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Council Needs to Fund Budget
Why hire experts if you aren’t going to take their advice? Disregarding the opinion of the economic consulting firm they hired to make budget recommendations, City Council recently passed a budget for the 2011 fiscal year, that left the city with a 40 percent smaller operating cushion than what was recommended for fiscal security. Council may believe that their job is done, but an underfunded budget like the one they approved could leave the City broke midway through the budget cycle The budget contains many important budgetary priorities, but without sufficient revenue the Mayor is preparing to cut $20 million and hundreds of jobs to plug the budget hole. On the chopping block would be $2.5 million in funding for the Department of Parks and Recreation, which was to be used for maintenance, tree planting, and safety and security measures. This cut would jeopardize the City’s Greenworks tree planting and park access goals, and could lead to additional decay in our public spaces that make them a hazard rather than an amenity for communities. Our communities cannot afford additional cuts to the Department of Parks and Recreation. Now more than ever we need vibrant, safe and public spaces. The Urban Mayor's Proposed Budget Impacts on ParksMayor Nutter presented his Fiscal Year 2011 Budget Address to members of City Council last week. We’ve looked over the proposed budget to see how it would affect the Next Great City (NGC) actions, and this is what we observed regarding trees: Parks and Trees- A proposed $1 million increase in capital funds for tree planting would support Next Great City’s tree planting goal. An additional $2.5 million for the Department of Parks and Recreation's operating budget for new staff will be a boon for fostering healthy parks with improved maintenance. Parks & Recreation Announces Operational Imperatives As part of the merger that will create the Department of Parks and Recreation, a series of community meetings were conducted last fall. Using the feedback from these meetings the below "Operational Imperatives" were developed. These are identified as essential standards to which the Department's daily activities will aspire and adhere. 1. Safety - All facilities, trail, parks and other amenities must be safe participants and staff. The Department of Parks and Recreation continues to advance the merger process. At the end of calendar year 2009, the Department submitted its first-ever combined budget for review. Moving forward, there will be more opportunities for community input. In the meantime, you may contact the Department with feedback and ideas by emailing merger.feedback@phila.gov. The Urban Sustainability Forum presents Guidelines for the Use and Protection of Public Land on Thursday, July 16. Mayor Nutter Officially Announces Commission on Parks and Recreation Appointees Controversional Parks Legislation Withdrawn Legislation that would have opened up Fairmount Park to development was withdrawn before it was reviewed by the Planning Commission after strong opposition from park advocates. Councilwoman Joan Krajewski who introduced the amendment to city code said it was not meant for the entire park, and that it was only intended to address problems involving Glen Foerd on the Delaware, a historic estate in the Councilwoman's district. Krajewski withdrew the legislation and will seek other alternatives to help Glen Foerd. Parks and Recreation Commissioners Applications are InFrom a list of over 200 applicants, City Council now has to choose their nominees for the nine available spots on the new Commission on Parks and Recreation. The City Council’s public hearings began Wednesday, March 19 and will continue through Thursday, March 26. DiBerardinis returns to Philly to oversee the Department of Parks & Recreation The secretary of Pennsylvania's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Michael DiBerardinis, resigned from that post in order to return to his native Philadelphia to become the head of the city's new parks and recreation department. DiBerardinis formerly served as the Commissioner of the Recreation Department under Mayor Rendell. In his capacity as DCNR secretary, he has overseen the Commonwealth's open space, parks, forests, trees, experience that will suit him well in his new capacity. Welcome back to Philly, Mike! June a Blockbuster for Philly's Parks Citizens Inspection on the Parks On May 30, 2007, the Philadelphia Parks Alliance held a "Citizens Hearing on the Parks" during which they released the results of the 43 park inspections conducted throughout the city. They also called on City Council and the Mayor to support legislation to reform park governance and funding. Legislation that would change refomr park governanc is still pending in City Council. Recent News
Legislation City Councilmembers Darrell Clarke and Blondell Reynolds Brown have introduced park legislation that would consolidate the Fairmount Park Commission and the Department of Recreation as the Department of Parks and Recreation. It would also restructure the leadership of the Fairmount Park Commission. A hearing for this legislation is scheduled for June 10th at 10am in City Council chambers. Related Links |