Title
Nominating 25 individuals for consideration by the Mayor as appointees to the Commission on Parks and Recreation.
Body
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 Departments 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. Their terms will expire later this year, and it is now time for Council to submit the next list of nominees for the Mayor’s consideration; 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 “[n]o later than ninety days after the close of applications, the Council, by resolution, shall forward to the Mayor no fewer than 18 and no more than 25 nominations”; and
WHEREAS, On March 30, 2016, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovell and Council President Darrell L. Clarke jointly issued a press release announcing the opening of the application process and stating that the deadline to apply was May 6, 2016; notice was timely published in five newspapers soliciting applications for the Commission; an Application Form was published electronically at www.phila.gov, www.phlcouncil.com, and www.phila.gov/parksandrecreation; copies of the Application Form were distributed to libraries, recreation centers, Fairmount Park facilities, and the Chief Clerk’s Office; Council and the Mayor’s Office of Communication used social media to publicize the application process; and the Philadelphia Parks Alliance notified the individuals on its extensive mailing list; and
WHEREAS, In response to these announcements, more than 60 individuals submitted detailed applications; and
WHEREAS, On April 28, 2016, Council adopted Resolution No. 160388 authorizing Council’s standing Committee on Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs (“the Committee”) to hold the public hearing required by the Charter Amendment and to submit a report to Council setting forth the Committee’s recommended list of nominations for submission to the Mayor; and
WHEREAS, On May 23 and May 24, 2016, the Committee held public hearings at which applicants presented their credentials; and
WHEREAS, On June 8, 2016, the Committee adopted a report (Attachment “A” hereto) setting forth its recommended list of 25 nominees for consideration by the Council; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, ThatPursuant to Section 3-905 of the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter, and upon recommendation of the Committee on Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs pursuant to Resolution No. 160388, the 25 individuals whose names are listed in Attachment “A” hereto are hereby nominated for consideration by the Mayor as potential appointees to the Commission on Parks and Recreation.
RESOLVED FURTHER, That The Chief Clerk of City Council is hereby directed to transmit a certified copy of this Resolution to the Mayor.
Attachment A
Committee on Parks Recreation & Cultural Affairs
Report on Resolution 160388
We hereby recommend that Council submit the following list of nominations to the Mayor:
Gregory J. Allen
Rebecca (Rudi) Byron
Michael J. Cappon
Phoebe Coles
Susan Dannenberg
Akeem J. Dixon
Eric Edi
Michael R. Froehlich
Debra Wolf Goldstein
Jeffrey L. Hackett
Charlie Hills
Jean-Marie Kouassi
Darren Lipscomb
M. Richard Nalbandian
Raed (Ray) Nasser
Felicia Parker-Cox
Matthew Perks
Brenda Reavis
Frank Robinson
Dana Russikoff
Noreen Shanfelter
Kristine Soffa
Joy D. Soto
A. J. Thomson
Janice M. Woodcock
End