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Home My WebLink About2008 Annual Report - Parks, Arts, Recreation and Culture (PARC) Committee/ .. pO.TAWyAT~~ • 2008 Annual Report of the PARKS, ARTS, RECREATION AND CULTURE (PARC) COMMITTEE Date: December 4, 2008 To: The South Bend Common Council The Office of the City Clerk From: 4th District Council Member Ann Puzzello ,PARC Committee Chairperson Introduction: Pursuant to § 2-10 (i) of the South Bend Municipal Code, I am pleased to file this 2008 Annual Report of the PARC Committee, which highlights some of the activities of this calendar year, and makes some recommendations for consideration to enhance the many recreational and cultural opportunities offered in the City of South Bend. Committee Membership: This year's Committee members included: 1St District Council Member Derek D. Dieter, Vice-Chairperson Citizen Member Martha Lewis 6th District Council Member Oliver Davis, Member Citizen Member Ralph Lampkin, Council Member at Large Al "Buddy" Kirsits, Member Jr. 4th District Council Member Ann Puzzello, Chairperson Duties and Responsibilities: As noted in the South Bend Municipal Code, the PARC Committee is charged with the following duties: "Oversees the various activities of the Century Center, College Football Hall of Fame, Coveleski Regional Stadium, Morris Performing Arts Center, Studebaker National Museum, South Bend Regional Museum of Art, Potawatomi Zoo, and the many recreational and leisure activities offered by the Department of Parks and Recreation". PARC Committee Meetings: The PARC Committee has met eight (8) times to date this year. Topics discussed and reviewed by the Committee included: • Appropriations for such activities as making Potowatomi Park more accessible to individuals with handicaps; upgrading the bank shell; etc. np~ 3 J ®~ d1C.@ • Received an update on the progress at the Greenhouse & Con er~~@f~ ~ 1 So 'ety; Potowatomi Zoo Director Terry DeRosa and the Historic Pres rvat on Commission DEC - 4 ~G03 • Received an update from Professor Paul Brenner from the Uni ersrty of Notre D on the innovative grid heating system at the Greenhouse JOHN VOO~~EIQ IN. Off{ CLERK, ~ . 2008 Annual Report of the PARC Committee December 4, 2008 Page 2 • East Bank Village Master Plan -Phase I Although action was not taken at a PARC Committee meeting, I made the motion to delete the proposed Century Center budget from the original ordinance so that the Council Members could receive more information. The Century Center's budget will now be heard separately in Bill No. 77-08. That Bill is scheduled for public hearing on Monday, December 8, 2008. Attendance at Parks & Recreation Board of Commissioners Meetings: As the PARC Committee Chairperson, I believe that it is extremely important to have open and ongoing discussions about all park and recreational programs. I have therefore attempted to attend all of the monthly Parks & Recreation Board of Commissioners meetings. These meetings are held on the 3`a Monday of each month at 4 p.m. at the O'Brien Center Board Room, located at 312 East Walter Street, in the 5th Councilmanic District of South Bend. This has resulted in more inter-action and improved communications. If I am the PARC Committee Chairperson in 2009, I would continue to attend and participate in these meetings. 2009 Priorities: As everyone is keenly aware, communities across Indiana are grappling with the potential fiscal shortfalls, as a result of the passage of HEA 1001, commonly referred to as the "Circuit Breaker Law". As a former teacher of the South Bend Community School Corporation, and as an elected public official, I am interested in seeking excellence throughout our community. Too often, cultural and recreational programs are proposed as the first items on the chopping block during tough financial times. If this happens in South Bend, I fear that we will never be a "21St Century City". I will continue to work hard to make sure that that does not happen in the City of South Bend. Our parks, recreation, arts and cultural programs contribute to the rich vibrancy of our city. In an age where technology is so apparent, the active and passive park and recreation offer diverse cultural & recreational enrichment, which must continue. Soon the 20th Anniversary of "Downtown for the Holidays" will begin. Some other park, recreational, art and cultural opportunities include: East Race Waterway Century Center College Football Hall of Fame Studebaker National Museum Howard Park Senior Citizen Center Belleville Sports Complex Potawatomi Zoo Coveleski Regional Stadium Morris Performing Arts Center, South Bend Regional Museum of Art Rum Village Park & Nature Center Daddy/Daughter Dances Greenhouses Leeper Park Tennis O'Brien Fitness Center Golf courses Water playgrounds Mommy/Son Dances Our park, recreational, arts and cultural programs are offerred at • Fifty-six (56) local parks consisting of 1,300 acres • Sixteen (16) block parks • Eleven (11) neighborhood parks • Twenty-two (22) community parks • Seven (7} special parks [East Race, 3 golf courses, Coveleski Stadium, Potawatomi Zoo] 2008 Annual Report of the PARC Committee December 4, 2008 Page 3 Our programs have won awards for their excellence. We must work together, public and private, elected and appointed, as well as city and county to make sure that such programs remain and grow. Just some of our awards include: • October 1, 2007 formal accreditation by the national Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies, putting South Bend in the top 1% in the country • NRPA designated the Park Department's website as the best website for a Class III City having a population between 785r,000 -199,999 • Child Magazine named Potawatomi Zoo as one of the top 20 "Kid Friendly" Zoos • Potawatomi Zoo has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums since 1987 and is in the process of meeting the rising standards for a renewal of this accreditation • 2007 National Institutes of Health "We Can!" Award to prevent obesity in youth ages 8-13 • Indiana Parks and Recreation Association has awarded South Bend six (6) state awards for outstanding facilities or park development for Belleville Softball Complex, O'Brien Recreation Center, O'Brien Skate Park, Southeast Park and the Martin Luther King Center at LaSalle Park • National Hearts N'Parks Award for encouraging healthier lifestyles • Historic Preservation Commission designated Leeper Park as a "National Treasure" • East Race Waterway, constructed in 1984, remains the 1St and only manmade white water rapids facility in North America and has hosted U.S. Olympic canoe and kayak trials • Morris Performing Arts Center being recognized as one of the top 100 theatres in the world The Park Department's 2008 budget is approximately $14.2 million, with 62% being funded by property taxes. Despite the challenging fiscal times, we must work together to continue our excellent park and recreation programs for our residents. Thank you. Resp fully submitted, C tuber Ann Puzzello PARC Committee Chairperson cc: Mayor Stephen Luecke Robert Henry, Parks and Recreation Board of Commissioners President Phil St. Clair, Park Superintendent