Authorizing Council's Committee on Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs to hold public hearings for applicants seeking nomination to serve on the Commission on Parks and Recreation and further authorizing the Committee to recommend for Council's consideration nominations to be forwarded to the mayor.

WHEREAS, On November 4, 2008, the voters of Philadelphia approved a Charter amendment to create a new unified Department of Parks and Recreation, and a new Commission on Parks and Recreation; and

WHEREAS, The Commission is composed of 15 members: nine appointed by the mayor from a list of nominations submitted by Council; and six ex officio members (the Commissioners of the Department of Parks and Recreation, Water, Streets, and Public Property; the Council President; and the Executive Director of the City Planning Commission); and

WHEREAS, The Mayor’s nine appointees serve for a term of four years, but the COVID-19 pandemic interfered with constituting the Commission on Parks and Recreation for many years; and

WHEREAS, in January 2026, Mayor Cherelle Parker requested that Council President Kenyatta Johnson initiate the process to solicit applicants to serve on the Commission on Parks and Recreation, and Council President honored that request; and

WHEREAS, Section 3-905 of the Charter requires that, after an application period of no less than 30 days, “The Council shall hold a public hearing on the proposed nominations”; and that “The Council, by resolution, shall forward to the mayor no fewer than 18 and no more than 25 nominations”; and

WHEREAS, The Council’s standing Committee on Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs (“the Committee”) is authorized by the Rules of Council to consider all matters pertaining to the Department of Recreation and Fairmount Park; and

WHEREAS, It is intended by this Resolution to delegate to the Committee Council’s duty under the Charter to “Hold a public hearing on the proposed nominations,” while preserving to Council the final responsibility for determining the list of nominees submitted to the mayor; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That Council’s Committee on Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs is hereby authorized to hold the public hearing required by Section 3-905 of the Charter.

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Committee shall thereafter submit a report to Council by Resolution setting forth the Committee’s recommended list of nominations for submission to the mayor.

End