2010 Annual Report- PARC (Parks, Recreation, Cultural Arts, Entertainment) Committee

Home Browse Search

2010 Annual Report of the PARC Committee- Page 2 December 7, 2010 Meetings and Topics Under Discussion: This year the PARC Committee has met seven (7) times to date to discuss such topics as: • Receiving an update from the Century Center Board of Managers which approved a 3- year extension of the management contract with Global Spectrum • Reviewing various appropriation requests such as the Morns Performing Arts Centers request for $39,100 for needed maintenance items; and their $10,2000 marketing request • Reviewing appropriation requests for the College Football Hall of Fame which included a $71,000 request for various repairs and expenditures of a capital nature; • Reviewing appropriation requests for the Park Department from a federal stimulus grant of $353,437 which was to be used to hire up to forty (40) seasonal workers • Communiversity Day which was held on April 10, 2010 where college students worked in several City Parks, at the zoo and at the conservatory; followed by a cook-out at the Robinson Center • Reviewing the state grant of $2 million to help in the construction of the Kroc Center, with such funds being used as an operating endowment match for the facility. The grant monies would be appropriated in the amount of $500,000 every six (6) months • Reviewing proposed multi-million dollar upgrades to the Coveleski Regional Stadium and surrounding properties Goals and Challenges in 2011: I am very proud of the many cultural and recreational opportunities which the City of South Bend provides. The award-winning Morns Performing Arts Center in downtown South Bend; the unanimously National Recreation and Parks Association re-accredited Potawatomi Zoo; South Bend's 1St park established in 1879- Howard Park; the Belleville Softball Complex; the Century Center beautifully located along the majestic St. Joseph River; the College Football Hall of Fame; the East Race Waterway; our greenhouses and conservatories; the O'Brien Recreation Center and its many offerings; the Charles Black and the Martin Luther King Centers; and our very well-maintained golf courses located across the city- Elbel, Erskine and Studebaker- just to name a few. Despite the fiscal challenges resulting from the state circuit breaker law, our Park Department, Park Board and dedicated park employees have stepped up to the plate and are continuing to maintain our many park facilities. While other cities have closed many of their park programs, South Bend's have remained strong.