WHEREAS
, The Fairmount Park System contains 9,200 acres of park land and recreational spaces consisting of 77 primary parks throughout the City, and is responsibile for the care and maintenance of our City's inventory of street trees; and
WHEREAS
, Fairmount Park is also home to many of the City's major historic and cultural attractions and amenities, including, but not limited to: the Art Museum, Boathouse Row, the WaterWorks, Belmont Mansion, the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, the Robin Hood Dell, Fox Chase Farm, Glen Foerd on the Delaware, and Bartram's Garden; and
WHEREAS
, Fairmount Park plays an integral role in Philadelphia's image as a liveable and desirable city, and is a key resource with natural and unique assets that cannot be replaced; and
WHEREAS
, Over the years, the funding and staffing levels at the City's Park System have been seriously eroded; and
WHEREAS
, A comparison of 2000 data on the spending and staffing levels of park systems in ten major U.S. cities found that Philadelphia had the lowest per capita expenditure of any city, the least amount of dollars spent per acre, and the highest amount of acres maintained per employee; and
WHEREAS
, The recently released Strategic Plan for Fairmount Park, "A Bridge to the Future," evaluated many aspects of the Park including facilities, operations, revenue and governance, and made several findings and recommendations to strengthen and enhance the Park System; and
WHEREAS
, Through strategic investments coupled with increased performance standards and improved management, Fairmount Park can generate some of its own revenue needs, strengthen the desirability of our neighborhoods, and serve as a major tourist attraction filled with sports, recreation, cultural and historic assets; and
WHEREAS
, It is critical that we begin now to reverse the severe underfunding of our priceless Park System; now therefore
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA
, That we hereby propose an amendment to Bill No. 060003 which provides for the Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2007 and a corresponding amendment to Res. No. 060019 which provides for the Five-Year Financial Plan to increase the budget for Fairmount Park by $3 million a year for each of the next five years for a total increase of $15 million by Fiscal Year 2011.
Michael A. Nutter, Councilman - 4th District
March 2, 2006
PROPOSED AMENDMENT
BILL NO. 060003
Amend Bill, Page 5, Section 2.19 to read as follows:
2.19 TO THE DEPARTMENT OF RECREATION--
FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION
Personal Services ----------------------------$
8,671,102
$11,671,102
Purchase of Services ------------------------- 2,692,509
Materials, Supplies and Equipment ------- 668.621
Payments to Other Funds ----------------- 850,000
_____________
Total
$12,882,232
$15,882,232
End