City flooded with applicants for new Parks and Rec Committee

Philadelphia City Council has two months to wade through 250 applications for a new parks and recreation advisory committee. Council may have gotten more than it bargained for, but the prospects are promising.

Philadelphia City Council has two months to wade through 250 applications for a new Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee. Council may have gotten more than it bargained for, but the prospects are promising. WHYY’s Kerry Grens reports.
Caption: Whispering benches in Fairmount Park
Transcript:
City Council has until May 9th to select 25 nominees. Mayor Nutter will then narrow it down to nine names. Those people will serve as advisors to a new city department that merged the recreation division with the Fairmount Park Commission. Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds-Brown says Council received more submissions than expected – and she wants to hear from all of them.

Reynolds-Brown: Let me be clear. Every single person that applies will have an opportunity to come to a hearing and tell their story. All 250 individuals.

William Carter works for councilman Darrell Clarke. He says experience with horticulture, fundraising, and land development will be valuable qualities in advisory members.

Carter: But it’s not mandatory. We want competent individuals who care deeply about the parks, who are more than likely avid users of the parks for various reasons and have a history in being involved with the park system.

Carter says a cursory look at the submissions showed plenty of well-qualified applicants. The volunteer advisors will aid the Parks and Recreation Commissioner in setting policy.

Listen:
Click on the play button below or right click on this link and choose “Save Link As” to download. [audio: reports20090312parks.mp3]