WHEREAS, The General Assembly in 1868 directed the Fairmount Park Commission to deposit revenue generated from activities in Fairmount Park into a fund appropriated by City Council exclusively for park purposes; and
WHEREAS, After the City of Philadelphia adopted the Home Rule Charter in 1951, the Finance Director abolished the fund authorized by the General Assembly and included all revenue and expenses related to Fairmount Park in the City's general budget; and
WHEREAS, Pursuant to a Home Rule Charter change, on July 1, 2009, the Fairmount Park Commission was abolished and its powers and duties were transferred to the Department of Parks and Recreation; and
WHEREAS, The City intends to re-create a dedicated fund for certain revenue generated in areas in the Fairmount Park system to be used to pay expenses for programs and facilities in the Fairmount Park system; and
WHEREAS, The Department of Parks and Recreation awards competitive, revenue-generating agreements regarding areas and facilities throughout the Fairmount Park system; and
WHEREAS, The City can supplement the Department of Parks and Recreation's budgetary requirements by using revenue generated from competitively awarded agreements regarding areas and facilities in the Fairmount Park system; now, therefore
THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA HEREBY ORDAINS:
SECTION 1. The Director of Finance is hereby authorized to establish a Parks and Recreation Programs and Facilities Fund (the Fund).
SECTION 2. The Department of Parks and Recreation (the Department) shall deposit in the Fund revenue generated from such competitively awarded agreements regarding areas and facilities in the Fairmount Park System as may be approved for each fiscal year by the Director of Finance as appropriate for Fund deposits.
SECTION 3. The Department of Parks and Recreation is authorized to spend money from the Fund, as well as any interest and income earned on those funds as calculated by the City Treasurer, to pay expenses for programs or facilities in the Fairmount Park system.
SECTION 4. By September 30 of each year, or at any other times as the Director of Finance may require, the Department of Parks and Recreation shall submit to the Director of Finance and City Council an accounting of deposits into and expenditures from the Fund for the most recently completed fiscal year. By January 1 of each year, the Department shall submit to the Director of Finance and City Council an accounting of deposits into and expenditures from the Fund for the then-current fiscal year, as well as projected revenue for and anticipated expenses from the Fund for the remainder of the current fiscal year and for the following fiscal year. All the Department's reports shall be in form and extent acceptable to the Director of Finance.
SECTION 5. This Ordinance shall be effective with respect to revenues generated and expenditures incurred on or after July 1, 2011, and only to the extent authorized in the annual operating budget ordinance.
End