Authorizing the City Council Committee on Parks Recreation & Cultural Affairs to hold hearings on the 2004 Park Strategic Plan.

WHEREAS, The City Council Committee on Parks Recreation and Cultural Affairs held a hearing on October 31, 2001 regarding resolution number 010518, which called for hearings on the status of our park system; and

WHEREAS, At this hearing there was a clear and consistent message that the City of Philadelphia needed a new strategic plan for its parks; and

WHEREAS, Through the wisdom of the Street Administration and this City Council as well as through the generosity of the William Penn Foundation the funding for the Strategic Plan came into place; and

WHEREAS, After a competitive bidding process, the consulting team led by the well experienced Leon Younger and PROS was chosen to create the road map for the City to follow; and

WHEREAS, The consultants gathered input from a large pool of stakeholders through one on one interviews, through telephone interviews and through a number of community forums; and

WHEREAS, The plan is near completion and it promises to be a comprehensive and detailed document; and

WHEREAS, While there are certain to be open opportunities for the general public to provide comment, it is certainly this Council's perogative to provide an additional forum for the citizens of this City; and

WHEREAS, It is appropriate for this Council to have hearings on this important issue, especially since many point to the previous hearing and the strong advocacy of parks enthusiasts at that hearing as playing a pivotal role in bringing this plan to fruition; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby authorize the City Council Committee on Parks Recreation & Cultural Affairs to hold hearings on the 2004 Park Strategic Plan.

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