WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia manages over 275 athletic fields for recreational purposes and organized sports including cricket, soccer, baseball and softball, rugby and football; and
WHEREAS, Every year, thousands of applications are submitted for seasonal and one-time usage of outdoor athletic fields for league sports, intramural games, school teams, tournaments and leisurely ball games; and
WHEREAS, Due to lack of equipment, staff and finances, only a small portion of athletic fields are able to be reconditioned annually, resulting in many athletic fields to be left in poor condition for great lengths of time; and
WHEREAS, By investing in the installation of sustainable irrigation systems, fields would require less maintenance, which would increase the amount of time these fields are available for use throughout the year; and
WHEREAS, Furthermore, the amount of water used to properly maintain these fields would be significantly reduced with sustainable irrigation systems. In turn, this would reduce the cost of field maintenance; and
WHEREAS, By incorporating comprehensive irrigation systems into our City’s recreation fields, the turf quality can be improved, the lifespan increased, and the overall experience enhanced for the residents and youth who use these fields; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That authority be given to the Committee on the Environment and the Committee on Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs to hold joint public hearings to
investigate the feasibility of installing sustainable irrigation systems beneath City recreation fields to improve the condition, reduce maintenance and associated costs, and extend the lifespan of the fields.
End