Class 200 request is $2,451,359. Class 300 and 400 combined is 668,621, and Class 500 is the $850,000 to fund the Fairmount Park rangers. The mission of the Fairmount 4 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. Park is to preserve, protect and maintain the open space, street trees, natural and cultural resources of Philadelphia's parks for the recreation and enjoyment of residents and visitors. We also educate the public on the environment, history and the use of the Fairmount Park system and promote, celebrate and enhance the uniqueness and value of the Fairmount Park system and its economic impact to the City, region and state. Within our responsibilities are the woodlands, watersheds, landscapes and physical infrastructures of 469 buildings and nearly 200 structures throughout our 9,200 acres. The 63 parks of the Fairmount Park system provide Philadelphia citizens and visitors with opportunities for passive and active recreation and comprise one of the largest municipally operated landscaped park systems in the nation. Each of these parks is an important piece of open space in the urban landscape, regardless 5 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. of its size or features, from the smallest neighborhood mini parks to our downtown plazas to regional parks and our largest natural watershed parks. I am pleased to highlight a few of the Fairmount Park accomplishments during the current fiscal year, '07. One of the key highlights is the advancement made in the restoration of the Fairmount Water Works. This project was begun in 1982, and projects completed to date include the restoration of all structures, decks, accent and site lighting, balustrades, terrace paving, landscaping and related infrastructure. Remaining improvements include the replacement of the New Mill House gates and windows in the current fiscal year and the restoration of the Mercury Pavilion and the North and South Cliffs Paths in Fiscal Year 2008, at a total cost of nearly $1 million. These final projects are funded by the Fairmount Park Commission, the City of Philadelphia, the 6 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. Pew Charitable Trust, the Fund for the Water Works and the Fairmount Park Conservancy. The Water Works restoration is scheduled for completion in Fiscal Year 2010. Wingohocking Park was officially recognized in February 2007 by the Fairmount Park Commission as the 63rd park in the Fairmount Park system. This triangular parcel located at Old York Road and Wingohocking Streets was originally part of Hunting Park but was separated from the park by the highway extension of the Roosevelt Boulevard in the 1950s.
In the past two years, the park has seen considerable improvement, including new play equipment funded thanks to Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller and new benches, trees and paving funded by private sources through the Fairmount Park Conservancy's Growing the Neighborhood program. With an active Friends group, Wingohocking Park is becoming a focal point for Logan. 7 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. Working with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and the Mayor's Neighborhood Transformation Initiative, we at Fairmount Park have participated in the public-private partnership called TreeVitalize, which is to restore our urban tree canopy in parks and streets in Philadelphia and our surrounding suburbs. The program targets neighborhoods in cities and towns where the tree cover is less than percent. TreeVitalize is 15 designed to revitalize older communities, 16 improve air and water quality in those 17 communities and enhance the quality of 18 life for citizens living in our urbanized 19 areas. Ultimately, the program will 20 plant more than 20,000 shade trees and 21 create a thousand acres of forested 22 riparian buffers in the five-county 23 Philadelphia region. In Fiscal Year '08, 24 over $1 million in non-City funds has 25 been invested in stream buffers and the 8 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. planting of 1,136 trees throughout the Fairmount Park system. In Fiscal Year 2008, 625,000 will be spent as the program concludes on more stream buffers and the planting of an additional 568 trees. In addition to TreeVitalize, the Park is very proud to be the recipient of two grants totalling $340,000 from the Health Department's Air Quality Improvement Fund. These competitive funds will be used to plant an additional 1,000 trees in Fiscal Year '07 and '08. The Park's objectives in Fiscal Year '08 will continue to focus on our core mission, with emphasis in the following initiatives: The first being GreenPlan Philadelphia, the City's blueprint for sustainable open space, which is essential to ensure a balanced provision of open-space resources throughout our City, better coordinated efforts among agencies and organizations responsible for open space, and to develop continued support for projects 9 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. from key funders such as the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Fairmount Park, along with the Managing Director's Office, the Planning Commission and the Mayor's Neighborhood Transformation Initiative, has been a key player in the development of the plan. It is expected that GreenPlan Philadelphia's recommendations will be institutionalized through the funding and management of parks, recreation and open-space resources in the future. The next item is, a long-range plan for our golf course facilities will be developed during the remaining of Calendar Year '07. Fairmount Park's six golf courses and sports center have been privatized since 1985. Long-term concession agreements have passed through several operators during that time, with each successive company having difficulty remaining profitable. From 1985 to 2005, the concession agreement required 10 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. 1 million each year be paid to the City's General Fund, in addition to funding capital improvements. The agreement was ultimately terminated in early 2005 and our golf facilities have since been operated on a management-fee basis paid for by the City. A request for proposals, or RFP, will be completed this coming summer, targeted to experienced municipal golf course management companies, in an effort to determine the best method to operate our golf facilities in Fiscal Year '08 and beyond. This effort implements a strategic plan recommendation that calls for improved contract monitoring of revenue centers and better management of our golf courses.
The final initiative I'd like to highlight is the North Delaware River Greenway project, which is entering the first of three phases to be completed over the next dozen years to create the 11 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. Delaware River Greenway along an 11-mile stretch from Penn Treaty Park to the Bucks County line. Fairmount Park is again working with many agencies, including the Commerce Department, Planning Commission, Managing Director's Office, Office of Housing and Community Development and the newly formed Delaware River City Corporation, on this initiative to fulfill a goal of the strategic plan by enhancing Mayor Street's New River City's vision. The project connects adjacent residential communities with the river by developing trails, gateways and new parkland from old railroad and industrial properties at the river's edge. City, state and federal funding will be used throughout the project. To date, 600,000 in state funding has been invested in the acquisition of the Lardner's Point parcel, which is immediately below the Tacony Palmyra Bridge, and a section of the Kensington and Tacony trails. In 12 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. 6 million in state and federal funding. The Park's involvement on the Delaware River compliments our 30-year commitment to open-space development on the tidal Schuylkill River. Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today to discuss the state of the Fairmount Park system. Aside from the significant physical assets that we manage and care for, we are extremely grateful for the extensive network of volunteer resources and we owe tremendous gratitude to those citizens who love their parks and continue to support them year after year. I would be pleased to answer any questions.
Thank you very much. What initiatives have you 13 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. implemented with regards to the Park's master plan?
The Park's strategic plan, which was completed in 2004, had 80 major recommendations in it. To date, we have completed or are in process of working on 45 of those 80 recommendations, which is about 56 percent. Some of them -- and I should mention it's been about two and a half years since the plan was implemented, and it is a ten-year plan. So I'm very pleased that we're over the 50 percent mark two and a half years into a ten-year plan. Some of the things that we've done are some of our marketing initiatives, like the development of our map and visitors guide, the website and when we opened the new Fairmount Park Welcome Center in JFK Plaza almost a year ago. May 1, 2006 we opened that. Other things that we've been doing are part of the strategic realignment of some of our 14 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. Operations divisions, which Mr. Palmer heads, to be more efficient in our delivery of services. We've also been much better on permitting special events. So there are a number of things that we have done that have implemented the strategic plan.
Can you tell us what is the value of the Park's pay increase for Fiscal 2008? That's for the four percent pay raise.
Can you tell us why this isn't reflected on -4 of your detail? Ms. Reed, why don't you take a 15 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. seat at the witness table so you don't have to be getting up and down.
Did the Park receive a 2.5 percent reduction in personnel in 2008?
If you were assigned a 2.5 percent reduction in personnel, why are you not showing a decrease in your full-time position levels?
We had extensive discussions about the two and a half percent cut, and what we have chosen to do is adjust for that two and a half percent cut in three ways. One is that we always have open positions at the Park, as most City agencies do, that are never filled. It takes a while to fill the positions, and we, on average, have about 160 to 165 employees working for Fairmount Park at any one particular 16 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. time. So there are always positions that are not filled. So we have some savings from those. The second is, we will manage our overtime budget tighter, and the third is seasonal employees, the management of seasonal employees. So we chose not to take a cut in full-time staff because it's critical we have as many full-time staff as possible and will make up the two and a half percent cut in those other three ways.
So how many full-time vacancies do you presently have?
On -14 of your detail, you are requesting $850,000 for celebrations. Please detail how this money is spent and who are the recipients of these funds.
The 850,000 is the yearly allocation to fund the Fairmount 17 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. Park Ranger Corps.
Yeah, the Fairmount Park rangers that have been in existence since the early 1990s.
I don't know why it would have been coded under "celebrations." We'll have to correct that.
I think we would like you to get back to us on a couple of the unanswered questions, if you don't mind.
Thank you, Madam President. I know you're doing a lot with less and I want you to know that I personally appreciate it, because I have 18 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. a lot of interaction with Fairmount Park because it's so very important to the City. So I have no questions, nothing other than a comment that I appreciate always you personally, Mark, responding in a timely manner and all of your associates, Barry Bessler, Chris, everyone that works out there. I know you've got a lot of balls in the air and I appreciate all the good work that you do.
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilman Greenlee. Is he in the room? (No response.)
Thank you. 19 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. I just have one question. Good morning.
I got an e-mail from a friend of mine who had a conversation with a Mr. Ollie Henderson. Are you familiar with that, regarding -- he had requested, I understand, some consideration be given to senior citizens who use the golf course, that the $25-a-day fee is relatively high for senior citizens and wanted to know if there could be any consideration in lowering the fee for senior citizens.
We have spoken extensively with that gentleman and several of his colleagues who have come to the monthly Park Commission meetings. We've analyzed his proposal. He asked us to drop the rates from $25 to $5 for he and his colleagues. We analyzed his proposal based upon the rounds of play in 2006. So everyone that would fit into his category, age range basically and 20 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. frequency of play, and it ended up that we would project a loss of close to $2 million by the application of those rates to the rounds of play we had in 2006. So we have made a recommendation to the Commission -- and we have a Commission meeting tomorrow -- to actually stay with the rates, the $25 a day, because of the financial impact on the rates proposed by that gentleman.
Do you keep a record of the number of senior citizens who play or are you --
We can get you that number. I don't have it with me today, but we will definitely get you that number.
Thank you. 21 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. The Chair recognizes Councilman Greenlee.
First of all, as somebody who lives near the Fairmount Water Works, just congratulations on the great work that's done. I remember how it looked before, and you've done a great job with that.
Just one question on the outdoor permits, particularly the picnic permits and whatever. I know Mr. Bessler and I have talked about this a few times. There's some sites that are close to houses and you get complaints now and then. Personally as somebody who lives near Lemon Hill, I don't think it's as bad as some of my neighbors do. I might get in 22 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. trouble for that. But I do get complaints a lot from people who say the noise level, to steal the Council President's words, the noise level is much too high sometimes from the park. Is there still a ban on any kind of amplified sound, and how do you kind of both inform the people, the applicants, and enforce it?
Yes, there is a ban and it's actually part of the permit process. It's both in the application and when they receive their permit, it's very clear that the picnic sites do not allow for amplified music. I'm very also aware of the situation of Lemon Hill and some of our other sites. It comes down to a matter of enforcement and the ability to have the very few rangers we have enforce it or to notify the Philadelphia Police, who at times will go by and enforce it. But, yes, all the paperwork that's given out with a picnic permit, 23 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. it's very clearly stated there's a ban on amplified music.
I'm certainly not advocating taking anybody's permit away, but is there any record kept if you do get complaints like when the group comes back the next year, to sort of more strongly mention that or mention it again?
We do keep records. Yes, I would say we keep records of when we are notified by a citizen or certainly a ranger or a Philadelphia Police officer or a Fairmount Park staff that needs to stop by a site. That information gets back to our Special Events Office and it's noted in the file, and then the next year when that organization comes in for an event, a permit, they can be spoken with.
I got you. By the way, is Lemon Hill one that you do get complaints about or do they just yell at me? 24 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC.
You're welcome. I would just like to get back to the question I asked previously about the $850,000 for celebrations, and you indicated that it was for the Ranger Corps. Who employs the rangers?
The Fairmount Park Trust and Custody Funds. Fairmount Park Ranger Corps has a separate Board. They're an independent Board, and the City has historically provided funding to the Board to pay the rangers' salaries and operations, along with money that comes from an investment from a grant from William Penn in the 1990s. So the employees are employees of the Fairmount Park Trust and Custody Funds. 25 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC.
We currently have full-time rangers and eight seasonal 7 rangers. 8
Well, 9 I don't know where it appears in your 10 budget, but we certainly can't find it, 11 even in the Grants Fund. So if it's 12 there and you could tell us what page it 13 is on. 14
We'll have to get 15 you that information. We will submit the 16 information. 17
All 18 right. Are there any other questions from members of the Committee? (No response.)
You're welcome. MR. McPHERSON: The next department is the Department of Recreation.
Good morning, Commissioner. Please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Good morning, Madam President. My name is Vic Richard and I'm the Commissioner of the Department of Recreation. I'd also like to say good morning to all the other honorable Councilmembers and thank you for having us here today. With me today I have Deputy Commissioner Mary Platt-Coles and also Deputy Commissioner Frank Fabey, and Mr. Carapucci, Deputy Commissioner Carapucci, is on the way. We thank you for your leadership and for giving us the opportunity to present our requested budget for the fiscal year of '08. 27 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. 4 million in the General Fund. That includes an increase of $105,000. This increase is due to wage increases. 4, four percent, in our 300 category; and one percent, 226,000, in 400; and there's million in Class 500, five percent. million. The Recreation Department's Grant Fund appropriation will provide for the Summer Food program, After-School Snack programs, our Older Adult programs, the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant, Human Services Development Fund and the Juvenile 28 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. Accountability Block Grant. Our intent is to maintain staffing levels and service delivery. Consistent with that intent, our General Fund position levels from '07 to '08 are as follows: In Fiscal Year '07, our full-time positions were 517 and in Fiscal Year '08 are 517. Permanent, in '07 our part-time positions were 140; in '08, 141. Our seasonal positions in '07 were 1,836 and are unchanged at 1,836 for '08. Our service delivery impact: In maintaining our core mission of public recreation and leisure services in Fiscal Year '08, we offer the following: Our senior citizens programs at our six sites, our after-school programs at 87 recreation centers and also seven partner sites. All five of our ice rinks are operating now due to $3 million capital improvement renovations at the Tarken and Scanlon ice rinks. Neighborhood day camps at 140 sites for six weeks from 29 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. July 2nd through August 10th. The aquatics program will again consist of eight weeks from June 20th through August 24th for pools, and weeks of operations for our spraygrounds. In Fiscal Year '07, the summer aquatics program also consisted of eight weeks. Our Swim for Life camp will be offered at rec pools in '08, and in Fiscal Year 11 '07, 260 children learned how to swim at 12 our ten locations for our Swim for Life. This year we will offer canoeing skills that will be taught at ten pools this summer throughout the City. Our performing arts will host six locations and our visual arts will host three encampments over a six-week period. The teen dances and teen movie nights, along with the Urban Idol Competition, is in place as well. We will once again host tennis, golf, basketball, baseball, softball and let's not forget the Carousel House camp. Summertime is already looking like it's going to be 30 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. loads of fun. Neighborhood park maintenance will continue to be maintained by seasonal maintenance attendants. In our Citizen Satisfaction Survey, in Fiscal Year '06 Citizen Satisfaction Survey reflected that those surveyed who reported using a recreation center after-school program, 95 percent were very to somewhat satisfied. 7 percent were somewhat or very satisfied. For the first time included in the survey were teen programs reported at 100 percent who were very to somewhat satisfied of those reported participating in teen programs at rec centers or at the Free Library. We believe we have the most talented Recreation Department staff in the United States and we're very proud to serve our City. 31 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC.
Some of our accomplishments in '07: With our maintenance and capital projects in Fiscal Year '07, we continued to demonstrate our commitment to excellent service delivery. We would like to thank Mayor Street and the City Council for affording the Department the opportunity to implement the Capital Maintenance Squad. The newly formed Capital Maintenance Team has completed 33 projects for a savings of $918,217 since its inception in July of '06. There are two new teen centers that have been put online at Lawncrest and at Murphy Recreation Centers that were dedicated. We're proud to say that we now have No. 19 11 -- we have 11 teen centers that are presently in operations, with two more that are being worked on. Ball field renovations at Hetzell, new play equipment at Mohammed Park, Mitchell and Fishtown. Major in-house renovations are presently taking place at Cecil B. Moore, 32 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. Belfield and Waterview Rec Centers. We would like to thank Jill Scott for her $100,000 donation to the Cecil B. Moore Recreation Center. 1 million sprayground and pool is underway at the Athletic Recreation Center. We are making great strides in improving and maintaining our vast infrastructure. In our Administration and Development Unit, that unit manages the fiscal personnel, procurement and the warehouse functions for the Department and also Fairmount Park. Administration also manages program development and works closely with our Program division, Social Services departments and outside entities to create new programs and identify possible funding sources for special programs for the teen centers, our after-school programs, cultural arts and Camp William Penn. Two exciting new programs that are currently in development for '08 are a recording studio and a culinary arts 33 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. program to be held at the Waterview Recreation Center. " The division also manages older adult programs at six older adult centers throughout the City. The Senior Art Camp that serves 56 participants will offer another encampment in '07, Senior Holiday Party at the Marriott Hotel that served 2,100 seniors in December at Christmas, the Philadelphia Senior Games where close to 500 seniors to participate in various sporting events. And that event is being conducted right now. The division also manages Camp William Penn. In our Program Unit, as 34 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. mentioned, the Department opened two new teen centers at Lawncrest and Murphy Rec Centers. This brings the total number of teen centers to 11. In the summer of '06, the Department hosted teen dances 7 and ten movie nights on Fridays and 8 Saturdays throughout the summer. We are 9 committed to create a structured social 10 growth environment for our youth. 11 The Department also hosted its 12 first citywide Urban Idol Competition, 13 which is a successful spinoff of American Idol. We would like to thank Radio One for its vision and corporate citizenship in partnering with us. As you can see, we are serious about producing and delivering quality programs and services. We expanded our Performing Arts camps from four sites to six sites. We have converted Waterview Rec Center into our year-round Performing Arts headquarters. The Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society two weeks ago recently honored the Department with awards recognizing 35 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. its excellence in programming, and in the four categories recognized, the Department was awarded recognition for the Urban Idol Program for Teens, the Introduction to the Performing Arts, the Women's NCAA Summer Basketball and the Healthy Kids initiative at Camp William Penn to fight and teach children healthy eating habits and obesity. The Department will proudly continue to serve thousands of children and youth in community day camps and sports and athletic camps which includes golf, tennis and swim instructions.
We thank City Council for its support and leadership, and we are glad to answer any questions that you all may have. Thank you.
Thank you, Commissioner. And before I proceed with a couple of questions I have, I want to publicly thank you and your staff for doing an outstanding job, and you certainly have succeeded in doing a 36 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. tremendous job with so much less. I don't know how you do it. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Thanks for you all's leadership.
I'm looking at -4 of your detail and it's titled "Departmental Summary Increases and Decreases." By the explanations reflected on this page, it doesn't look as if you took the 2.5 percent personnel decrease. Is that correct? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: We didn't take a decrease in the personnel. Our numbers will stand consistent as far as the number of employees.
Well, why isn't this reduction reflected in the schedule? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: I apologize. I had the wrong sheet.
That's okay. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: In our 37 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. 2.5 percent reduction, along with the DROP, that is correct, there is 763,000 and 750,000. My goal is to maintain the pre-existing number of employees and my goal also is to maintain the pre-existing programs that we have across the City. And I believe to answer your question did we take that cut, yes, we have taken that cut.
So how many employees are we talking about? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: I'm looking to achieve the difference in the money in my attrition and also my delayed hiring of getting new people in place. I have not made any decisions and have no 18 plans to lay off anybody or eliminate any jobs or to decrease any programs. I have enough money presently to get through the end of this fiscal year, and from what we've calculated, we have enough to get through midway, and my goal is to see if we can have a transfer of more funds, if need be, midway through '08. 38 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC.
Commissioner, from the material we received from Finance, it is our understanding that your FY08 Class 100 adjustments are as follows: Provision for four percent pay increase is over a million dollars; decrease in retirement, lump sum, over $644,000; Pennsylvania minimum wage increase, over $636,000; 2.5 reduction, $763,297; eliminate City Council's FY increase; partial restoration, maintenance team, by 450,000. Is this correct? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Yes, Madam President, that's correct.
Then can you explain why you did not show any position decreases when you had to take a 2.5 personnel reduction and your maintenance staff was cut by an additional $300,000? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: I'm sorry. I didn't hear the first part. I heard the last part. 39 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC.
I'll be glad to repeat it. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: I'm sorry.
Can you explain why you do not show any position decreases when you had to take a 2.5 percent personnel reduction and your maintenance staff was cut by an additional $300,000? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: My goal is to maintain the pre-existing number of employees, and what I plan to do right now is through our attrition and delayed hiring, to keep that number of employees at 517. As far as the maintenance staff, when that money was first appropriated, it was $1 million and I want to say that it was 700,000 or a little over seven --
Seven hundred fifty thousand. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: That was for the salaries, and the other quarter of a million dollars was for the one-time 40 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. expenses of the heavy-duty equipment that we needed. So I know with the half a million or the 400 -- I'm sorry. That was restored. I think it was half a million dollars that was restored back into the Maintenance Squad, along with the turnover as well, we should be able to maintain the Maintenance Squad, and, like I said, my goal is not to reduce the 517. If I have to, I will go back and meet with the Budget Director as well to see about either having money put back in or either moving money from 300 or 400 as well. But my goal is to maintain the pre-existing facilities and the pre-existing number of employees.
Well, I think I have to compliment you. In your testimony you say the newly formed Capital Maintenance Team has completed 33 projects for a savings of $918,000 since its inception in July of '06. Why we would even think of 41 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. cutting the maintenance staff is beyond me, but if you think you can live with it, it's your budget. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: I can say that it will be a challenge. I can always use more money. The goal is to maintain what I have right now and to continue to seek outside funds, and if I'm not able to do it, I've never had a problem in the past to go back and try to justify to the Budget Director what we needed and why. So I'm not sitting here telling you that it won't be a challenge. I know it will be.
All right. In addition to the 2.5 percent general reduction, what is the value delay in filling positions and turnover that is reflected in your budget? DEPUTY COMMISSIONER PLATT-COLES: I'm Mary Platt-Coles, Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Recreation. 42 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. Our delayed hiring reflected in our budget is between two to three percent. In reality, it's really much higher because of delayed hiring and turnover with the DROP and some delay in filling positions because of recruitment or whatever. So it's probably closer to six to seven percent.
What is the operational impact of these reductions to your department? And I do hope you don't say none, Commissioner. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: The impact would cause us delayed time and in having to duly utilize some of our people in the maintenance force in order to get facilities cleaned until we do get them back on the payroll. We literally would have to put some of the employees in vehicles and transfer them to some of the facilities until they are filled. Some of that impact will also roll over into the programmatic side, because our goal, quite naturally, is safety, first of all, 43 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. for our staff and the general public, and that's number one. So some of that impact will go over there as well until we have the jobs filled back in a timely and faster fashion.
All right. I don't want to dominate the questioning. We do have a number of Councilmembers that want to be recognized. Councilman Greenlee.
Thank you, Madam President. Good morning, Commissioner. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Good morning, sir.
And I certainly would echo Council President Verna's first statement about the job you do with the resources you have. You certainly do do a great job with the Department, but every once in a while we get concerns raised, both from people who use or want to use the centers and also 44 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. some staff members about the safety issues and safety concerns. Would you say incidents in rec centers have increased, decreased, stayed the same? Is that a concern that you -- I'm sure it's some concern, but, I mean, is it a growing concern? How would you characterize that? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: I live by a motto every day and an attitude that there's nothing of more greater concern to me than the safety of my employees and the general public. My attitude as well is if the facilities aren't good enough for your own wife and your own child or your own husband or whatever, it's not good enough for anyone else's, and that's how I try to operate and lead every day. I will say that from last summer up to today that we have seen a random act of violence increase over the -- I'll be here May 15th seven years now and very thankful for that opportunity. And from last summer to 45 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. today, we have seen an increase. What I can say from fact -- and the reason why is because I'm out in the middle of the night when these violent acts take place at midnight or o'clock or whatever the 7 case may be -- they have not been 8 anything intentional to the staff. It 9 has been unacceptable and irrational 10 behavior by young people or adults in this city, and almost every act of violence that has taken place either on our facilities or what-have-you have been intentional acts of violence or rapes or killings after rapes and they dump bodies, but it has never had anything really to do with the activities that have taken place. So I guess as the crime and the things that have been taking place in our city and across the rest of the country, we have seen it, so it is a concern.
Has this violence been more on the public, the staff, both? 46 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: It's the public. We've only had one incident that I'm aware of where one of our staff people last summer was actually physically hit or beat up, attacked by another individual. We've also had an employee that was threatened that I'm aware of, and I think that just recently happened two or three weeks ago, because our staff asked the person to move on with their drug activity. But we've only had one physical altercation that I am personally aware of since last summer to now that has happened.
Not to be an alarmist, but do you have statistics on the increase? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: I don't have a statistic, but we do have reports of the incidents by facility as they happen. Most of the time I'm out at the site when the call comes or either sometimes I do go to the hospital if it happens to be an innocent child or a 47 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. person that happened out on the field, and unfortunately, in the last year and a half, we have had two incidents that have actually taken place inside the facilities and, once again, random acts.
Right. Has there been cooperation or communication with the Police Department like when there's been particular sites that may have been a problem? I'll just give you an example that I know of. It's in my home area and in Councilman Clarke's district. Francisville Playground has a really good basketball league in the summer. Those guys, Kenny Jones, Willie Timmons, do a great job there, but every once in a while stuff happens, and I know there's been pretty good communication with the Ninth District captain there. When need be, he has cars either sitting there or coming in and out, that kind of thing. Is there sort of a plan you work with the Police or Police 48 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. Commissioner or whatever? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: We have a plan and then we work as accordingly, and I'll talk about the plan first. Mr. Carapucci and also Leo Dignam, our Program Director, are responsible to deal directly with the Police, and I also take it upon myself and Deputy Commissioner Platt-Coles. The Police are given on an annual basis a listing of all our activities as far as summer and the pools. We know where some of our rougher pools are. Not only do we hire two employees to work as guards at night, but we also have police at times that man the pools whether it's during the day and rotate at night. Also, in all of our summer training on an annual basis, the Police are in the room actually giving a presentation on an annual basis to our staff on what to look for, what to do, how to handle a situation, how to snatch the children, lock them up, hide them and 49 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. whatever the case may be. Now, on a day-to-day operation, I have things set up internally where people can send messages to any one of us three or to myself, and we have done at least three undercover operations with the Police that I have asked for, and every time that I have asked the Police to infiltrate a neighborhood or a rec center, they will send an undercover unit in and take them out, and they don't hesitate.
Okay. It does sound like there's good communication there. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Right.
Great. Thank you, sir. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Thank you.
You're welcome. 50 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. The Chair recognizes Councilman Rizzo.
Thank you, Madam President. Commissioner, good morning. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Good morning.
I just want to follow up on something that President Verna said. The last time President Verna asked a question of a Commissioner, it certainly got a lot of attention when she asked about can you live with the budget that you have. And you basically said that you'd like to have more money -- I'm paraphrasing -- that you could use more, especially in the area of maintenance. I was at Martin Luther King for an event this past week, and walking through there, obviously it's a very old facility, but I could tell you, when I went to the men's room to just look around, I was startled what I saw, 51 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. graffiti all over the mirrors. I couldn't find a paper towel. Real bad shape. I know they're old facilities, and I talked to one of my colleagues and there's a lot of effort, I understand, volunteers, et cetera, to go in there annually to do the clean-up, fix-up, but the infrastructure itself, some of these aging facilities, long-term plan specifically, since we're talking about Martin Luther King, what's the long-term plan? And you're going to cut more maintenance dollars. I just can't imagine what it's going to be like based on what I just saw. And I guess it's not fair just to point my finger at that location, because just recently I was up in Mt. Airy to a beautiful new recreation center that I talked to you about because there was a minor deficiency at that facility. But it was magnificent. But it seems as though there are others that are just the opposite, to the point where cutting 52 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. additional dollars -- I mean, I saw painted over or magic markers all over the mirrors. Not that the kids are looking at themselves in the mirrors, but can you imagine bringing a visitor in from another city to a meeting there? And that facility was full of the young people from -- help me with it, the red jackets. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: City Year.
City Year. And they're from Boston and they're from all over the place, and I even said to them, What do you think of the facility? Well, they had a few comments, but that wasn't really what they had an interest in there, but I did when I saw the condition of the facility. And the new person there put the maps all over. It really looks nice. So people can point to a country where their ancestors come from or their family members come from and figure out who is their neighbor next 53 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. door. I mean, all that was good, but cutting maintenance is really going to put you in a bind based on what I saw at Martin Luther King. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: That's why I made the statement that right now my goal is not to cut and my goal is to redirect. And I'm going to say again for the record, yes, I can always use more money and, yes, it will be very, very challenging. Folks like City Year, some of the neighborhoods that are finally taking ownership -- and if I may say, a lot of the facilities in our infrastructure, in any public infrastructure, is going to take on the form of an attitude of the community taking ownership and pride. And I don't want to single out Martin Luther King from any other one, but this is one of the statements that I publicly make when I'm in the neighborhood trying to find leadership and embrace folks. And I just tell them, I said, Do you believe that 54 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. the staff or the City employees went out there and ate chicken wings and smoked marijuana and drank 40's and, you know, just trashed the park and put glass all over the play equipment? I said, Do you believe that the City employees actually graffitied the building and things like that? And I tell them, I say, you know, I can bring two, three hundred people out here, but can you bring me 20, and what is it going to look like after we do the work and I come back three weeks from now? So I share your same concerns. It is a drive and a mission that I'm on. I don't believe it will ever end. I have seen certain areas of the City improve. I have seen some of them not move, and then I've seen some of them improve, go back and then re-resurrect themselves. But, yes, it will be a challenge, sir. And I thank you.
Well, tell me -- and I guess if I read all the 55 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. budget stuff, I could figure it out myself, but it's easier to ask you the question. What about long-term plans? Do we have any new rec centers in the pipeline to replace some of the aged facilities? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: One of the things that I'm working on now is to achieve funding, and that won't happen until in the fall, but my goal -- the Department has not had since 1995 a master plan done. So one of the recommendations that's being presented by myself and my executive team is to go after the funding needed for that, and hopefully I'll know something in the fall. The submittal for the grant would be a match, a half match by the City, and we're looking at, I think, approximately a half a million dollars to pull that off. That's the plan that would help me continue to focus. With the Maintenance Squad that you and the Mayor and everybody was able 56 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. to help us create, we've been addressing the facility assessment issues, the immediate things. Right now we're presently redoing Vare, which is about an 80-something-year-old facility in President Verna's district. Waterview Recreation Center is going under major rehab right now in Ms. Miller's district. Belfield is going through renovations as well. And we're on the ground floor of looking at a facility to be up to today's standards in Councilwoman Tasco's district as well. And I believe there may be one more. We're looking at -- and Cecil B. Moore, which I believe is an 87-year-old facility, is going through a major renovation right now with the help of Jill Scott, the singer, and also capital funds through the Councilman, as well as the Maintenance Squad. So I think I just named about seven. And we just finished rehabilitating Disston Rec Center in the 57 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. far Northeast. Disston, for the record, is close to 80 years old, and we've just completed rehabbing that one internally. But thank you for that question.
Thank you, and it's good to hear that there's all that in the pipeline. And, like I mentioned, the facility -- maybe Council Lady Tasco can help me. It slipped my mind, the name of the facility that I just --
Dorothy Emanuel. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Dorothy Emanuel.
Dorothy Emanuel. It's magnificent. It's as clean as a whistle. The gymnasium is being utilized not just for sports, also the community has access to it, and it was really a pleasure to be at that facility, and the public and the community around it enjoy having it there. So there's an example of 58 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. something that can really be first class, and it is. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Well, Councilwoman Tasco had the vision for it and we went and looked and brought prototypes from what's going on with the rest of the country. That's what recreation centers look like. And while I have the mike, if I can say, I believe there are closed-circuit security 12 cameras in there, and those are the 13 trends of today's recreation facilities 14 as well to monitor but also accessibility 15 to all gender, ethnicities and everybody. 16 So that one was done right. There's 17 another one that's pretty similar to that 18 one, Simons as well. In our rehabilitation efforts, we have been trying to retrofit the pre-existing facilities as best we can with whatever fundings we have and also, for the record, we are working on a plan as well to retrofit all of our Class A and all of our Class B facilities with 59 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. closed-circuit security cameras as well. We're not there yet. We've just been working on this for the last about five weeks.
Finally, you can do what you've just described with the budget that you're presenting? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Not all of it.
Well, what can't you do? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: We probably will not be able to do all of the rehabilitation and I know I will have to go back to the table to ask for money, and also we know that the money once we put the plan together for the closed-circuit security cameras, that will be all new money. But I'm confident --
My time is running out, but if, again, you guys get with Councilman Clarke and the IT people, because from what I understand, they want 60 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. to make all of this video stuff, surveillance, whether it's within the City, on the streets, in rec centers or police facilities, fire facilities, to get -- IT wants to get their arms around it to make it functional, where you hear about these systems in some cities, well, this neighborhood can't communicate with this neighborhood or it doesn't have the ability to transmit out of the area. So I think it's important that anything that you do in that area, Mr. Phillis, his organization, IT, is aware of what's going on, because it's a shame, they've got a lot of fire power when it comes to buying this equipment in bulk. Thanks a lot, Commissioner, and again I -- thank you, Madam President.
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilman Kenney.
Thank you, 61 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. Madam President. Commissioner Richard, there's very few disappointments I have with your department, considering the resources that you are given to work with, and I think you do a terrific job, and everybody is dedicated to their mission, more so than I think any other department probably in the City, or as much as any other department. The one area of disappointment that I do have is the condition -- and it's not your fault, because it has to do with the amount of use they get -- with the athletic fields, the baseball fields, the football fields, the soccer fields. I mean, when I drive by some of the facilities and I see this big ball of brown dust ball in the middle of a field, it really is disheartening, especially since our kids now participate in the suburbs and have been for years and we go out on a bus to a beautifully manicured baseball field and our kids are playing on hard scrabble stuff. 62 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. I was having a discussion with Councilwoman Brown relative to a hearing that I would like to have and would like your input and cooperation with to try to get an assessment of what those needs are and how we could kind of rationalize the other parts of government that do the same thing, like the School District and Fairmount Park, and just see if from even a purchasing standpoint or a scheduling standpoint we can do a better job. I mean, I know myself in some areas of South Philly and other places, I've tried to raise private money to get private contractors and get the sprinkler system fixed. I've had tons of cooperation from your department in doing that. But it's embarrassing sometimes when people from the suburbs come in with their kids to play a football game at 4th and Shunk and they're shielding their eyes because the wind is blowing the dust in there. Would you be cooperative and think that would be something worth 63 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. engaging in? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: I would love the opportunity, not only myself but the entire team, because we have a lot of ideas. We also believe that we could achieve that with you all's help and Administration, along with the leadership, especially in making these dedicated playing sites throughout the City, and we feel very confident that what you're proposing can help accomplish that.
Are there facilities that really make more sense to be artificial turf? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Definitely.
And have we been able to identify those facilities and determine the costs of that year-round artificial playing surface? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: I can tell you in other cities -- and I'll use New Orleans where I came from as an 64 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. example. We created three professional playing facilities. The first one we did was in 1996 and it was a gift really from the United States Olympics because we hosted the U.S. Olympic track and field trials. So not only were we able to get a brand new eight-lane track and field, but we got a brand new artificial turf and stadium. And from that, it sprang into the NFL and we created two more artificial turf playing sites with tracks as well. We have identified in the City three sites. Matter of fact, one of them is a baseball facility that we've been working on in President Verna's district. There's also one that has been trying to take place that may be a football field that's in Councilman Clarke's district and also a football facility field that's in Mr. Savage's district. Those are three of them that are being worked on now. It's going to take a lot of money.
The issue, 65 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. though, of -- that's one part of the puzzle, but the other issue of continued and regular irrigation and aeration and seeding, I think we can all do a better job coordinating all that within existing resources and maybe even going out and trying to find some other outside resources, maybe partnering with Penn State's extension program or Temple Ambler or some place that's interested in this kind of issue, because I really want to try to get a handle on it. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: And you're correct. And when you create these facilities based on its intended use and the volume, you use artificial turf versus using natural turf. The other thing you also have to understand -- and this is where we come in at leading the public and communicating properly -- is letting them know that it's not free open space. It will be free for use, but it's a structured environment. So each one of 66 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. these facilities that you create is gated and secured where it's only used for play and it will always be in a phenomenal condition.
Thank you very much, and I'll deal with Councilmember Brown and we'll get back together, perhaps have a hearing and try to air some of this stuff out. Thank you, Madam President.
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco.
Thank you, Madam President. Good morning. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Good morning.
I just want to say to Commissioner Richards thank you for all the hard work you do and for your creativity in finding funds to help us with our rec centers, and I 67 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. appreciate your commitment to children and to make sure that the facilities are retrofitted or provide those programs that are good for young people of all ages, and not just basketball, football, but the teen centers and other activities in the recreation facilities. And, Councilman Rizzo, I have to agree with Commissioner Richards on the fact that the community has to take ownership of the recreation facilities. When we cut a ribbon or open a new center, I always remind the community that it's their tax dollars that we're spending, that the money just doesn't come from some place else. It's their dollars, and we expect them to take ownership and to respect the facility and certainly understand that if they destroy it, I have no intentions of coming back to repair it. So I'm very tough in my message. When we spend a lot of the taxpayers' dollars to build a new 68 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. facility, to add on or to refurbish, we want the community to understand that it's their money and we want the children to understand that it's theirs and that they have to respect it. You might want to have your Program Directors meet and talk to them about talking to the children about the facility and respecting the facility, so if someone is running a program over there, they should have a message. They should give a message to the children in their program about respecting the facility, not graffiti-ing it up and taking any negative activity in the center. I think that would be helpful, because you have to remind these kids sometimes you just don't do things like that. And so there's nothing wrong with having that discussion with them so they can understand that this money just doesn't fall off of trees and every time they want to do something to destroy a facility that it gets done. 69 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. I also have to say that we work very closely with the elected officials in my district who have been very helpful in giving us matching dollars, and you've been very creative in finding the dollars that I would have to provide, because you've used creative methods for the dollars that we have received. That's why we've been able to build a $5.4 million rec center in Dorothy Emanuel and spend a million dollars at Simons and look at Tarken and Lawncrest and Houseman and all those centers in my district, because of your creativity. So I want to say thank you for that. And I will be a voice, a strong voice, to my community that we want the community to take ownership of their facility, to respect the facility, and if they don't, it's what they're going to keep, because I'm not going to go back to it. Thank you so much for your leadership. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Thank 70 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. you.
And to all of the people in the Rec Department. Not just Victor, but all of you work very hard and you are committed to what you do and you are very supportive, and I appreciate that. Thank you.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Madam President. I, too, would like to thank our Recreation Commissioner and his entire department for all we do, and I note to my colleagues that he didn't mention me, didn't mention the Third. So obviously we are proud of the ongoing relationship we have to improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods. And I also say that we contacted him when we had our hearings on a call to action, and I remind my 71 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. colleagues that this Council did adopt a report about what we should do. Because a reporter asked me about it the other day when some of our opponents to Council-at-Large were testifying about what the City is doing, and I reminded the reporter that this Council did adopt a report on what we should do with regard to crime. We call it a call to action. But I did contact this Commissioner at that time to talk about after-school programs in our schools and rec centers, as well as libraries that would end closer to curfew time to try to be one of the solutions to this horrendous issue and problem that we're enduring now. So we certainly still support that. We say that to all of those in the Administration. We support them being able to do what they do and more as one of the main components in trying to give, as Lou would say, give kids something to do, something to love and something to look forward to. 72 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. So I thank him for his commitment and his always being available to have discussions, even about tough issues, that help us to do our jobs and try to represent the people who send us here. Thank you both, you and Carapucci. Thank you. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Thank you.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brown.
Thank you, Madam President. Good afternoon, all. First let me echo my colleagues in saluting your leadership and your out-of-the-box thinking with the enormous progress you've made there in the Rec Department, both you and your team of professionals. Please, if you would, just give us an update on the teen centers. 73 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Good morning. There's teen centers online 4 right now, the last two being Murphy -- I 5 mean Murphy and Lawncrest. We're very 6 close to dedicating, and hopefully before 7 the summer -- I'm 99 percent sure -- that 8 Disston will be online in the far 9 Northeast and down in Grays Ferry that 10 Vare will be. We have a couple more in 11 the pipeline right now, but we don't have the funding for them and we're continuing to follow where we could make a difference. We have our eyes strongly fixed at Cecil B. Moore Rec Center down at 22nd and Lehigh and we also have a strong fix on Belfield as well. The transformation of Waterview is not an official teen center and we don't want it to be. We transformed the facility that had been, I guess, pretty much almost condemned and is now the Department's citywide cultural arts facility. So a theatre is upstairs with an auditorium. There's a brand new dance 74 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. studio that's up there now. And we're pretty much -- we're close to finished the drawings on building a culinary arts training facility within that building and also a full-fledged recording studio as well. That's where we are presently with the teen centers. For the programming this summer, we have the Urban Idol, which is rescheduled for the second year, and we're looking forward to that. The kids are as well. And we also have the movie nights back in place and also the dances back in place for the teenagers during the summer on the weekends to have something to look forward to do instead of just hanging out.
Have you set the date for the Urban Idol? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Yes, ma'am. I don't know it off my head, but I'll get it to you.
You'll forward that to the Chair then so that we 75 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. can get that booked. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: There will be a local competition in each councilmanic district across the City, and I will have that schedule sent out to every Councilperson, and then the final competition is hosted at the Dell.
Has the Rec Department been approached or has there been any conversation, discussion around the use of rec centers as curfew centers? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: There's been one or either two. I know one for sure that I can recall that may become one, but I will not have any jurisdiction or operations. Those things are being handled through the Department of Social Services through our Director, Ms. Danzy. All of that stuff is being -- I believe it's being bidded out --
Coordinated. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: -- to 76 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. local non-profits first, or whatever the case may be, and it is a possibility that a facility may be used in the middle of the night. But I can say for the record if it does happen, it will not interrupt none of the programming or displacing any of the programming, because if it is done, it will be after hours and then once the curfew center is closed early in the morning, the regular program will resume as well.
Right. There are, according to the testimony, 140 neighborhood day camps. What does that equal in terms of number of children served, approximately? DEPUTY COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: We'll have close to 10,000 children in our day camps this summer.
And where does that stack with regards to last year or previous years? DEPUTY COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: It will be at least the same and probably 77 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. more.
Okay. The comment you also -- or expressed our joy for you with regards to the Citizen Satisfaction Survey where again the Rec Department has received great favorables. One question that has come to my office is the opportunity for handball tournaments. Is that an activity that the Rec Department has in place, would entertain handball tournaments? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: We're very open-minded and our goal is to deliver any and every service we can. Off the top of my head, I know at Rivera Rec Center there's two or three handball courts that are in place.
Which one is that? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Rivera, 5th and Allegheny. And at Maguire -- and I can't remember that address. Mascher and Lehigh. I want to say two or three years ago we developed one or two other 78 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. handball courts.
So where there's interest, should it come to our office, we should simply alert you, correct? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Correct. Some neighborhoods want to do tap, some want to do violin, some neighborhoods want to do piano, and we want to customize the service delivery based on the need in the neighborhood.
Surely. Moving now to the issue of safety with young people and sports, what's the policy of the Department? For example, does the Department use metal bats? Are they prohibited? Are helmets required, those types of safety issues so to hopefully alleviate tragedies of any kind? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: The majority of all of our -- really not the majority. All of our contact sports relative to football, tackle football, is 79 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. administered and managed independently by the neighborhood athletic associations. Our jurisdiction comes in place with the ownership and the management and the permitting of the use of the field. We do step in. Our staff is very astute, and if they do see things that are improper or things that need to be addressed, they do step in, but each one of them are independently managed and operated.
When you first arrived, Commissioner, you made it a departmental priority to move many of your locations up to the recreational standards, and I don't know the professional association, but I do know that that was a goal of yours. Where are you with regards to that priority? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: I want to say we're probably about 50 to 70 percent. A lot of it had to do with automation. A lot of it had to do also with our staffing level, also our 80 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. standards relative to maintenance. One of the things that Deputy Commissioner Platt-Coles is working on -- and I forgot to mention with Councilman Rizzo -- she's been instrumental in working with the Health Department and the rest of the DSS team to go citywide to have all facilities retrofitted with sanitary towels, also sanitary soap, and Mary has led that initiative, and that's one of it, the attitude about taking one or two facilities at a time instead of doing four or five or six of them at a time. I believe the facility assessment that was done through you all's help as well that we're doing along with the Maintenance Team and CPO was one of the first steps in the right direction to help us get some structure towards addressing, first of all, the life safety issues and then continue to put the buildings back in conformity as well. And I also believe that when we are successful -- I'm not going to say if, 81 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. but when we are successful in obtaining the funding to get that master plan done, I believe that will take us the rest of the way. Also, for the record, the Department right now is in the running with the National Parks and Recreation Association competing against all of the other parks and recs in the entire country, and by the end of this month, we'll know if we've become a national gold medal finalist. So we are in the running. We have accomplished enough to be considered to be entered, and right now we're in the running.
Okay. That's great news. Another interest or -- it's not a concern, but an interest that has come to the attention of my office is the process by which our city moves to change rec centers' names and the role that both the District Councilperson plays and the individual making the request. So the 82 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. question is -- the goal is to create a uniform process to be adopted by City Code when it comes to changing the names of rec centers. Have you had instances where individuals have come to the Department registering that type of request, and procedurally what do you know happens for individuals who want to change the name of a rec center to a famed Philadelphian? Have you had any instances like that? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Yeah. Quite naturally, we have to have the leadership of the District Councilperson to want to make the proposal to the Council as well and we also have to -- there's a process that goes through with the City Public Property as well. And then once all of that is done, then most of the time the District Councilperson, he or she, will make the formal announcement here and then normally make an announcement or a celebration at the particular center. 83 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC.
I see. Okay, then. Councilman Greenlee spoke or raised a number of issues around the issue of violence. What currently is the connect, the relationship with the Police Department? For example, do your various rec centers, is there a direct tie to the local Police district? Is there a procedural checklist, if you will, for how rec centers work with the local Police Department? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: I don't know if we have a procedural checklist, but we pick up the phone, we call 9-1-1. Hopefully we don't have to. But as earlier mentioned, we have a formal relationship and a daily relationship where the Police formally come in on an annual basis and present preventive measures to our staff, and we normally host it in the spring, this time of the year, as a refresher and also for new employees and seasonal employees as 84 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. well on what to do. And I think the Police call them the Quality of Life Police. Each precinct or district has one, and there's normally an almost daily relationship sometimes where that officer is around the rec center or somewhere in that neighborhood, and a lot of times they attend the Advisory Council meetings or if a Councilperson covers a meeting, quite naturally sometimes the captain is there or the lieutenant or the Quality of Life. So it's ongoing. We don't do our job without the Police. We can't. Whenever we have a dance for the teenagers, the Police are there.
Is the Rec Department tied into the DSS Cares? I'm just curious. Is there a role for the Rec Department to be connected to that -- COMMISSIONER RICHARD: We're in that umbrella with the services that we deliver, yes.
I believe that that is it, Madam President. 85 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. I thank you very much. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Thank you.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Miller.
Thank you. Thank you, Madam President. I'd just like to say to Commissioner Richards and his staff that I, too, want to thank you for being innovative and very, very helpful. Any time I've met with the Rec Department, there seems that you take that extra step, and you also have enthusiasm to help us complete the projects that we want to get done. I'm looking forward to the completion of Belfield's teen center and Waterview's recording studio, and we're still working on trying to supplement that or expand that with a TV studio. I've already talked to some folks to see 86 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. if we can get some money to do that. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: We'll need the money. We'll need some expertise. We don't have that in-house.
I know you don't. But I just wanted to say thank you and thank you for being supportive and very helpful, and I'm glad Carapucci came back. Thank you. Thank you, Madam President.
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco.
I just have to ask you a question on the record, because Sharon Losier will have a fit if I don't. Have you thought about what it would take to do a professional aquatic pool? Do you see that down the line? What would it take? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: For the record, we've been working on that for a 87 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. couple of years. We really saw, I guess, a light at the end of the tunnel when the City, we were in the bid for the possible Olympics. And part of that committee we worked on, we were looking at Kelly Pool and Olympics to tie it in, and that would have been the training facility for the Olympians, and we would have been able to fully create an enclosed year-round natatorium. I still haven't given that up. With this latest movie that came out, we've had two, I guess, calls of interest or visit of interest from two major corporations in that industry that have actually gone to Kelly Pool to look at it in the last three weeks, and I'm hoping that I get a call back. I do plan to make a professional return courtesy call just to tell them thank you for coming and keep us in mind. But Kelly Pool would be the most phenomenal facility in our city to have a 50-meter regional competition 88 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. facility. It's called a natatorium.
Well, maybe some of the individuals or corporations who were interested in attracting the Olympics here might move forward on that, because you never know down the line you might be able to win the bid. At least you have the pool ready. So we'll do a "what if" it happens. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Our preliminary assessment --
If we build it, they'll come maybe. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: They'll come.
They'll come. So they can build it. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: The size of our city, we should have a facility. Our preliminary assessment is between $7 to $10 million. The two entities that have visited the City and actually expressed interest is USA Swimming and 89 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. also National Speedo.
Let me just go back to a couple of years ago when we were having the discussion around the pools and a number of them were closed. Are there any plans to reopen any of those pools that were closed? I know there were alternative plans for some of those pools. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: In my testimony, that 1.1, in Councilman Clarke's district he has a pool at Athletic Rec Center that has been condemned for the past three summers. The goal is to have it back. It's the first one in the city. It's a combination of a lap pool. At the far end it will be dual sliding boards, and at the opposite end it will be a separated sprayground all in one. That is presently under construction. So that is one that has been resurrected because of the money, but it's a $1.1 million job. 90 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC.
Okay. I'll just remind you that my spray pool at Dorothy Emanuel is not up and running yet. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: That is correct.
I hope it will be ready for the summer. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: I'll have to get back to you on that one. I have to talk to Mr. Tustin and Eric.
Thank you very much. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: I'm writing it down. Thank you.
You're welcome. Commissioner, in order for you to maintain your facilities in a prudent manner, what should be the size of your maintenance staff? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: An 91 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. increase between 75 to 100 more employees.
I'm sorry? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: An increase in 75 to 100 more employees.
Is that the size you think you need to maintain the facilities in a prudent manner? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: I believe it would give us the start that we would need. I would have to go back to my shop to crunch more numbers, but based on how we use seasonal employees to get through the summer with that influx of people, also along with the opportunity to enhance our ball field maintenance and also we can probably double or triple our capacity to address graffiti and also schedule annual painting projects as needed. So I believe that's a starting point.
92 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. Commissioner, you did mention the Vare Teen Center. When do you anticipate that will be done? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: The infrastructure is done. Late spring or early summer. We believe summer. And I haven't been there in a while, but I do know the physical plant is totally finished. The carpeting, the flooring, the walls, all of the electricity for the new computer lab is in. I would have to get back to you to give you a better date on the actual -- Mr. Carapucci believes June. And all we're doing now is waiting for the rest of the delivery of the equipment that we need. But the construction and the makeover is done and everything is ordered. So June. We're going to go with June.
With the danger that many of our children are facing, I think we're looking to the Recreation Department to have clean and safe havens for these children. Now, if 93 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. it means adding more money to the budget, we may add it, but it may not be used. I'm willing to do that and I would think just about all of my colleagues would be willing to do the same thing, because if children can't use the recreational facilities for some reason or other, they're going to be out on the streets, and that's going to cause much more trouble than we're going to be able to handle. Again, Commissioner, I want to thank you, you and your staff. I think you've done a magnificent job. The Chair now recognizes Councilwoman Brown.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I did have two other remaining questions that I couldn't find. Background checks. That is already an established protocol for the office, correct, of all employees? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Yes, ma'am. Background checks and also drug 94 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. screening for the permanent employees and for the seasonal employees. Background checks and drug screens is also a part of the lifeguard staff.
Okay. Finally, an issue that was raised last year regarding those who handle food for your programs, what protocols have you put in place there? DEPUTY COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Our summer food employees are also subject to background checks, drug testing.
And there was mention of monitors being installed to ensure that they follow the procedures when it comes to washing hands in the handling of food? DEPUTY COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: Absolutely.
And that's system-wide or strategically throughout the Department based on availability of resources? 95 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER CARAPUCCI: That's part of the training. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: It's part of our summer training for all of our day camps. It's also for the summer training for all of the neighborhood play streets, and it's also part of our training for all of the RSIs for the nine-month after-school program. It's part of our training curriculum.
RSIs are? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Rec specialty. Mary, you wanted to add something? DEPUTY COMMISSIONER PLATT-COLES: If I could add that earlier this spring the Health Department came out to the Carousel House and did several trainings for all of our full-time facility staff in infectious disease control, and they're now preparing one for communicable disease control. So we have a great relationship with the Health 96 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. Department. We appreciate all that they do for us, and they just love working with our staff, because they're delightful.
Well, thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Commissioner, and your team there.
You're welcome. Are there any other questions for the Commissioner of the Recreation Department? (No response.)
Thank you very much. Thank you and your entire department for all that they do. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Thank you.
We were just at Mohammed Park yesterday and they were doing the digging up to try to upgrade some work out there. Thank you. 97 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. Thank you all. MR. McPHERSON: The next department is Camp William Penn.
Good morning. Thank you. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Good morning, Madam Chair, President Verna and other honorable members of City Council. I'm Vic Richard, Recreation Commissioner, and I'd like to introduce to you all Mr. Michael Shelton. He's our Director at Camp William Penn. I am presenting the testimony in support of our camp's budget. Camp William Penn is requesting a total of $345,000 in our General Fund appropriations for Fiscal Year '08. The Camp's spending budget is broken down by 204,000, which is 59 percent in Class 100; 96,000, 28 percent, in 200; 43,000, 13 percent, in Class 300. The FY08 budget supports four full-time employees, being a camp director, a secretary and two property caretakers and 58 seasonal 98 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. employees. In Fiscal Year '08, Camp William Penn will offer five encampments of six days each. The camp can currently manage 180 children per encampment, 90 males and 90 females. In early 2007, for the second consecutive year, Camp William Penn won an "Excellence in Programming" award from the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society. This award was for the Camp's "Healthy Kids Initiative," a six-day camp program targeted to increase children's awareness of fitness and nutrition. This effort marked a collaboration between departments with Rec, Camp William Penn, the Department of Health, the Office of Supportive Housing, DHS and Philadelphia Safe and Sound. Camp William Penn is truly an asset for our city. President Verna and members of City Council, this concludes my testimony on William Penn. We'll be glad to answer 99 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. any questions that you may have regarding our testimony or the operation of the camp.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I have a quick question, Commissioner. Has the participation level stayed pretty steady over the years? Is it still as popular as it was?
Michael Shelton, Director of Camp William Penn. Since 9/11, nationally there has been a decrease in camp attendance in all residential camps. Over the last three years, we have seen basically a stable population at camp. We've had a gradual increase, but not by a great extent.
Yes, exactly. 100 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: One of the things that we were innovative about and Michael is published across the country in -- I can't say enough about him and how fortunate we are to have him, but we used to do eight and fourteen-day encampments where we only did four weeks and now we're up to five weeks, and we reduced them from a Monday through a Saturday to address the change in the parents' concerns about that as well. Along with Michael's leadership --
Excuse me, Commissioner. You reduced what from Monday to Saturday? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Before we would do eight-day encampments or 14 days at a time. So instead of doing the long amounts and the parents of the children being leery or worried about their children being gone away from home, we reduced from a Monday to Friday, where they leave on a Monday and they leave and they're back home on Saturday. And 101 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. instead of only doing four weeks in the summer, by reducing the length of the encampment, we added another week. So we went from four weeks to five weeks and from eight or days to a five and a 7 half day encampment, and it's worked very 8 well. 9
Have 10 there been any increase, since there was 11 this drop after 9/11, in advertising or 12 promoting this? 13
Yes, there has. 14 Actually, we received a grant from the Fels Foundation last year to help us put together our first full color brochure. So, yes, that is out and your office will be receiving them.
Okay. Great. Great. Thank you. If I could just say very quickly, Madam Chair, I know every once in a while some questions get raised about, well, is this necessary. It's a distance and has to be maintained and 102 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. all, and it would just seem to me that the atmosphere that -- the different atmosphere that these kids are put in is very beneficial and I think that Camp William Penn does a great job. It gets kids away from maybe what is sometimes an unpleasant time in the summer in their neighborhoods and gets them a different valued atmosphere. So I certainly think it's a great program. You do a great job with it. Thank you.
Thank you very much. We do agree. Councilman Rizzo.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Commissioner Richard, in past budgets there was a lot of conversation here about the value of Camp William Penn, appraisals, et cetera. One of the problems we have with this process is that we talk a lot and we make a lot of 103 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. recommendations and we ask for things to happen. I never recollect -- and I'm pretty good with following up with paperwork. I never recollect after my colleague, Councilman DiCicco, I believe it was, asked for an assessment of value, an appraisal and some other pertinent questions about Camp William Penn. Did that ever happen? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: I want to say yeah. I know there was one or possibly two professional appraisals done, but if you would let me, I would like to get back to Public Property and get that information, because they had it done. But I do know that it was done, and I apologize it didn't get back to this body.
Well, I'm not sure. It could be just me. It could have gotten back to the President's office and I've overlooked it. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: I do know that it was done, though, sir. 104 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC.
Well, what I'd like you to do, could you resubmit it to the Chair? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Yes, sir.
So it can be communicated again. Because I'm just curious, if we do own this beautiful facility -- and I think Councilman Greenlee is correct. I visited there and I think that it is really a good opportunity for young people. That may be their vacation of a lifetime. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: If I may, while I'm here, in the last four years under Michael's leadership, three years the Camp has been recognized statewide and also nationally for the transformation. There's also a brand new waterfront that has been put out there. And I would like to invite anyone in the Council, any time that you're free and would like to go on a field trip, we would like to take you there to see the 105 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. facility. And I'm going to turn the mike back over to Michael so he can just give you a brief overview of what has taken place, from Latino Family Camp to hosting weddings and also his most recent success with this running club. Michael. And then would you mind sharing with the Council our experiment with the teens that we're going to try to do this summer?
I just will say -- again, Michael Shelton, Camp William Penn. Out of the 20,000 residential camps in this country, only a quarter of them open their doors to an accreditation agency and say, Come in, check us out, give us a score, tell us what you think about us. And Camp William Penn has done that for the last, I think, 20 years. Our last inspection was in 2005 and we received a score of 98. That ranks us as one of the top camps in this country, but 106 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. actually few people realize that. One of the goals at Recreation now is to make sure that the camp is opened to all audiences. Too many people have the idea that Camp William Penn is meant just for low-income children. It's meant for any youth for the City of Philadelphia. So over the last several years, we have been trying to expand our population base. We've had a Latino camp, because we have not mailed and reached out to that audience. So that's been very successful for us. We've had a Healthy Kids camp for children with weight problems and medical complications. This year we're having our first teen camp as a pilot, and we're also going to be having a grandparents camp. So we want to really reach out to different populations.
I'd like to follow up on that. In past conversations we talked about opportunity for grants for the Camp to ask the grant writers, if 107 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. we have such a group -- we used to at one time -- to look under for every opportunity to get outside funding, whether from private foundations or state or federal opportunities. Have we done that? Have we looked for grants for Camp William Penn? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: The first step was our promotions. Our next step will be to do that. So we haven't been successful as of yet to bring in outside funding. Michael has been successful in bringing in more revenue by leasing or different alternative uses that we're doing. We've just had a private conversation with an outside entity that may be interested in, I don't know, leasing, buying or developing a portion of the unused, and we've just had one informal meeting with them about three weeks ago and we're waiting for them to come back to us with a formal presentation. We think it will be nice. 108 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. We're just hoping that it comes through.
Commissioner, I've assumed -- and it's good to hear that you're looking for alternative uses. Have you, Michael, have you checked with Risk Management to make sure that getting outside of the box now has put us in any kind of risk? Do we need any particular insurance to assure that if we have an incident with a wedding going on up there that we don't have a big lawsuit on our hands? We could have a lawsuit, but are we protected to deal with it?
We go through Risk Management for everything. They've helped us establish contracts and agreements. I just also want to say in regards to looking for additional funding, again, over the last two years, we've received the 10,000 from the Fels Foundation for advertising and we also 109 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. received a $50,000 grant from the federal Department of Education for a job skills training program.
That's good. And I think if we really focus and look for every opportunity in some of the great foundations -- I know just one in particular that wrote the check to send some young people there, Kal and Lucille Rudman, who we honored here just recently for his good work, and Mary Mason also has provided funding to send young people. But I'm talking about actually going to some of these foundations at the federal, state level to see what type of grants are out there and available for specifically that camp. What makes me ask the question is because I remember you were talking about the inspection of that camp, that association.
That there 110 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. was also some -- I believe they even had some financial assistance available through that organization if you applied for it. I might be off base on that one.
Possibly that's what it was. But based on the budget and -- well, 21.9 increase you're asking for, an increase in your budget, correct? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Yes.
Good. Well, let's hope it works out. Thanks, Madam President.
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Madam President. Mr. Shelton, you mentioned teen 111 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. camp and a seniors camp. Do the seniors stay overnight, too? Is it an encampment?
Again, this will be the first. This is a pilot study. We'll be doing it this summer. So it will be a grandparents camp where seniors will be coming with their grandchildren for a two-night stay. So, yes, they will be staying the night there.
That's great. Thank you, Madam President. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: If I could clarify something for the Chair and the public. The teen camp that we're looking to do will be gender specific. So there will be no teenagers at the site, boys and girls at the same time. It will be a three-day two-night event for the girls and then the same thing will happen in the latter part of the week. So I don't want anybody 112 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. thinking that -- I'm kind of out of the box, but I'm not that crazy. I'm not having teenagers up in that mountain at the same time. It will be gender-specific events, and we're trying that as a new alternative, along with the grandparent/parent encampment, too.
Smart man. Smart man. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Not all the time. I make mistakes.
Are there any other questions of the Commissioner? (No response.)
Commissioner, thank you very much. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Thank you. Thank you, Council. MR. McPHERSON: The next department is Atwater Kent Museum.
Good 113 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. morning. Welcome. I notice that you have very lengthy testimony to offer. If it's possible, I would like you to summarize, and we'll make certain that the stenographer transcribes your testimony in full.
I'm Viki Sand, Executive Director of Atwater Kent Museum, and I'm here with David Seltzer to present testimony in support of the Atwater Kent Museum of Philadelphia's budget of $270,000, including Class 100 funds totalling $264,000 for five core positions, including the Executive Director, Curator, Registrar, Municipal Guard and Semi-skilled Laborer, and for Class 200 funds totalling $6,000 providing insurance for the Museum collection. Again, I want to thank members 114 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. of the Council and the Administration for the support that they've given to the Atwater Kent over the years and also to all of the arts and cultural organizations. I appreciate that this is a busy time for you and I did try in the testimony to cover the primary areas where the Museum receives support from the City and where I think we really are building a museum that all Philadelphians can take some pride in. I'd like to focus on just three things that I think may be of particular interest, because it reflects how we're both thinking about our work but working to collaborate with other organizations and other parts of City government. First, I want to mention the Peace Initiative that -- or the Peace Partnership that we're working on. It's a project led by the Free Library. It includes the House of Umoja and WXPN, and this is a program to really try to engage 100,000 kids over two years to make 115 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. alternative decisions for their own lives to violence. The Museum's part of this is to do kiosk exhibits in five neighborhood libraries, five branch libraries, that reinforce the idea that through history people have stood up to violence and that they can as well. A second project involves the Department of Public Property. As you know, we have a huge collection, 100,000 objects, and we raise funds. Some of it is stored in City-supported facilities, but we also raise funds to store the collection. And working with the Department of Public Property, we are part of a consortium that includes the historical and cultural museums that are supported by the City, Atwater Kent and the African-American Museum specifically as the two largest, but to find a space where each of us, where we all can store our collections. This would be a huge, important, systemic benefit to these organizations, and we're delighted we 116 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. continue to -- this would be a public-private partnership and we would be very pleased -- we're working to secure that. So I think we're also working with other organizations and the tourism, various efforts of the tourism effort of Philadelphia, to link many of the smaller and medium historical and cultural organizations in the City so that they too can benefit from the major public relations and marketing initiatives that are taking place in the City. So those are the three areas. Mr. Seltzer and I are delighted to respond to your questions, and, again, thank you so much for your support.
Thank you very much. You mentioned about having kiosks at five libraries. Can you tell us where are the libraries located?
One in North Philadelphia, one near Northeast, in 117 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. Overbrook, in -- there are two others and I will give you those names, but they represent where there are issues for kids in the schools and the libraries.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Madam President. We are very grateful to have this special museum in our city. I know their work. We all love their floor. We know their work with students in and around various schools with our city, and we know that they always try to be prudent and conservative in their request, and we're certainly happy to support you and this museum and commend you for your fine work.
Thank you. 118 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC.
Yes. Very quickly, Madam President. As Council's official designee to the Atwater Kent Museum Board of Trustees, I just want to say -- and I went to a lot of the Board of Trustees meetings representing Councilman Cohen over the years. This is -- we won't call it a hidden treasure anymore, because I think it's getting more well known, certainly by the work of Viki and David and everybody involved, but the citizens of Philadelphia really should go to this museum more often. They really learn a lot. I'd like to think I know a lot about the City of Philadelphia and its history, and I've learned a lot by participating on the Board of Trustees, and they all do a great job. Congratulations on what you do. As Councilwoman Blackwell says, on the limited resources you have, you do a 119 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. tremendous job.
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brown.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I echo the comments of my colleagues. And if you would, just share with us briefly the relationship you enjoy with the Philadelphia Recreation Department.
Thank you, and thank you for your support. We are administratively a part of the Recreation Department going back to the '51 Home Rule Charter but also the way the Museum was set up. The building we're in is owned by the City of Philadelphia and it was then set up as a part of the Recreation Department. We're 120 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. supported in administrative ways by the Department, payroll and facilities management, and then we operate independently with the Board of Trustees.
That's useful information. So would it be accurate to say you're a City agency and not a stand-alone 501(c)(3)?
Well, we are a 501(c)(3). We have set up, the Board several years ago, set up an independent 501(c)(3) with the Board of Trustees.
So that allows you to solicit funds from the foundation community?
We do. We're so delighted. We've just negotiated. We're going to have a thousand kids coming through in after-school and summer 121 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. programs. So we're very excited, a new sort of manager of these programs, and so we're very excited about that. It's not only our school programs but home schoolers, after-school and summer programs.
I see. Speak then, finally, about the after-school programming, how many weeks, how many hours a day and the age of the young people.
We no longer -- and I apologize for perhaps misspeaking. We no longer run an after-school program five days a week for ten weeks. We no 17 longer do that. We couldn't sustain that from a staffing point of view with the number of students. And so what we now do is provide services to other after-school programs. So they now bring their kids to our program for a session on Philadelphia history or their communities or some aspect of our collection where we can bring our 122 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. collection down.
Like, for example, we just had a great event with the 76ers and the Police Athletic League and there were 45 kids from far South Philadelphia near the Wachovia Center, and they came and had a fabulous time, and we talked about -- it was from slavery to civil rights, and we showed some of our great material on that, and it was a wonderful afternoon. But that's more typical of what we do now.
Okay. And then, finally, I know in previous discussions there has been an interest on behalf of you and your Board members to do more always based on available resources with regards to the marketing of the great programs that you have there. Are there any new plans in place or underway to further market the work of the Atwater Kent?
Two things. One of 123 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. them is, we're working with a group of ten historical and cultural museums, smaller organizations, around William Penn and his continuing legacy in Philadelphia, and that's a fall program and it's really designed to really bring during a week, a ten-day period some attention to this great visionary, but also someone whose legacy resonates today. And that's to showcase some of the smaller collections. And we're working with GPTMC to do that. Another program that we're very excited about is the initiative called the Quest for Freedom. It's a statewide initiative that's also locally very much involved with GPTMC, and what we're doing -- it's the Quest for Freedom. It ties in underground railroad sites and important collections of African-Americans in Pennsylvania and Philadelphia specifically. And we're doing a regular program through the summer for three months on every Friday 124 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. at 2 o'clock for general visitors to bring down aspects of our collection that wouldn't normally be on view. So I think we're working with a variety of different -- our own efforts, but also to try to connect our work into the wider marketing efforts that are going on for the City.
Okay. Well, you mention the underground railroad. Then I must ask, have you had an opportunity to meet with or speak with Audrey Johnson Thornton, who is unveiling the Underground Railroad Museum at the Historic Belmont Mansion later in the month of May?
You may want to consider that, because there's a potential dot to be connected there.
Thank you for your testimony. 125 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC.
Thank you. Are there any more questions from members of the Committee? (No response.)
We will now hear from City Planning Commission. Good morning. Welcome. We do have a copy of your written testimony. We'll be very happy to supply that to the stenographer, who will transcribe it in full. I would ask you to abbreviate as much as you can, please.
Sure. Good morning, Council President Verna. Can 126 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. you hear me?
My name is Janice Woodcock. I'm the Executive Director of the City Planning Commission and Secretary of Strategic Planning. Thank you for the opportunity to present the City Planning Commission's proposed Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2008. 6 million, a Community Development Block Grant request for 183,000 and a request of 222,000 in Federal Transportation Grant funds. 3 million due to increases in requested appropriations in Class 100 and Class 200. The requested increase in Class 100 appropriations for personal -- personnel services is -- it is personal services is 127 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. 4 percent, and provides funding for a contractually mandated four percent wage increase effective July 1, 2007. This Class 100 request would fund 53 positions, including 49 in the General Fund. Our Class 200 request for the purchase of services includes a 250,000, or 217 percent, increase in funding to retain consulting services and technical expertise associated with existing and anticipated initiatives, such as undertaking a new plan for the Central Delaware Riverfront; development review and impact mitigation for two proposed gaming venues along this riverfront; and preparing for the creation of a Zoning Code Commission if approved by the voters in the May 15th primary. As you know, the City Planning Commission has a role in many of the aspects of the development process, including subdivisions, zoning and site environmental remediation. In the past year, the Development Planning Division 128 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. has reviewed 920 development plans submitted under the requirements of the subdivision ordinance. Additionally, 85 plans were submitted and reviewed under the Wissahickon Watershed regulations, 88 plans were reviewed for compliance with flood plain laws, and 49 plans reviewed for compliance with the Pennsylvania land recycling and site remediation requirements. Environmental clearances were issued for 19,000 properties and 13 Congressional Economic Development 14 Initiative, EDI, grants for federally 15 funded activities to ensure that the City 16 remains eligible for its Community 17 Development Block Grants and 18 Commonwealth-administered federal funds. 19 The staff also reviewed 33 20 Street bills, 13 Public Property bills, 21 28 Zoning Code and Zoning map amendments, six Master Plan amendments, and approximately 2,000 Zoning Board of Adjustment applications. Our Community Planning Division 129 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. has worked actively on urban renewal, neighborhood planning, technical assistance and participated on various Boards and Advisory Committees this year. Community Planners work closely with the Redevelopment Authority to facilitate neighborhood renewal. During the fiscal year, we completed two redevelopment area plans, two blight certification reports and a half dozen redevelopment proposals. During the past year, the Community Development Division released the Parkwood NTI Plan and an update of the Strawberry Mansion Plan and last month we presented the East Tioga Plan to the community and the Council. One of the primary responsibilities of our Strategic Planning and Policy Division is the coordination and preparation for the City's Capital Budget and Program. This division, along with Community Planning, analyzes and presents to the Commission the School District's annual Capital 130 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. Program and facility site plans. In addition, the Strategic Planning and Policy Division initiates and manages a variety of research and policy analysis work in the areas of economic development, housing and open-space planning. Division staff participates on many interagency task forces within the municipal government and also works with non-governmental entities such as the Schuylkill River Development Corporation and New River City Development Corporations with planning and development tasks.
The Division has special responsibilities with regard to transit and transportation planning. The City receives significant funding from federal and state governments for improvements to our transportation system. In most cases, these monies must be matched with local funds and carry extensive requirements for planning to ensure regional coordination. 131 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. S. Census Bureau to prepare the 2010 census of population. Our Urban Design Division supports the work of the City Planning Commission by focusing on, planning for and visualizing the built environment, and recommends physical changes to the form of the City and its neighborhood. The Division initiates its own work elements and collaborates with other Planning Commission divisions in that regard. In the past year, the Urban Design Division has completed design studies for the Christ Church View 132 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. Corridor, Nicetown Open Space Plan, Passyunk Square, and has performed reviews of many development sites throughout the City, including the proposed gaming sites along the Delaware Riverfront. And speaking of the Central Delaware, this division has been instrumental in working with and coordinating the City's consultants in planning for this riverfront. The Urban Design Division is also working with the Strategic Planning Division and the Managing Director's Office in the development of GreenPlan Philadelphia, which is the first open space comprehensive plan for the City. Finally, our GIS and Graphics Division continues to provide mapping services to a broad range of users. Last year, this division created almost 450 maps for City Councilmembers, other elected officials, City agencies, community associations and in support of Commission staff work. Almost all of the 133 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. projects and programs previously mentioned have used maps created by the GIS Division. It's worthy to note that the GIS Division is currently participating with other Commission staff, MOIS and the Department of Licenses and Inspections, along with the Building Industry Association, to develop an online zoning application. This project requires the GIS Division to perform quality control checks on existing parcels for accuracy and to work with the project team to solve many technical issues. The completion of this effort will likely extend into the early calendar year of 2008. The GIS Division is also in the process of developing a computer application using the Environmental Systems Research Institute's software that will allow us to create dynamic maps and data to be shared via the Internet. This is intended to help facilitate a 134 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. variety of planning tasks. This project will extend through the Calendar Year 2007. In summary, I want to say informally that the Planning Commission's goal is to continue to use technology to help the City move forward and do larger-scale citywide planning that is possible in a more efficient way. We also want to continue to strengthen our partnerships with organizations outside of the government with all the other different parts of government that engage in planning, and to this end, I know that our testimony sounds quite complex, but in fact, that's what it takes from an agency such as us to accomplish these goals. This concludes my testimony. I'd be happy to take any questions you may have.
Thank you. In your testimony, you mention 135 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. that the City will host the 99th National Conference of the American Planning Association and that we are expecting approximately 6,000 City Planners from the United States, Canada and the world to spend five days in Philadelphia exploring our streets, visiting our neighborhoods and enjoying our hospitality. When will that occur?
That begins this coming Sunday, and the dates are April 14th through 18th. I also have -- through our partnerships with volunteer work, we've created a guide and I brought them here for Council in case you'd like to have a copy. The Planners that visit will be receiving these guides as their invitation to enjoy the City of Philadelphia.
Oh, that would be nice. Also, in your testimony you indicate that over the next year, Division staff will begin working with 136 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. the U.S. Census Bureau to prepare for the 2010 census population. How do you work with the Census Bureau?
To be honest, I am not totally familiar with exactly how it is that we perform that work, but I'd be happy to get back to you with a description. I do know that in preparation for the census, that we end up looking to see if our data is complete and what we will need to do in order for the federal folks to come in and have an efficient experience. But I'd be happy to get back with the details on exactly how.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Goode.
Thank you, Madam President. Good afternoon, Ms. Woodcock. On of your testimony in reference to the Strategic Planning and Policy 137 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. Division, you say the Division has special responsibilities with regard to transit and transportation planning. Are all of the Administration's transportation personnel housed there?
We have folks that work on transportation issues in OSP. And in addition, when we talk about transportation planning, there are a whole host of what we call TCDI studies, and what that is, working with the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, we are looking at ways to strengthen our land-use policy in relation to our transportation system. So we not only have staff that deal with transportation issues including capital facilities and the transit lines themselves and the policies that SEPTA has, we also are engaged in planning to support our transit system to strengthen the ridership through a land-use policy.
My question is not so much how the Planning 138 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. Commission interacts with regard to transportation, but if all of the transportation personnel within the Administration are actually housed within the Planning Commission.
Are there functions related to transportation that go beyond Planning or that should go beyond Planning in the area of transportation?
Yes, I do believe so, because it requires the government, the leadership of government, including this Council, to communicate with all levels of state and federal governments to make sure that our transportation system is sound.
So while it's not your decision, you would agree that there probably should be other aspects of transportation located in other parts of the Administration and functions beyond the Planning Commission? 139 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC.
Well, I will say yes to that question, but I will also tell you that we routinely meet with other departments, including Law and Commerce, when there is a transportation-related development issue, and knowledge exists in those departments related to transportation even though the title of the staff person in those agencies or staff folks in the agencies may not say "transportation planner" on them.
Well, I guess to ask the broader question, is transportation a serious enough issue that not only should it be broader than just the Planning aspects, but it should be a separate office or department or possibly even under the Mayor's Office more directly?
I would defer to the Mayor's Office to answer that question. I know in the past there have been transportation -- there have been 140 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. transportation staff in the Mayor's Office and that in recent history in Planning Commission that those folks will move over to Planning. I do want to tell you, though, that I believe that we are working very closely with state officials related to the problems that we're facing not only in terms of transportation and transit but how to coordinate the land-use policy that must go along with good transportation planning. They have to be done together. So while our office might not be the only office, I think it's very important that the responsibility for transportation policy remain with the Planning Commission.
And can you just cite some of the members of the Administration that work directly on transportation issues outside of the Planning Commission?
Well, I'd like to ask Gary Jastrzab to list the folks 141 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. that he's got working with him in the Law Department on your transit working group, and then I can talk about some folks with highways.
In the Law Department, we've worked very closely with the City Solicitor and some of his staff members, in particular Dan Cantu-Hertzler, Jay Barry Davis. Housed on our own floor in the Office of Strategic Planning is Chris Zearfoss. We have in addition in the Planning Commission two Transportation Planners in the Strategic Planning and Policy Division.
In addition, we work with the Streets Department. We have new staff there that we have met with already, because we see that there are very important issues that we need to mutually understand rather than fragment that review process. So we've met with Commissioner Tolson, Dave Perri and Darren Gotti, who is the new Surveyor. 142 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC.
So the Solicitor's Office deals with legal issues; the Streets Department deals with streets issues; Planning deals with planning aspects. But is there anyone outside of the Planning Commission that actually has a transportation title or any major function outside of the Planning Commission with regard to transportation?
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you very much. Councilman Goode talked about the issue of transportation and funding for transportation studies. Have you done any with regard to the SEPTA El 143 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. Reconstruction Project from 46th to 63rd?
Yes. We have completed a TCDI study that looked at how to increase the density along that corridor. The study had many good recommendations. And often with a study, when you get to the end of that study, you need to take the next step, and we are very interested in taking the next step so that we can use any investments that the City -- resources that the City may have in terms of what it owns and pair that with adjustments that we might be able to make in regulatory overlays that are there to promote the development of that corridor. And given the fact that the construction along that corridor of the El has been delayed, we believe that's a very serious issue that we should attend to.
I think I saw it, but would you send me another copy? And also, we've had more than 30 businesses, some 33 businesses, 144 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. close due to that horrendous project. But it's supposed to end the end of next year. We are looking at and have already met with PIDC about creating maybe a special service district and a TIF in order to try to create some opportunity for businesses to survive and reopen. Would you be interested in working with us in that regard?
Absolutely. In fact, I believe my staff may have contacted your staff already to look at that issue so that we can work together.
Thank you. We'll be in touch. Thank you. Thank you, Madam President.
You're welcome. Are there any other questions from members of the Committee? (No response.)
Thank you very 145 4/10/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070114, ETC. much.
The Committee will stand in recess until tomorrow, Wednesday, April the 11th at 10:00 a.m. Thank you very much. (Committee of the Whole adjourned at 12:30 p.m.) - - - 146 CERTIFICATE I HEREBY CERTIFY that the proceedings, evidence and objections are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me upon the foregoing matter on April 10, 2007, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. ______________________________ MICHELE L. MURPHY RPR-Notary Public (The foregoing certification of this transcript does not apply to any reproduction of the same by any means, unless under the direct control and/or supervision of the certifying reporter.)